Édouard Boubat (1923-1999, French)

Edouard Boubat, cats in photos

Edouard Boubat
Photo by Francois Le Diascorn

Édouard Boubat (1923-1999) was a freelance photographer who began his career in 1946. In the 50’s and 60’s he traveled and worked for the French magazine Réalités after having won the Kodak prize for photography. He is called a humanistic photographer in that he photographed simple every day activities. He was not interested in any photography of conflicts and was called, “the peace correspondent” by Jacques Prevert (another cat lover).  Boubat’s photos portray a Paris of a kinder era prior to WWII and the German occupation, and concentrated on the renewal of that life. His photographs’ beauty lies in the simplicity of a gesture, a beam of light, the everyday routine of urban life. His photographs of cats express his love of the animal. They are seen as symbols of life, love, and a gentle sensuality, but also as their typical cat selves. Even though Boubat exhibited his photographs in the best galleries and published in magazines in both Europe and the United States, he never achieved the notoriety that Henri Carter-Bresson, Brassai, and Robert Doisneau did. His romantic and elegant views of Paris were no longer appreciated by the changing society of the 60’s.  Édouard Boubat said, “I love music, painting and above all, life… Life gives me my photos. I need other people. Photography is a profession for encounters!”

Édouard Boubat Cats on a roof in Paris. 1947

Cats on a roof in Paris


cats in black and white photos, vintage cat photos


black and white photos of cats


Boubat's cats, Chat, kater


cats in black and white photos, cats in windows, Edouard Boubat cats

Rather Life


Boubat Stanislas at the Window 1973

Stanislas at the Window 1973


Boubat cats, Trinity 1967

Trinity 1967


Boubat cat on the stairs, cats in photographs


Edouard Boubat cat photos, cat leaping, cats in photographs


Boubat's cats, cat photos


Windows and cat (By Edouard Boubat)

Windows and Cat



Boubat photographs of cats

New York


Ile de France, 1978 Edouard Boubat

Ile de France, 1978


woman and cat boubat


Edouard Boubat - Nu couché, 1982 (and a cat looking out of the windowbalconydoor)

Nu couché, 1982 (and a cat looking out of the window balcony door)


Boubat woman and cat


Devant La Fenetre, 1978 Boubat, women and cats

Devant La Fenetre


Édouard Boubat Isabelle Huppert Paris, France, 1983 From Édouard Boubat

Isabelle Huppert
Paris, France, 1983


Edouard Boubat, autoportrait au chat, New York 1989

Edouard Boubat and Cat

Want to know more about the cat in art, history and literature? Then Revered and Reviled is the book for you. Now available on Amazon in both paperback and Kindle formats. 





Digiprove sealCopyright secured by Digiprove © 2016-2017 Laura Vocelle


  1. These are delightful! Do you happen to know if any prints of his work are for sale?

  2. Thank you for your job, it’s wonderful! ^-^

What do you think?


%d bloggers like this: