Original Les Chats Poster by Leonor Fini, 1986

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Leonor fini

les chats de madame helvetius
(the cats of madame helvetius)

original poster 1986

very good condition (see image)
… Read more Leonor fini

les chats de madame helvetius
(the cats of madame helvetius)

original poster 1986

very good condition (see image)
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madame helvétius and the cats

madame helvétius (anne-catherine de ligniville d'autricourt, 1722–1800) was a famous 18th-century french salonnière.
she was a prominent figure of the enlightenment, renowned for her free spirit, intellect, and deep affection for animals.

she was the widow of the wealthy french philosopher claude adrien helvétius. After his death, she ran a legendary intellectual salon in auteuil, paris. It served as a meeting place for brilliant minds like thomas jefferson, john adams, and benjamin franklin (who famously proposed marriage to her).

she was affectionately nicknamed "minette" (the french equivalent of "pussycat").

she was an eccentric historical animal lover who shared her home with nearly twenty angora cats. These cats roamed her salon freely, slept on her guests' laps, and were treated like absolute royalty.

our artwork

the modern artist leonor fini was also incredibly eccentric and shared a parallel lifestyle, frequently living with up to 17 cats at a time. Fini felt a powerful kinship with this historical figure. In 1980s, she created the illustrated portfolio les chats de madame helvétius as a tribute to her.

fini envisioned madame helvétius's famous felines transformed into anthropomorphic, aristocratic creatures dressed in lavish, theatrical 18th-century gowns and crowns. This piece has an attribution mark,
i am sure that it is completely authentic and take full responsibility for any authenticity
issues arising from misattribution See less