In Catland - Vintage Children's Book Illustration.

A wonderful poster created from "In Catland" Children's Book Illustration.

Louis Wain was an English artist best known for artwork that featured cats and kittens in human situations.

It’s well known that Louis Wain had a sad life. He was born with a cleft palate and didn’t start school until the age of 10. Attending school with what was considered a deformity was difficult and he spent more often than not truant from school. Following his school years he studied at the West London School of Art and was a teacher there for a short period. By the age of 20, his father died and was left to support his mother and his five sisters. After three years of marriage, his wife, Emily Richardson died tragically of breast cancer and while she was ill, Louis spent many hours at her bedside drawing their cat Peter.

He was a successful artist for a while, but ended up penniless and as luck would have it, developed mental health issues during the early 20th century. Depression progressively took hold, he showed symptoms of schizophrenia and experienced hallucinations and as his perception transformed so did his art.

He was locked up in the pauper wing at Springfield Mental Hospital in South London in 1924. Thanks to a couple of prominent and influential friends; the Prime Minister of the day, Stanley Baldwin and H.G. Wells, who made sure that he was moved the a better caring environment north of London at Napsbury Hospital. Here there was a garden and a ‘family’ of cats and was able to continue drawing. It was at Napsbury Hospital where he produced some of his most magnificent works.

Louis Wain died on the 4th of July 1939 and is buried with his father at St Mary Roman Catholic Cemetery in Kensal Green, Borough of Brent,  London, England. Plot: Grave # 3654 - under his Fathers grave marked Matthew William Wain .

H. G. Wells was quoted as saying:

"He has made the cat his own. He invented a cat style, a cat society, a whole cat world. English cats that do not look and live like Louis Wain cats are ashamed of themselves."

Although all the books are out of print, Louis Wain’s illustrations are his legacy, let’s not forget him.

Details:

  • The "In Catland" poster is a reproduction of an original illustration.
  • This poster is digitally printed on high quality paper with vivid colour and exceptional detail.
  • We use Australia Post and your print will be delivered in a postage tube for extra protection.
  • Our online images are electronically watermarked, the actual purchased prints are not.

Dimensions:

Book Cover Poster - In Catland

  • Designer: BOOK Covers
  • Product Code: VBI-C-123_In-Catland_Vintage-Childrens-Book-Cover
  • Availability: In Stock
  • $15.50


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Tags: Book, Cover, Vintage, Illustration, Children