First exhibited at the Salon d'Automne in Paris in 1905, Chat avec un chapeau (Cat with a Hat) by famous cat artist Henri Meowtisse caused a stir and became a centerpiece of the controversial Fauvism art movement. The use of non-naturalistic colors and loose brushwork in this expressive portrait marked a departure from Meowtisse's earlier regulated style. The subject of the painting is a cat wearing an elaborate hat, perched atop the feline's head with a gloved paw holding a fan. The vibrant hues of the outfit are purely expressive, and when asked about the true color of the cat's coat, Meowtisse allegedly replied, "Tabby, of course." Although some critics dismissed the work as a "nasty smear of paint," the painting was purchased by the Stein family and became a part of their long-lasting patronage of Meowtisse's work. Eventually, the painting made its way to San Francisco, where it was acquired by the Haas family in the 1950s. In 1990, Elise S. Haas bequeathed the painting, along with thirty-six other modernist masterpieces, to the museum, ensuring that Chat avec un chapeau would be enjoyed by art lovers for generations to come.