Written by: Cindy Wang
Edited by: Maggie Wang
Louis Wain was a famous English artist in the early 20th century. He was best known for his artwork of anthropomorphic cats. Born in 1860, Louis was a cat-lover and drew humanized cats in the hope of promoting them as something to be cherished, admired, and even adored in England when they were viewed with contempt at that time.
Louis Wain started drawing in the late 1800s, creating cute cat pictures that made people smile. At first, the cats wore outfits and played like friends in a joyful world, each having their own personalities. But as time went on, things started to change. Louis was diagnosed with schizophrenia, a mental disorder marked by abnormalities in perceptions, emotions, intellectual processes, and interactions with others, which was shown in his later artwork as kaleidoscope cats (DSM 2016).
Artwork is being viewed as a way of expressing inner emotions. Early signs of Louis’s diagnosis appeared subtly. The happy and playful cats slowly transformed into strange, swirling creatures, their features twisting and turning in a wild dance. The eyes, once windows to happy souls, reflected the chaos that happened in Louis's mind. His artwork is like a diary not only capturing his life but also the phases of schizophrenia. In addition, a person diagnosed with schizophrenia may encounter distorted experiences and a loss of shared reality. These include hallucinations with irrational ideas, abnormal body movements, and mental disorders presenting as strange or illogical thinking (NIH 2023). Louis’s later piece showed a hallucinations world, and the colorful and complicated work showed his fallen-apart mind.
The cause and risk of schizophrenia involves a combination of factors including genetics, environment, and brain structure (NIH 2023). However, his diagnosis was considered a tragic story. He married Emily Richardson in 1883. As Emily fell ill, he sketched their cat, Peter, to uplift her spirits. However, Emily passed away a few months later, which deeply affected him, and the death of his sister and his cat also punched him hard, leading to anxiety and depression. Louis was later diagnosed with schizophrenia and his personal life never fully recovered.
Despite Louis’s condition his art still has the power to catch people’s eyes. Every stroke of his brush touching the canvas was like a rope holding him to reality while also showing the cracks in his mind. The cat becomes a comfort and a safe place during his most difficult time. Understanding Louis Wain's experience is crucial to honoring him in a way that goes beyond just enjoying his creative arts. His work shows the ability to create beauty even in difficult times and encourages us to acknowledge the complexity that exists in ourselves and others.
You can view more Louis Wain Artwork Here
References:
Kennedy, P. (2016). Cute Cats and Psychedelia: The Tragic Life of Louis Wain - Illustration Chronicles. Illustrationchronicles.com. https://illustrationchronicles.com/Cute-Cats-and-Psychedelia-The-Tragic-Life-of-Louis-Wain
National Institute of Mental Health. (2023). Schizophrenia. National Institute of Mental Health. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/schizophrenia
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2016). Impact of the DSM-IV to DSM-5 Changes on the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Nih.gov; Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (US). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK519704/table/ch3.t22/
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