Phrenology
Artist: Louis Wain · 1911
Phrenology: high-resolution image, free to copy
The original file is hosted by Wikimedia Commons, available without payment or an account.960 × 1,465 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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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: Phrenology 1911.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
- Phrenology
- Artist / attribution
- Louis Wain
- Date
- 1911
- Medium and support
- Ink and wash drawing, printed as an illustration
- 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 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.(Wikimedia Commons: Phrenology 1911.jpg, n.d.)
Historical context
LinkRead valuation records and their limitations
The work is dated 1911. It borrows the format of a phrenology chart, with headings and a diagram of the head.
Wain's cat world
LinkRead valuation records and their limitations
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.(Wikipedia: Louis Wain, n.d.)
Reading the image
LinkRead valuation records and their limitations
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.(Wikipedia: Louis Wain, n.d.)
Details to carry with you
- Dated 1911
- Ink and wash drawing
- Printed as an illustration
- The text is part of the drawing
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 .
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- 01
Image-record
Wikimedia Commons: Phrenology 1911.jpg (n.d.). Wikimedia Commons.
Citation text
- 02
Secondary
Wikipedia: Louis Wain (n.d.). Wikipedia.
Citation text
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12.7 × 17.8 cm / 5 × 7 in · Standard
12.7 × 17.8 cm / 5 × 7 in · Standard
5 × 7 in / 12.7 × 17.8 cm · Standard
5 × 7 in / 12.7 × 17.8 cm · Standard
5 × 7 in / 12.7 × 17.8 cm · Standard
5 × 7 in / 12.7 × 17.8 cm · Standard
5 × 7 in / 12.7 × 17.8 cm · Standard
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