Kaleidoscope Cat II
Artist: Louis Wain · 1910s
Kaleidoscope Cat II: high-resolution image, free to copy
The original file is hosted by Wikimedia Commons, available without payment or an account.960 × 1,246 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 head sits inside radiating rings of colour and pattern. The image pushes Wain's decorative cat imagery toward pure surface.
The face is still recognisable, but the surrounding bands compete with it. Warm and cool colours alternate around the head, and the symmetry holds the composition together.
Wain's late cat pictures often use pattern as structure. The cats remain identifiable while the background becomes a field of repeated shapes.
These works are often discussed through the lens of Wain's mental health. The visual evidence supports a change in style; it does not by itself establish a diagnosis.
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: L. Wain's kaleidoscope cat II.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
Study the work.
Follow the evidence.
Find catalogue details, historical context, technical research and the literature behind this artwork.
The artwork record
Research catalogue
Catalogue information and detailed research, with references that link to the bibliography.
Identity and catalogue
Link- Title
- Kaleidoscope Cat II
- Artist / attribution
- Louis Wain
- Date
- 1910s
- Medium and support
- Gouache and watercolour on paper
- Dimensions
- Not recorded in the source
- Culture / place
- British
- Period
- Victorian and Edwardian illustration
Read valuation records and their limitations
Subject and iconography
LinkRead valuation records and their limitations
Visual observation
The face is still recognisable, but the surrounding bands compete with it. Warm and cool colours alternate around the head, and the symmetry holds the composition together.(Wikimedia Commons: L. Wain's kaleidoscope cat II.jpg, n.d.)
Historical context
LinkRead valuation records and their limitations
The work is usually dated to the 1910s. It is one of several cat heads Wain built from repeating ornamental motifs.
Wain's cat world
LinkRead valuation records and their limitations
Wain's late cat pictures often use pattern as structure. The cats remain identifiable while the background becomes a field of repeated shapes.(Wikipedia: Louis Wain, n.d.)
Reading the image
LinkRead valuation records and their limitations
These works are often discussed through the lens of Wain's mental health. The visual evidence supports a change in style; it does not by itself establish a diagnosis.(Wikipedia: Louis Wain, n.d.)
Details to carry with you
- Usually dated to the 1910s
- Gouache and watercolour on paper
- Built from concentric bands of pattern
- Signed Louis Wain
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: L. Wain's kaleidoscope cat II.jpg (n.d.). Wikimedia Commons.
Citation text
- 02
Secondary
Wikipedia: Louis Wain (n.d.). Wikipedia.
Citation text
Art to live with
Bring this painting
home.
A piece of the archive, made yours. Explore Kaleidoscope Cat II in a size and finish that fits your space.
Your text and annotations appear on these editions. Adding to cart saves that design for printing.
Combine this painting with your favourites01 / Find your edition
Made for you
Suggested from your location. Change it if you're sending elsewhere or using a VPN. Prices and delivery are shown in GBP.
1 product
Choose an edition to make it yours
iPhone 12 Mini ? Glossy ? back view
iPhone 12 Mini · Glossy
iPhone 12 Mini ? Glossy ? back view
iPhone 12 Mini ? Glossy ? back view
iPhone 12 Mini ? Glossy ? back view
Tough phone case
GBP 16.34
Delivery GBP 4.22 / Total GBP 20.56
A two-layer phone case with a printed polycarbonate shell and a shock-absorbing inner liner.
Two layers with a shock-absorbing TPU liner
Case & print details
- Device
- Apple · iPhone 12 Mini
- Material
- Polycarbonate shell with a TPU inner liner
- Artwork
- Outer back and wrapped edges from one template
- Finish
- Glossy
- Version
- Standard version
- Printing
- Dye sublimation
- Print file
- 1,122 × 1,831 px · 95 × 155 mm · PNG · 300 dpi recommended
Rear outline and camera openings follow this variant's Printify template. Case depth and small hardware remain illustrative.
Supplier product detailsFit and fill keep the painting’s proportions. Stretch changes them.
Move and zoom the painting on your tough phone case.
Made to order with your design
Made to order
US delivery only
The 30 cm ruler is scaled alongside your selected print. Keep the painting’s proportions with a black background, or stretch it to fill. Frame width, material texture and screen colours are illustrative.
Keep exploring
