Louis Wain
(British, 1860–1939)
Biography
Louis Wain was a British artist best known for his bizarre paintings and prints of anthropomorphized cats playing golf or having tea. “He has made the cat his own. He invented a cat style, a cat society, a whole cat world,” the author H.G. Wells said of Wain. “English cats that do not look and live like Louis Wain cats are ashamed of themselves.” Many of Wain’s works were featured in journals of the time including Illustrating Sporting and Dramatic News and the Illustrated London News. Born on August 5, 1860 in London, United Kingdom, Wain and his family had difficulty with mental illness. He was diagnosed with schizophrenia as an adult and spent much of his childhood truant from school wandering the streets of London. He went on to study at the West London School of Art. Wain’s obsession with cats stemmed from an emotionally intense period of his life. During this time, his wife who was dying from cancer, was comforted when Wain brought her home a stray kitten they named Peter. Peter was the subject of Wain’s first cat drawings and the impetus to his later work. The artist died on July 4, 1939 in St. Albans, United Kingdom. Today, his works are in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
Louis Wain
(825 results)
Louis Wain
We're thinking of dropping this and going in for
Sale Date: December 13, 2023
Auction Closed
Louis Wain
After the Football Match: You are not Lucky, but
Sale Date: December 13, 2023
Auction Closed
English (US)
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