Anthropomorphic Cat
Artist: Louis Wain · Undated
Anthropomorphic Cat: high-resolution image, free to copy
The original file is hosted by Wikimedia Commons, available without payment or an account.432 × 574 pixels.
Open high-resolution image on Wikimedia CommonsLouis Wain. Wikimedia Commons.
Free to copy. Reuse terms: Public domain. Image source and credits.
The complete story
The story About 1 minutes to read
A seated cat in a coat and hat, representative of Wain's anthropomorphic style. The pose is calm and the costume does most of the storytelling.
The cat sits upright with its paws folded, the coat falling in simple folds. The hat and collar frame the face, while the plain background keeps attention on the silhouette.
Wain's anthropomorphic cats were a commercial success because they were both familiar and absurd. The human clothes make the animal readable as a character.
The image is a useful introduction to Wain's method. It shows how little is needed to turn a cat into a person: a coat, a hat and a confident pose.
The story and its sources
Historical claims are linked to the records below. Close looking and interpretation are identified in the passage notes.
- Passage 1Article text
- Passage 2Article textWikimedia Commons: Wain cat -- representative.jpg
- Passage 3Article textWikipedia: Louis Wain
- Passage 4Article textWikipedia: Louis Wain
Artist portrait Image credit
Unknown photographer. Image source · Public domain
About the artist
Louis Wain
5 August 1860 to 4 July 1939
Wain was a British illustrator and painter best known for his anthropomorphic cats. Born in Clerkenwell, London, he trained at the West London School of Art and taught at Camberwell before building a career in illustrated papers, children's books and postcards. His cats move through theatres, clubs, shops and family celebrations, and his later patterned images have become some of his most discussed work.
- Born
- 5 August 1860
- Died
- 4 July 1939
- Nationality
- British
- Birthplace
- Clerkenwell, London, England
- Died in
- St Albans, Hertfordshire, England
Biography sources
The research & record
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Identity and catalogue
Link- Title
- Anthropomorphic Cat
- Artist / attribution
- Louis Wain
- Date
- Undated
- Medium and support
- Watercolour and ink on paper
- Dimensions
- Not recorded in the source
- Culture / place
- British
- Period
- Victorian and Edwardian illustration
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Subject and iconography
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Visual observation
The cat sits upright with its paws folded, the coat falling in simple folds. The hat and collar frame the face, while the plain background keeps attention on the silhouette.(Wikimedia Commons: Wain cat -- representative.jpg, n.d.)
Historical context
LinkRead valuation records and their limitations
The source describes the image as a representative example of Wain's anthropomorphic cat work. It does not record a date.
Wain's cat world
LinkRead valuation records and their limitations
Wain's anthropomorphic cats were a commercial success because they were both familiar and absurd. The human clothes make the animal readable as a character.(Wikipedia: Louis Wain, n.d.)
Reading the image
LinkRead valuation records and their limitations
The image is a useful introduction to Wain's method. It shows how little is needed to turn a cat into a person: a coat, a hat and a confident pose.(Wikipedia: Louis Wain, n.d.)
Details to carry with you
- Undated
- Watercolour and ink on paper
- A seated cat in a coat and hat
- Described by the source as representative of Wain's style
Bibliography
Sources and further reading
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Source notes updated .
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- 01
Image-record
Wikimedia Commons: Wain cat -- representative.jpg (n.d.). Wikimedia Commons.
Citation text
- 02
Secondary
Wikipedia: Louis Wain (n.d.). Wikipedia.
Citation text
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