Michel Suret-Canale (XX-XXI) - le chat immodeste

The Immodest Cat
Michel Suret-Canale — 2026
Oil on canvas — 55 × 75 cm

A cat with an ochre-gold coat, tail raised high, turns toward us with large clear eyes. It displays its hindquarters with the sovereign nonchalance of animals, perfectly indifferent to proprieties. Against a vibrant background of reds and pinks, its silhouette occupies the space with joyful assurance.

The title originates from an anecdote told by the artist. In the 1950s, a female teacher, a friend of his parents, is astonished that the students of a religious institution in the Southwest pronounce the letter Q as “quuh,” instead of “ku.” When she asks them why, one student answers: “It’s immodest!” The mere sound of the letter, too close to a word meaning the behind, was enough to awaken scruples.

This memory gives the painting its particular flavor. The cat knows nothing of these linguistic precautions. Its familiar posture becomes, under this deliciously antiquated title, a small scene of irreverence. Its gaze even seems to enlist the viewer as witness: what should there be to be ashamed of?

The composition extends this mischief with great freedom of drawing. The paws lengthen, the ears stand up, the tail describes a broad curve to the upper edge of the canvas. The black outlines lend momentum to the forms, while the luminous brushstrokes bring out the fur against the deep reds. In the middle of this color warmth, the almost white eyes immediately grab the gaze.

Humor also comes from the care given to the supposedly improper detail, indicated with a deceptively simple graphic clarity. The animal remains innocent; it is the word “immodest” that conjures, around it, a whole world of human taboos.

With The Immodest Cat, Michel Suret-Canale thus transforms a memory of linguistic modesty into a vivid and playful painting. A tribute to the freedom of cats, who have never needed to learn good manners to have style.

Technique: oil on canvas.
Dimensions: 55 × 75 cm.
Artist: Michel Suret-Canale.
Year: 2026.

Original unique work. Shipped with its certificate of authenticity and signed value estimate (see photo)

Michel Suret-Canale is a French painter born in 1957 in Boulogne-Billancourt. From a family of artists, he has been exhibiting since the 1970s. Doctor of Arts and Art Sciences from the University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne and former university lecturer, he has devoted himself entirely to painting since 2004. He is rightfully regarded as a continuer and heir of the Paris school.

His works are held in numerous private collections in France and abroad. His career and his work benefit from a strong online presence: many references can be found by simply searching for “Michel Suret-Canale,” notably on his official site, ADAGP, Saatchi Art, Artmajeur, Catawiki, and several publications devoted to contemporary art.