# The Merry Month by Louis Wain (27 May 1903) Canonical article: https://www.artifact-archive.com/archive/louis-wain-the-merry-month - **Painting:** The Merry Month - **Artist:** Louis Wain - **Date:** 27 May 1903 - **Medium:** Printed illustration from The Sketch (after a drawing) - **Dimensions:** Page illustration, dimensions not recorded - **Period:** Victorian and Edwardian illustration - **Culture:** British Five cats in fashionable dress walk across the page in a comic procession. The scene turns a social promenade into a display of feline style. ## High-resolution image, free to copy [The Merry Month by Louis Wain (27 May 1903) | Free to copy, high-resolution image](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ef/The_Merry_Month_by_Louis_Wain_%281860%E2%80%931939%29.png?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=original) Available image: 878 × 314 pixels. Image credit: Louis Wain, The Sketch. Wikimedia Commons. Reuse terms: [Public domain](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/). [Image source and credits](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Merry_Month_by_Louis_Wain_%281860%E2%80%931939%29.png). ## The story The illustration appeared in The Sketch, Vol. XLII, No. 539, on 27 May 1903, page 212. ## 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 cats are arranged in a line, each in a different outfit. Hats, coats and skirts do most of the characterisation, while the white background keeps the procession clear. Source IDs: s1. - [Wikimedia Commons: The Merry Month by Louis Wain (1860–1939).png, n.d.](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Merry_Month_by_Louis_Wain_%281860%E2%80%931939%29.png) [s1] ### Historical context Research section ID: context. Claim ID: legacy-history. Evidence: article. The illustration appeared in The Sketch, Vol. XLII, No. 539, on 27 May 1903, page 212. 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. The Sketch published Wain's cat observations alongside social and theatrical news. The procession format suited a quick comic page. 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 a study of fashion and posture. The cats are not a family group but a series of social types, each defined by what they wear. Source IDs: s2. - [Wikipedia: Louis Wain, n.d.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Wain) [s2] ### Additional published facts - Published in The Sketch on 27 May 1903 - Vol. XLII, No. 539, page 212 - Printed illustration - Five cats in fashionable dress ## Sources and literature ### [s1] Wikimedia Commons: The Merry Month by Louis Wain (1860–1939).png Wikimedia Commons: The Merry Month by Louis Wain (1860–1939).png (n.d.). Wikimedia Commons. Available at: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Merry_Month_by_Louis_Wain_%281860%E2%80%931939%29.png Publisher: Wikimedia Commons. Type: image-record. URL: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Merry_Month_by_Louis_Wain_%281860%E2%80%931939%29.png 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-the-merry-month#prints). 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