# Psychedelic Cat by Louis Wain (Undated) Canonical article: https://www.artifact-archive.com/archive/louis-wain-psychedelic-cat - **Painting:** Psychedelic Cat - **Artist:** Louis Wain - **Date:** Undated - **Medium:** Gouache and watercolour on paper - **Period:** Victorian and Edwardian illustration - **Culture:** British A cat stands against a dense field of wavy, high-colour pattern. The figure is simplified and the surface almost swallows it. ## High-resolution image, free to copy [Psychedelic Cat by Louis Wain (Undated) | Free to copy, high-resolution image](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f4/L._Wain%27s_psychedelic_cat.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=original) Available image: 960 × 1,244 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:L._Wain%27s_psychedelic_cat.jpg). ## The story The work is undated, though it is usually placed in the 1910s or 1920s. The source records 1875, a date that does not fit Wain's mature style. ## 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 outline is repeated and distorted by the surrounding waves. Bright reds, blues and yellows create a vibrating surface, while the face remains the anchor. Source IDs: s1. - [Wikimedia Commons: L. Wain's psychedelic cat.jpg, n.d.](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:L._Wain%27s_psychedelic_cat.jpg) [s1] ### Historical context Research section ID: context. Claim ID: legacy-history. Evidence: article. The work is undated, though it is usually placed in the 1910s or 1920s. The source records 1875, a date that does not fit Wain's mature style. 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. Wain's pattern cats are among his best-known later works. They extend the decorative logic of his commercial illustrations into a more abstract register. 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 image is often called psychedelic, a later label rather than Wain's own. It describes the visual effect, not a documented intention. Source IDs: s2. - [Wikipedia: Louis Wain, n.d.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Wain) [s2] ### Additional published facts - Undated - Gouache and watercolour on paper - The source records 1875, which does not fit the mature style - Signed Louis Wain ## Sources and literature ### [s1] Wikimedia Commons: L. Wain's psychedelic cat.jpg Wikimedia Commons: L. Wain's psychedelic cat.jpg (n.d.). Wikimedia Commons. Available at: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:L._Wain%27s_psychedelic_cat.jpg Publisher: Wikimedia Commons. Type: image-record. URL: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:L._Wain%27s_psychedelic_cat.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. Editorial review date: 2026-10-19. ## Product range [Browse ArtifactArchive's current product range](https://www.artifact-archive.com/shop). [This artwork's editions and availability](https://www.artifact-archive.com/archive/louis-wain-psychedelic-cat#prints). Delivery country: GB. - Notebook: No suitable size for this painting. - Tough phone case: No suitable size for this painting. - Framed art print: No suitable size for this painting. - Canvas tote bag: No suitable size for this painting. - Mouse mat: No suitable size for this painting. - Flexible phone case: Choose your size below. - Mug: Choose your size below. - Biodegradable phone case: Choose your size below. - Fine art poster: No suitable size for this painting. - Clear phone case: Choose your size below. - Desk mat: No suitable size for this painting. 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