Cat Exhibition to Depart MSV September 1
Sunday, September 1 is the Final Day to See Traveling Exhibition Showcasing
Feline-themed Works by Théophile-Alexandre Steinlen
Winchester, VA 8/22/2019 . . .Cat lovers have only until September 1, 2019, to see Steinlen: Cats—a traveling exhibition of feline-themed works by Théophile-Alexandre Steinlen—at the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley (MSV).
A French-Swiss artist whose career spanned the transition from Art Nouveau to Modernism, Théophile-Alexandre Steinlen (1859–1923) was a printmaker, illustrator, painter, and sculptor. Steinlen often depicted animals in his work, specifically cats, as well as the bohemian cabaret culture of turn-of-the-century Paris. Cats appealed to Steinlen because of their charm, personality, and movement, and he tried to capture these qualities in his art.
Organized by the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Steinlen: Cats focuses exclusively on the artist’s images of cats as he experimented with a wide range of styles. On view at the MSV since May 2, 2019, the exhibition presents 26 works made between 1894 and 1923, and includes drawings, lithographs, a bronze sculpture, and books featuring Steinlen’s cat illustrations.
According to MSV Director of Exhibitions Corwyn Garman, the exhibition is a must-see for fine art enthusiasts and fans of French poster art. “We are excited to give cat lovers the opportunity to see this exhibition of beautiful, feline-themed art,” Garman adds.
Steinlen’s best-known work—the cabaret advertisement The Black Cat Cabaret (La Tournée du Chat Noir), the 1896 poster featuring a black cat silhouetted against a burnt orange background—is now an icon of the poster craze of the late 1800s. A version of this poster is among the works on view in Steinlen: Cats. The exhibition features both highly stylized and tender, realistic images, such as a blue crayon sketch dating to 1910–20 of a cluster of kittens snuggling with their mother.
Steinlen: Cats also features a “Sketch and Post” interactive where visitors of all ages may try their hand at drawing cats. Visitors are encouraged to share their feline drawings in the exhibition and post them on social media with the hashtag #CatsatTheMSV.
Visitors are encouraged to stop in the Museum Store to browse a selection of exhibition-related merchandise, including books, prints, coasters, stationary, jewelry, and more.
A regional cultural center, the MSV is located at 901 Amherst Street in Winchester, Virginia. The MSV includes galleries displaying permanent collections and rotating exhibitions, the Glen Burnie House, seven acres of gardens, and is the future home of The Trails at the MSV, a 90-acre art park with three miles of trails. The MSV is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. Admission is $10 or $8 for seniors and youth ages 13 to 18. General admission is always free to youth ages 12 and under and to MSV Members. Thanks to corporate partner Howard Shockey & Sons, Inc., admission is free to all every Wednesday. Between Memorial Day and Labor Day, the MSV is open free of charge each Wednesday until 8 p.m. Additional details are available here or by calling 540-662-1473, ext. 235. –END–