The Bachelor Party
Artist: Louis Wain · By 1939
The Bachelor Party: high-resolution image, free to copy
The original file is hosted by Wikimedia Commons, available without payment or an account.960 × 460 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 2 minutes to read
A long table of cats in evening dress fills this oil painting, each face given a distinct expression. The scene turns a human bachelor party into a crowded comedy of types.
The composition is a horizontal band of seated cats. Top hats, glasses and cigars mark the figures as a male group, while their rounded faces and varied glances keep the scene from becoming a uniform row. The table edge and the dark background hold the group together.
Wain built his career on anthropomorphic cats, publishing them in illustrated papers and children's books. The Bachelor Party belongs to that mature comic mode, where cat anatomy carries human social roles.
The painting is less a portrait of particular sitters than a study of group behaviour. Its humour comes from the mismatch between formal human dress and cat faces, a device Wain used throughout his commercial work.
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: Louis Wain The bachelor party.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
- The Bachelor Party
- Artist / attribution
- Louis Wain
- Date
- By 1939
- Medium and support
- Oil on canvas
- Dimensions
- 29.5 × 60 cm
- 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 composition is a horizontal band of seated cats. Top hats, glasses and cigars mark the figures as a male group, while their rounded faces and varied glances keep the scene from becoming a uniform row. The table edge and the dark background hold the group together.(Wikimedia Commons: Louis Wain The bachelor party.jpg, n.d.)
Historical context
LinkRead valuation records and their limitations
Wain painted The Bachelor Party by 1939, the year of his death. The work is oil on canvas and measures 29.5 by 60 cm.
Wain's cat world
LinkRead valuation records and their limitations
Wain built his career on anthropomorphic cats, publishing them in illustrated papers and children's books. The Bachelor Party belongs to that mature comic mode, where cat anatomy carries human social roles.(Wikipedia: Louis Wain, n.d.)
Reading the image
LinkRead valuation records and their limitations
The painting is less a portrait of particular sitters than a study of group behaviour. Its humour comes from the mismatch between formal human dress and cat faces, a device Wain used throughout his commercial work.(Wikipedia: Louis Wain, n.d.)
Details to carry with you
- Oil on canvas
- 29.5 × 60 cm
- Painted by 1939
- 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: Louis Wain The bachelor party.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 The Bachelor Party 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.
3 products
Choose an edition to make it yours
S · Standard
S · Standard
S · Standard
S · Standard
S · Standard
S · Standard
S · Standard
Crew socks
GBP 10.63
Delivery GBP 4.42 / Total GBP 15.05
Crew-length polyester and spandex socks with a ribbed cuff, cushioned sole and sublimated artwork.
Fit and fill keep the painting’s proportions. Stretch changes them.
Move and zoom the painting on your crew socks.
Made to order with your design
One pair · design repeated on both socks
US delivery only
11oz · single image
11oz · White
11oz · single image
Mug
GBP 7.32
Delivery GBP 6.14 / Total GBP 13.46
A glossy white ceramic mug with a C-shaped handle, available in 11oz and 15oz sizes.
single layout · choose single, double or a repeating pattern in Customise.
Repeat, fit, fill and position your artwork around the mug.
Made to order with your design
Made to order
2.5 × 3.4 cm / 1 × 1.4 in · Glossy
2.5 × 3.4 cm / 1 × 1.4 in · Glossy
1 × 1.4 in / 2.5 × 3.4 cm · Glossy
1 × 1.4 in / 2.5 × 3.4 cm · Glossy
1 × 1.4 in / 2.5 × 3.4 cm · Glossy
1 × 1.4 in / 2.5 × 3.4 cm · Glossy
Photo keyring
GBP 10.16
Delivery GBP 5.37 / Total GBP 15.53
A rectangular zinc-alloy photo keyring with a glossy insert and a swivel split ring.
Fit and fill keep the painting’s proportions. Stretch changes them.
Move and zoom the painting on your photo keyring.
Made to order with your design
Photo insert · zinc frame & swivel ring
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
