White Court Art

Description

Burmese Cat
Louis Wain (1860 - 1939)

Gouache


LOT NOTES

A really beautiful study of a Blue Burmese Cat by Louis Wain, perhaps the most iconic of cat painters ever known. This gouache depiction is probably from the rarer early period Wain, as the anthropomorphism in his later works,before the onset of his mental illness and institutionalisation, is not present. We think this cat was a commission piece by the people who owned this very aristocratic feline. Peering out at us from her bed, she's a beauty and she knows it!

CONDITION

In excellent condition, newly framed to complement the picture and ready to hang.

PROVENANCE

From a private collection to ourselves.

ARTIST INFORMATION

At the turn of the century, Louis Wain became a household name as ‘The Man Who Drew Cats’. His drawings of cats appeared in periodicals and his own annuals and then, increasingly on prints and postcards. While his early work was already distinctive, in a gently humorous way, the onset of schizophrenia gradually transformed his style, making it bright, highly patterned and apparently in keeping with Jazz Age Modernism.Louis Wain was born in London on 5 August 1860. His father was a textile salesman and his mother designed carpets and church fabrics. A sickly child, he was educated at the Orchard Street Boys and Infant School, South Hackney, and at St Joseph’s Academy, Kennington. He trained at the West London School of Art (1877-80), remaining there as an assistant master until 1882. From his father’s death in 1880, he had to support first his mother and five younger sisters and soon after a sick wife. He supplemented his income by working as a freelance illustrator (initially influenced by Caldecott and May), and in 1882 he joined the staff of the Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News. He began to make his name with humorous cat drawings, primarily in the Illustrated London News, the staff of which he joined in 1886. He was the first to work consistently within the convention of depicting clothed and standing animals. His anthropomorphic vision of the world soon brought him much fame and as a result he was elected President of the National Cat Club in 1891. However, he was not a good businessman, and in 1907 he may have been sued for debt. In the same year, he moved to the United States to make a new start, producing strip cartoons for the New York American (1907-10). Back in England, he experimented with animation in 1917, in the films, The Golfing Cat and The Hunter and the Dog. After the death of his sister Caroline in the same year, he began to suffer a mental decline, becoming a schizophrenic, as his work clearly revealed. ‘His cats became frenzied and jagged, sometimes disappearing into kaleidoscopic shapes’ (Frances Spalding). When, in 1925, he was found in the paupers’ ward of Middlesex County Asylum, an appeal was launched on his behalf, and he was transferred to a comfortable room with his paints in the Bethlem Royal Hospital, Southwark. The appeal reached twice the target sum in a month, a sign of the public’s continuing affection. He died in the Middlesex County Asylum, Napsbury, near St Albans, on 4 July 1939.

ABOUT US
White Court Art specialise in high quality British and European Fine Art. We are passionate about art, and the pieces we offer reflect this. Most of the paintings are by high quality, listed artists. However, if we discover a piece by an unknown artist that we believe is of merit then we will also offer these works. We are constantly searching for new talent and quality pieces to offer our clients. We endeavour to provide a friendly, efficient and safe forum to enable you to acquire fine art online. Our company was formed in 2006.

POSTAGE & PACKAGING
All of our paintings are carefully and appropriately packaged to ensure they reach you safely. We do pride ourselves on the care taken with packaging. Orders to the UK mainland are sent using insured courier service or appropriate Royal Mail service. Orders to the rest of the World are sent promptly via signed for courier service. Unless stated prices exclude shipping costs.

RETURNS POLICY
We offer a 14 day returns policy and money back guarantee on all items (excluding postage costs) should they be found to be not as described. Additionally White Court Art fully guarantees for a period of 1 year from the date of sale our descriptions relating to age and medium. Our warranty will only apply to the original buyers as named on our invoice issued at date of sale.

PAYMENT
Our preferred method of payment is via internet Bank Transfer. Please contact us for our details at point of purchase. Of course we also accept payments through Paypal, Postal Order and personal Cheques.

ITEM INFORMATION & TERMINOLOGY
Every item we sell is fully guaranteed to be as we describe. We use the same cataloguing terms as most major auction houses The cataloguing terms that we use have the following meanings
1. where the text which forms reads "'by" and is followed by the artist's full name (or the artist's initials, if his full name is unrecorded), the work is in our opinion by the artist
2. where the expression "attributed to" is used, the work is in our opinion possibly a work by the artist, in whole or in part
3. where the expression "'circle of'" is used, the work is in our opinion a work of the period of the artist and showing his influence
4. where the expression "'follower of"' is used, the work is in our opinion a work executed in the artist's style but not necessarily by a pupil
5. where the expression '"manner of"' is used, the work is in our opinion a work executed in the artist's style but of a later date
6. where the term "after" is used, the work is in our opinion a copy or pastiche (of any date) of a work by the artist.
7. Where the term 'signed...' is used in our opinion the work has been signed by the artist, where the term 'with signature...' or 'bears signature...' is used in our opinion the signature is by a hand other than that of the artist.