Louis Wain's Cats by Chris Beetles (Author) , Benedict Cumberbatch

'Chris Beetles' book is a joy, an inspiration and as thorough a document into understanding the life and times of Louis Wain as one could hope to read' - Benedict Cumberbatch'Louis Wain invented a cat style, a cat society, a whole cat world. Broadcast in 1925 by H.G. Wells, these words characteristically foretold the future of the Wain cat which has, once more, become the century's most recognizable image in cat art.

During their heyday, in the time before the First World War, Louis Wain's cats, dressed as humans, portrayed that stylish Edwardian world having fun: at restaurants and tea parties, going to the Race and the Seaside, celebrating at Christmas and Birthdays, and disporting themselves with exuberant games of tennis, bowls, cricket, and football. This is a titillating world of cats at play, uninhibited and slightly dangerous, with most group activities likely to turn into mishap, mayhem, and catastrophe. This is Wain's world, funny, edgy, and animated: a whole cat world.

The first comprehensive exhibition of Wain's work was held at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London in 1972 and, since then, Louis Wain has steadily become more fashionable, and collected worldwide. This biography contains 300 plates of richness and variety, all of which are reproduced faithfully from the original artwork.

Details

• Illustrated by:Louis Wain
• Format:Hardback 256 pages, Full colour throughout; Illustrations, unspecified
• Publisher:Canongate Books Ltd
• Imprint:Canongate Books Ltd
• Edition:Main
• ISBN:9781838854706
• Published:4 Nov 2021
• Classifications:Animals & nature in art (still life, landscapes & seascapes, etc), Illustration, Biography: arts & entertainment, Gift books
• Readership:General (US: Trade)
• Weight:1598g
• Dimensions:266 x 373 x 29 (mm)
• Pub. Country:United Kingdom
• Country of Origin:CN
• Tariff Codes:49019900
• For sale in: All countries