Louis Wain Fact #63:
While superstitions about cats were still quite common in the Victorian era, Wain’s own eccentric beliefs were purely his own. As a matter of fact, he rejected many of the beliefs commonly held by the public. In a 1901 interview with Great Thoughts he says “No, I do not think that because a cat washes her face it will necessarily be a fine day on the morrow. I think they do that merely to complete an electrical circuit.”
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On loan from the Bethlem Royal Hospital, catalogued by Patricia Allderidge.
108. GINGER CAT
Coloured pencil on paper
Inscribed on verso: F. Deuxbery, Mr. Louis Wain. Sept 1931
Date: September 1931
10" x 7"
The Bethlem Royal Hospital and the Maudsley Hospital Health Authority (Guttman-Maclay Collection)
This picture was drawn at Napsbury Hospital where the previous owner, Mr Deuxbery, was one of the nurses who looked after Wain. The background is presumably an example of the 'wallpaper patterns', so-called by the staff of Napsbury: in the early 30s Wain is said to have stopped drawing cats at all for a while, and drawn only these patterns, though he soon returned to cats.