Carol Singing
Artist: Louis Wain · Undated
Carol Singing: high-resolution image, free to copy
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Open high-resolution image on Wikimedia CommonsLouis Wain. Wikimedia Commons.
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The complete story
The story About 2 minutes to read
A line of cats sings outdoors in winter, their coats drawn with quick watercolour touches. The scene turns a familiar seasonal custom into a cat performance.
The cats are arranged in a loose row, mouths open and scarves pulled tight. Pale washes suggest snow and cold air, while darker outlines keep the figures readable. The sheet is modest in size but busy with small character details.
Wain often placed cats in ordinary British rituals: Christmas, theatre, sport, shopping and family life. Carol singing gave him a ready-made group composition and a seasonal subject that suited illustrated papers.
The picture's charm depends on recognition rather than fantasy. The cats do not become human; they perform a human activity while remaining visibly cats.
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: Carol Singing by Louis William Wain, watercolor.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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The artwork record
Research catalogue
Catalogue information and detailed research, with references that link to the bibliography.
Identity and catalogue
Link- Title
- Carol Singing
- Artist / attribution
- Louis Wain
- Date
- Undated
- Medium and support
- Watercolour, gouache, pen and pencil on paper
- Dimensions
- 15 × 22 in (38.1 × 55.9 cm)
- Culture / place
- British
- Period
- Victorian and Edwardian illustration
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Subject and iconography
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Visual observation
The cats are arranged in a loose row, mouths open and scarves pulled tight. Pale washes suggest snow and cold air, while darker outlines keep the figures readable. The sheet is modest in size but busy with small character details.(Wikimedia Commons: Carol Singing by Louis William Wain, watercolor.jpg, n.d.)
Historical context
LinkRead valuation records and their limitations
The work is watercolour, gouache, pen and pencil on paper, measuring 15 by 22 inches. The source does not record a date.
Wain's cat world
LinkRead valuation records and their limitations
Wain often placed cats in ordinary British rituals: Christmas, theatre, sport, shopping and family life. Carol singing gave him a ready-made group composition and a seasonal subject that suited illustrated papers.(Wikipedia: Louis Wain, n.d.)
Reading the image
LinkRead valuation records and their limitations
The picture's charm depends on recognition rather than fantasy. The cats do not become human; they perform a human activity while remaining visibly cats.(Wikipedia: Louis Wain, n.d.)
Details to carry with you
- Watercolour, gouache, pen and pencil on paper
- 15 × 22 inches
- The source does not record a date
- Signed Louis Wain
Bibliography
Sources and further reading
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Source notes updated .
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- 01
Image-record
Wikimedia Commons: Carol Singing by Louis William Wain, watercolor.jpg (n.d.). Wikimedia Commons.
Citation text
- 02
Secondary
Wikipedia: Louis Wain (n.d.). Wikipedia.
Citation text
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