Szabó Lajos (XIX-XX) - Drei Kätzchen

Fine oil painting on a real hard wooden panel. It depicts 3 playing cats beside an ashtray with a burning cigar, an unusual motif. The work is signed with "Szabo Lajos", dated 19. 4. 1900, somewhat hard to read. The piece is in very good condition for its age, with small damages and soiling.

The piece is opulently framed with mounting. The frame is damaged at the bottom right and is a complimentary add-on.

Only the cover image was generated with AI, since the background had to be changed to white.

All other photos are unedited. Some photos were taken in daylight (the bright ones) and others at night with artificial light (slightly yellowish bulb).

Dimensions with frame: 50 cm x 40 cm

"Three Kittens at Tea" – Signed oil painting by Lajos Szabó (1908)
The object presented is a historical oil painting on wood panel, depicting a typical humorous genre motif from around 1900. The work can be regarded as a kunsthistorisches Zeitdokument, reflecting the bourgeois salon interior’s preference for anthropomorphic animal depictions ("kittens as human substitutes").

Artistic classification and signature: The work is signed and dated in the lower left area with "Szabó Lajos 1900. 4. 19." Lajos Szabó was a Hungarian painter whose work was often influenced by late Romantic genre painting. The exact dating to April 19, 1908 provides the object with a clear historical anchoring. Such works served in the early 20th century as popular wall ornaments, which through their "cute" imagery suggested a perfect world.

Physical condition: The painting is presented in a historic, plastered wooden frame with a gold-colored finish. The framing shows age-typical ornamental design that directs focus to the inner image.

Analysis of the motif: The composition shows three kittens arranged on a wooden table. Notably, the artist’s attention to detail in depicting the animals is evident: the left and middle kittens sit in a frontal, almost portrait-like stance, while the right kitten interacts. A distinctive iconographic element is the teacup on a saucer, paired with a cigar lying on the table. This arrangement creates a nearly surreal, humorous note intended to evoke a smile from the viewer. The color palette is muted, earthy tones, with a background in characteristic, subdued blue-gray that effectively highlights the lighter parts of the fur and the fine painting of the teacup.

Graphic design and execution: The brushwork suggests an academically trained artist who focused on detailed rendering of fur textures and reflections of light in the teacup. The painting technique is traditional; the light comes from the upper left, typical of a classic studio composition of the genre.

Material condition and collector’s valuation: The condition of the painting is authentic and good for its age. The frame shows expected signs of aging – light bumps on the plastered ornaments and gold finish, which nonetheless underline the object's charm.

Genre paintings from the late 19th and early 20th centuries with "animal motifs" maintain steady demand among specialized collectors and lovers of historic salon furnishings.

Summary for archive: This object is a multisensory time capsule document that preserves the domestic atmosphere and the artistic zeitgeist of 1900. It is a charming example of the popular art of that era and enriches collections focusing on genre painting or early 20th-century everyday culture.

Object data sheet:
Artist: Szabó Lajos
Title: Three Kittens at Tea
Dating: 19 April 1900
Technique: Oil on wood
Frame: Historic, gold-colored wooden frame (plastered)
Condition: Good, age-appropriate with authentic patina
Significance: Documentation of early 20th-century genre painting

Note regarding the assessment of the dimensions: Please refer to the photos (I often photographed the measurements with a measuring tape). The measurements are often imprecise due to electronic processing and may be incorrect in the description.

Please note that all information regarding the time classification of this work has been provided to the best of our knowledge, but no guarantee or claim to accuracy and precision can be made. 100% certainty would only be achieved through material analysis. Offer only if you have sufficient expertise to make a correct temporal classification yourself based on the photos provided. The seller and the Catawiki experts assume no liability for an incorrect temporal classification. Therefore, consider the photos as the decisive descriptive features.