Louis Wain Fact #17:
In the 1910s, Wain and his family were struggling immensely due to a number of issues, such as copyright and paper shortages from the war, which led to a lack of demand for his work. Louis Wain had reportedly paid shopkeepers for their wares with his drawings. A fair trade, as nowadays simple sketches of his can go for hundreds of pounds.
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The Eight 'Kaleidoscope' pictures on loan from the Bethlem Royal Hospital, catalogued by Patricia Allderidge.
General note: These pictures have been shown together in one amount for many years and were presumably arranged like this by Dr Maclay. Although it is known that he found 'some' pictures by Louis Wain in a shop in Camden Hill it is not certain how many of these were included, and nothing is known of their origin or when any of them were painted. The order in which they are seen here is entirely artificial.
106. ORIENTAL CAT PATTERN WITH TRIANGULAR EYES
Bodycolour on paper
8 7/8" x 6 3/4"
This design in particular has a Japanese feel to it and stylistically it recalls the Fin de Siecle period.
(note: this image was previously titled "Cat Kaleidoscope VI" on this website)