Psychedelic Cat
Artist: Louis Wain · Undated
Psychedelic Cat: high-resolution image, free to copy
The original file is hosted by Wikimedia Commons, available without payment or an account.960 × 1,244 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 stands against a dense field of wavy, high-colour pattern. The figure is simplified and the surface almost swallows it.
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.
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.
The image is often called psychedelic, a later label rather than Wain's own. It describes the visual effect, not a documented intention.
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 psychedelic cat.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
- Psychedelic Cat
- Artist / attribution
- Louis Wain
- Date
- Undated
- 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 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.(Wikimedia Commons: L. Wain's psychedelic cat.jpg, n.d.)
Historical context
LinkRead valuation records and their limitations
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.
Wain's cat world
LinkRead valuation records and their limitations
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.(Wikipedia: Louis Wain, n.d.)
Reading the image
LinkRead valuation records and their limitations
The image is often called psychedelic, a later label rather than Wain's own. It describes the visual effect, not a documented intention.(Wikipedia: Louis Wain, n.d.)
Details to carry with you
- Undated
- Gouache and watercolour on paper
- The source records 1875, which does not fit the mature style
- 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 psychedelic cat.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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