Cats, Study II
Artist: Louis Wain · Undated
Cats, Study II: high-resolution image, free to copy
The original file is hosted by Wikimedia Commons, available without payment or an account.960 × 651 pixels.
Open high-resolution image on Wikimedia CommonsLouis Wain. Wikimedia Commons.
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The complete story
The story About 1 minutes to read
A second pair of cat studies contrasts a soft portrait with a dense, almost tapestry-like pattern.
The left-hand cat is shown in profile with loose, furry edges. The right-hand cat is surrounded by repeating motifs that press close to the face. The two halves share a palette but not a mood.
The study belongs to Wain's large output of cat drawings, which ranged from commercial postcards to private sheets. The source gives no date or collection.
The sheet is useful for seeing how Wain's decorative instinct could overtake the animal subject without losing the cat altogether.
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: Louis Wain - Katzen2.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
- Cats, Study II
- 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 left-hand cat is shown in profile with loose, furry edges. The right-hand cat is surrounded by repeating motifs that press close to the face. The two halves share a palette but not a mood.(Wikimedia Commons: Louis Wain - Katzen2.jpg, n.d.)
Historical context
LinkRead valuation records and their limitations
The source file is titled Katzen2 and does not record a date or medium. The display title is descriptive.
Wain's cat world
LinkRead valuation records and their limitations
The study belongs to Wain's large output of cat drawings, which ranged from commercial postcards to private sheets. The source gives no date or collection.(Wikipedia: Louis Wain, n.d.)
Reading the image
LinkRead valuation records and their limitations
The sheet is useful for seeing how Wain's decorative instinct could overtake the animal subject without losing the cat altogether.(Wikipedia: Louis Wain, n.d.)
Details to carry with you
- The source file is titled Katzen2
- The source does not record a date
- Watercolour and ink on paper
- Two cat studies on one sheet
Bibliography
Sources and further reading
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Source notes updated .
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- 01
Image-record
Wikimedia Commons: Louis Wain - Katzen2.jpg (n.d.). Wikimedia Commons.
Citation text
- 02
Secondary
Wikipedia: Louis Wain (n.d.). Wikipedia.
Citation text
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