# Cats' Christmas by Louis Wain (Undated) Canonical article: https://www.artifact-archive.com/archive/louis-wain-cats-christmas - **Painting:** Cats' Christmas - **Artist:** Louis Wain - **Date:** Undated - **Medium:** Watercolour and ink on paper - **Period:** Victorian and Edwardian illustration - **Culture:** British A Christmas gathering of cats fills the sheet, with a tree, gifts and a crowd of faces. The scene turns a family holiday into a cat reunion. ## High-resolution image, free to copy [Cats' Christmas by Louis Wain (Undated) | Free to copy, high-resolution image](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f7/Louis_Wain_-_Katzenweihnacht.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=original) Available image: 960 × 591 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:Louis_Wain_-_Katzenweihnacht.jpg). ## The story The source file is titled Katzenweihnacht, German for cats' Christmas. It does not record a date or medium. ## 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 tree and presents establish the occasion before any face is read. Around them, cats of different sizes and markings form a dense circle. The composition is busy but held together by the central tree. Source IDs: s1. - [Wikimedia Commons: Louis Wain - Katzenweihnacht.jpg, n.d.](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Louis_Wain_-_Katzenweihnacht.jpg) [s1] ### Historical context Research section ID: context. Claim ID: legacy-history. Evidence: article. The source file is titled Katzenweihnacht, German for cats' Christmas. It does not record a date or medium. 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. Christmas was a recurring subject in Wain's commercial work. His cats celebrate, sing and exchange gifts in images designed for cards, annuals and magazines. 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 picture's appeal is social rather than symbolic. It asks the viewer to enjoy the crowd and the occasion, not to decode a hidden message. Source IDs: s2. - [Wikipedia: Louis Wain, n.d.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Wain) [s2] ### Additional published facts - The source title means cats' Christmas - The source does not record a date - Watercolour and ink on paper - A Christmas tree and a group of cats ## Sources and literature ### [s1] Wikimedia Commons: Louis Wain - Katzenweihnacht.jpg Wikimedia Commons: Louis Wain - Katzenweihnacht.jpg (n.d.). Wikimedia Commons. Available at: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Louis_Wain_-_Katzenweihnacht.jpg Publisher: Wikimedia Commons. Type: image-record. URL: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Louis_Wain_-_Katzenweihnacht.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. The display title is descriptive where the source file has no title. ## 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-cats-christmas#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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