The Cat (Die Katze)
1897
Medium
drypoint
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Rosenwald Collection
Accession Number
1944.14.55
Art Historical Context
Edvard Munch's *The Cat (Die Kat)*, created in 1897, captures the Norwegian artist's mastery of printmaking through the intimate medium of drypoint. This technique involves scratching directly into a metal plate with a sharp tool, raising a soft burr that produces rich, velvety lines inked and printed—ideal for Munch's expressive, fluid style. Housed in the National Gallery of Art's Rosenwald Collection this print exemplifies his shift toward Symbolism and early Expressionism, movements that delved into emotional depth and the human psyche. Munch, best known for his iconic *The Scream*, often...
About the Artist
Edvard Munch · 1863–1944
Edvard Munch (1863-1944) was a Norwegian painter and printmaker whose intensely psychological works made him a pioneer of Expressionism and one of the most influential artists of the modern era. His 1893 masterpiece 'The Scream' has become an iconic symbol of existential anxiety. Munch's art was profoundly shaped by personal tragedy—his mother died when he was five, his beloved sister Sophie at fo...