Balthus created Mitsou, a wordless novel of a child’s love for, and loss of, a cat, with a series of uncaptioned ink drawings at the age of 11 in 1919.
NOTE: David Beronä, in a note at the beginning of his book, Wordless Books: The Original Graphic Novels, 2008, referred to “anomalies” and cited Mitsou as an anomaly. He did not include it in his list of wordless books but gave no rationale. As it was published in 1921, was wordless, and told a story, I do not view it as an anomaly and have included it here.
Mitsou is considered one of the earliest examples of a “wordless novel” or graphic narrative.
Balthus aka Balthasar Klossowski de Rola (1908 – 2001). Cats are a frequent theme in Balthus’ artworks.
of Balthus titled, “King of Cats”.
Mitsou wordless Story Arc
The story of Mitsou (full title: Mitsou: Quarante images par Baltusz) is a poignant, wordless narrative told through 40 ink drawings by the artist Balthus when he was just eleven years old.
The arc follows a simple, universal cycle of discovery, companionship, and grief.
1. The Encounter
The story begins with a young boy (a surrogate for Balthus himself) discovering a stray cat on a park bench. He decides to take the cat home, marking the start of their relationship.
2. Domestic Life
The middle portion of the book illustrates the integration of Mitsou into the family’s daily life. The drawings capture the “banal” and “joyful” moments of pet ownership:
- Mitsou is playing around the house and being scolded for mischief.
- The cat accompanies the boy while he reads.
- The family (including Balthus’s parents, the artists Erich and Baladine Klossowski) was travelling with the cat, even taking it on a ferry.
3. The Disappearance
The arc takes a tragic turn when Mitsou suddenly vanishes. The boy’s search is depicted as frantic and desperate. Unlike a typical children’s story, there is no miraculous reunion.
4. The Resolution (The “Unhappy” Ending)
The final sequence of drawings portrays the boy’s realization that his friend is gone forever. The story ends on a somber note, with the boy in silent tears, inconsolable over the loss.
Mitsou publication of the ink drawings
The story is made up of a sequence of ink drawings such as the one below.
The poet Rainer Maria Rilke, believed to be the lover of Balthus’s mother, had the drawings published in 1921 with a preface by himself.
Mitsou: Quarante Images Par Balthusz 1921 (Mitsou: Forty Images by Balthusz)
Most copies of Mitsou have stained or foxed dust jackets and the DJ often has splits on the bottom of the spine.
- Author and Illustrator: Balthus
- Published by Erlenbach-Zurich and Leipzig, Rotapfel-Verlag, 1921
- Copyright 1921; preface is dated November 1920
- Small quarto.
- Cover is thin card over which a thick paper DJ is folded (top, bottom, and for-edge) and glued to the cover at the spine only.
- title on front cover in black.
- 40 Illustrations by Balthus; printed recto
- Preface by Rainer Maria Rilke in French
- Collation: 13 pp., (1 f.), 40 pl.
- 24.5 x 19 cm.
1984 + 1985 Misou Reprints
New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1984. ISBN 0-8109-1320-8. HARRY N. ABRAMS, INC., Hardcover + softcover – with DJ
The reprints recreate the original 1921 publication, but with the preface by Rilke translated into English and his original French version as an afterword. Blue printed paper boards.
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