Cat Knocking over a Vase of Flowers

A perfectly identical version of this picture can be seen in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. The question over whether this is the original or a copy, replica, or pastiche remains unresolved. However, Mignon had no hesitation in repeating certain details in his works, or even an entire composition, which he could reproduce without the slightest difference in execution or quality.

In the past, it was possible to make out the monogram “AM” on the canvas in Lyon, rather than an imitation of the complete signature seen on the picture in Amsterdam, which could indicate that it is a replica by the artist’s own hand.

From 1815 onward, the catalogues of the Lyon Museum of Fine Arts indicate that the picture was also hung in the Salon des Fleurs. The composition of this picture is unusual for a flower painting: a falling vase, a frightened cat with its tail raised and its claws on an overturned mousetrap with an open grille.