# Phrenology by Louis Wain (1911) Canonical article: https://www.artifact-archive.com/archive/louis-wain-phrenology - **Painting:** Phrenology - **Artist:** Louis Wain - **Date:** 1911 - **Medium:** Ink and wash drawing, printed as an illustration - **Period:** Victorian and Edwardian illustration - **Culture:** British A cat's head is mapped with phrenological labels in a satirical drawing. The image uses the language of character reading to make a joke about cats. ## High-resolution image, free to copy [Phrenology by Louis Wain (1911) | Free to copy, high-resolution image](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1a/Phrenology_1911.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=original) Available image: 960 × 1,465 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:Phrenology_1911.jpg). ## The story The work is dated 1911. It borrows the format of a phrenology chart, with headings and a diagram of the head. ## 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 face is drawn in close detail, while the surrounding text parodies the promises of phrenology. The headings and diagram make the image look like a practical chart, which is part of the joke. Source IDs: s1. - [Wikimedia Commons: Phrenology 1911.jpg, n.d.](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Phrenology_1911.jpg) [s1] ### Historical context Research section ID: context. Claim ID: legacy-history. Evidence: article. The work is dated 1911. It borrows the format of a phrenology chart, with headings and a diagram of the head. 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. Phrenology claimed to read character from the shape of the skull. Wain uses its visual language to suggest that a cat's character might be mapped in the same way. 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 drawing is a satire of a pseudo-science, not a serious chart. Its text is part of the artwork and has been retained in this reproduction. Source IDs: s2. - [Wikipedia: Louis Wain, n.d.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Wain) [s2] ### Additional published facts - Dated 1911 - Ink and wash drawing - Printed as an illustration - The text is part of the drawing ## Sources and literature ### [s1] Wikimedia Commons: Phrenology 1911.jpg Wikimedia Commons: Phrenology 1911.jpg (n.d.). Wikimedia Commons. Available at: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Phrenology_1911.jpg Publisher: Wikimedia Commons. Type: image-record. URL: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Phrenology_1911.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. 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