Lovely scene with mother cat and her 3 kittens was executed by French painter Daniel Merlin (1861 Audigny -1933 Paris).

Merlin was a prolific painter of cats and kittens. His paintings are in a typical 19th century style reminiscent of Henriette Ronner-Knip. He was a student of the history painter Jean-Paul Laurens. His work was represented in the Paris Salon in 1884. As a big cat lover, he studied his four-legged friends very carefully, and so many adorable cat pictures were created. His work can often be found at auctions and in private collections. The artist died in Paris in 1933.

Literature: Schurr V, 1979; Vollmer III, 1956, 375 r , Leipzig, 1999; Bénézit, 1999; Edouard-Joseph III, 1934.

Inscription: signed lower right.

Technique: oil on canvas. Magnificent original period frame.

Measurements: unframed w 21 2/3" x h 15" (55,5 x 38,5 cm), framed w 28 1/2" x h 21 7/8" (72,5 x 55,5 cm).

Condition: in very good condition.