Artwork
Woman with Cat
Woman with Cat is an oil painting by the Early Baroque Italian artist Hans Baldung Grien. It dates from 1529 and is held in the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
' The work depicts a nude female figure with red, waist-length hair standing in a contrapposto pose within a rural setting marked by a tree.
Created in 1529 by Hans Baldung Grien, this oil painting on panel functions as an allegory titled 'Prudence,' forming one half of a paired composition alongside 'Music.' The work depicts a nude female figure with red, waist-length hair standing in a contrapposto pose within a rural setting marked by a tree. She is shown barefoot, engaging in the act of reading sheet music while holding a musical instrument.
A cat is prominently featured alongside the woman, contributing to the work's symbolic narrative. The depiction includes explicit anatomical details such as the navel, hips, and breasts, alongside indications of pubic hair removal. As part of the 'Music and Prudence' pair held by the Bavarian State Painting Collections, the imagery combines elements of nudity, music, and animal symbolism to convey its allegorical meaning.
Technique & Style
Woman with Cat is executed in oil paint on a wooden panel, a medium and support typical of early sixteenth‑century German panel painting. The work belongs to the allegorical genre and forms the left half of the pair “Music and Prudence.” Stylistically, the figure is presented in a contrapposto pose, with waist‑length red hair, nude torso, and bare feet, holding sheet music and a musical instrument while a cat rests at her feet.
The setting includes a rural landscape with a tree, and the painting emphasizes detailed rendering of textiles, flesh tones, and the animal’s fur, reflecting Baldung Grien’s careful handling of oil to achieve subtle modeling and luminous surfaces.
History & Provenance
Woman with Cat was painted in 1529 by Hans Baldung Grien in oil on panel. It forms the left wing of the allegorical diptych Music and Prudence, a pair also housed in the Alte Pinakothek, Munich. The work entered the Bavarian State Painting Collections and is now displayed at the Alte Pinakothek.
No earlier ownership records or commission details are documented in the sources; its provenance is therefore traced from its creation to its present institutional holding.
Overview
The oil painting titled "Woman with Cat" presents a nude female figure, depicted from the waist up, with striking red hair. She stands before a dark background, holding a violin in her left hand and an enigmatic black object in her right. A white cat is positioned to her right, completing a scene that conveys a mood of quiet introspection. The woman appears lost in thought, contributing to the painting's contemplative atmosphere.
Artist & collection
Artist
Hans Baldung (1484 or 1485 – September 1545), called Hans Baldung Grien, (being an early nickname, because of his predilection for the colour green), was a painter, printer, engraver, draftsman, and stained glass…
