In 1913, the Japanese painter and printmaker Tsugouharu Foujita migrated from Tokyo to Montparnasse in Paris, France, drawn to the enclave's reputation as a creative hub. Initially knowing no one, he soon formed friendships with renowned French artists such as Amedeo Modigliani, Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse and Jacques Cocteau (with whom he shared a love of cats), and became a celebrated artist in his own right.

Foujita developed a unique style influenced by the art of his homeland and developments in modern French art, many of which had themselves emerged in response to Japanese ukiyo-e printmaking. His paintings, drawings and prints of elegant nudes and his numerous self-portraits — many featuring cats â€” proved immensely popular. Foujita's Book of Cats, which was published in the year this self-portrait was made, is now a sought-after rare book.