Cats, Study III
Artist: Louis Wain · Undated
Cats, Study III: high-resolution image, free to copy
The original file is hosted by Wikimedia Commons, available without payment or an account.960 × 638 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 cat's face emerges from a field of close, interlacing ornament. The image is less a portrait than a pattern organised around a cat.
The eyes and nose remain the strongest points of recognition. Around them, curved strokes and small motifs fill the sheet, so the cat seems both present and dissolved.
Wain's pattern cats are often associated with his later years. The source does not supply a date, so the sheet should not be used to fix a precise chronology.
The image rewards close looking at its structure. Its energy comes from the tension between a readable face and an all-over surface.
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 - Katzen3.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
- Cats, Study III
- 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 eyes and nose remain the strongest points of recognition. Around them, curved strokes and small motifs fill the sheet, so the cat seems both present and dissolved.(Wikimedia Commons: Louis Wain - Katzen3.jpg, n.d.)
Historical context
LinkRead valuation records and their limitations
The source file is titled Katzen3 and does not record a date or medium. The display title is descriptive.
Wain's cat world
LinkRead valuation records and their limitations
Wain's pattern cats are often associated with his later years. The source does not supply a date, so the sheet should not be used to fix a precise chronology.(Wikipedia: Louis Wain, n.d.)
Reading the image
LinkRead valuation records and their limitations
The image rewards close looking at its structure. Its energy comes from the tension between a readable face and an all-over surface.(Wikipedia: Louis Wain, n.d.)
Details to carry with you
- The source file is titled Katzen3
- The source does not record a date
- Watercolour and ink on paper
- The cat is built into a repeating pattern
Bibliography
Sources and further reading
References are arranged by author or organisation, with links to the original publications. Where no publication date is recorded, n.d. means no date.
Source notes updated .
No recorded sources match these filters. Reset the filters to see the full bibliography.
- 01
Image-record
Wikimedia Commons: Louis Wain - Katzen3.jpg (n.d.). Wikimedia Commons.
Citation text
- 02
Secondary
Wikipedia: Louis Wain (n.d.). Wikipedia.
Citation text
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