# Cat with a Cigar by Louis Wain (1879 (source date)) Canonical article: https://www.artifact-archive.com/archive/louis-wain-cat-with-a-cigar - **Painting:** Cat with a Cigar - **Artist:** Louis Wain - **Date:** 1879 (source date) - **Medium:** Watercolour and ink on paper - **Period:** Victorian and Edwardian illustration - **Culture:** British A cat in a suit holds a cigar, its face caught between swagger and unease. The drawing gives a domestic animal the props of a Victorian man about town. ## High-resolution image, free to copy [Cat with a Cigar by Louis Wain (1879 (source date)) | Free to copy, high-resolution image](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/66/Catwithacigar.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=original) Available image: 390 × 578 pixels. Image credit: Louis Wain. Wikimedia Commons. Reuse terms: [Public domain](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/). [Image source and credits](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Catwithacigar.jpg). ## The story The source records 1879, early in Wain's career. The drawing already shows his habit of giving cats human props and expressions. ## 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 ![Artist portrait of Louis Wain]() Artist portrait. Image credit: Unknown photographer. [Image source](). [Licence: Public domain](). - [Wikipedia: Louis Wain]() - [Wikimedia Commons: Louis Wain]() ## Research and reference record ### Subject and iconography Research section ID: subject. Claim ID: legacy-article-1-1. Evidence: visual_observation. The cat's body is compact and upright, with a jacket and collar doing most of the social work. The cigar adds a plume of smoke and a knowing expression. The background is plain, so the pose carries the joke. Source IDs: s1. - [Wikimedia Commons: Catwithacigar.jpg, n.d.](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Catwithacigar.jpg) [s1] ### Historical context Research section ID: context. Claim ID: legacy-history. Evidence: article. The source records 1879, early in Wain's career. The drawing already shows his habit of giving cats human props and expressions. Source IDs: none linked in the published record. ### Wain's cat world Research section ID: article-notes-2. Claim ID: legacy-article-2-1. Evidence: article. Wain began publishing cat drawings in the 1880s and soon became one of Britain's most recognisable cat illustrators. This early sheet shows the formula already in place. Source IDs: s2. - [Wikipedia: Louis Wain, n.d.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Wain) [s2] ### Reading the image Research section ID: article-notes-3. Claim ID: legacy-article-3-1. Evidence: article. The image is a small piece of social comedy. It depends on the contrast between the cat's animal face and the human confidence of the pose. Source IDs: s2. - [Wikipedia: Louis Wain, n.d.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Wain) [s2] ### Additional published facts - The source records 1879 - Watercolour and ink on paper - A cat in a suit with a cigar - Signed Louis Wain ## Sources and literature ### [s1] Wikimedia Commons: Catwithacigar.jpg Wikimedia Commons: Catwithacigar.jpg (n.d.). Wikimedia Commons. Available at: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Catwithacigar.jpg Publisher: Wikimedia Commons. Type: image-record. URL: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Catwithacigar.jpg Authors / editors: Not recorded. Publication year: Not recorded. ### [s2] Wikipedia: Louis Wain Wikipedia: Louis Wain (n.d.). Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Wain Publisher: Wikipedia. Type: secondary. URL: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Wain Authors / editors: Not recorded. Publication year: Not recorded. ## Editorial note Metadata follows the Wikimedia Commons file record. The medium and date are not independently verified. ## Coverage and revisions Recorded scope: Not recorded Scope updated on: Not recorded Bibliography entries held: 2. Literature coverage is accumulating. Finding or cataloguing a publication does not mean it has been consulted. A missing consultation status is not recorded. The record does not claim that all literature has been found. Editorial review date: 2026-10-19. ## Product range [Browse ArtifactArchive's current product range](https://www.artifact-archive.com/shop). [This artwork's editions and availability](https://www.artifact-archive.com/archive/louis-wain-cat-with-a-cigar#prints). Delivery country: GB. - Notebook: No suitable size for this painting. - Tough phone case: No suitable size for this painting. - Framed art print: No suitable size for this painting. - Canvas tote bag: No suitable size for this painting. - Mouse mat: No suitable size for this painting. - Flexible phone case: No suitable size for this painting. - Mug: Choose your size below. - Biodegradable phone case: No suitable size for this painting. - Fine art poster: No suitable size for this painting. - Clear phone case: No suitable size for this painting. - Desk mat: No suitable size for this painting. 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