Magnum Editions: Cat, Zürich, Switzerland, 1942

Werner Bischof's Cat, Zürich, Switzerland, 1942 captures a white cat resting in soft sunlight, its alert gaze fixed on the viewer. The photograph was made during a formative period in Bischof's career, when the young Swiss photographer was experimenting with color photography and developing the visual precision that would later define his work.

Taken in Zürich during the Second World War, the image reflects Bischof's early interest in light, composition, and everyday subjects. Before becoming internationally recognized for his humanist photojournalism and travels across postwar Europe, Asia, and the Americas, Bischof focused on still lifes, nature studies, and quiet observations of the world around him. These photographs reveal the influence of his training in the applied arts and his pursuit of a refined photographic language rooted in balance and form.

Part of Bischof's recently rediscovered color archive, Cat, Zürich, Switzerland, 1942 offers a rare glimpse into an overlooked chapter of one of Magnum's founding photographers, showcasing an intimate and experimental body of work that remained largely unseen for decades.