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Friday, March 6, 2009

"you can keep a dog, but it is the cat who keeps people"

I stumbled upon this colorful drawing and was intrigued to learn more. I soon discovered that the Artist's name is Louis Wain.Wain was an English artist who lived in the late 1800s and early half of the 1900s. He is best known for his numerous drawings and paintings of Cats.
The most interesting tidbit I uncovered about Wain was that later in his life he suffered from schizophrenia. Much of his most memorable (and colorful) work was done whilst he was confined to a number of different metal asylums. Stranger still, there is a theory that Wain had toxoplasmosis, a parasitic infection that can be contracted from cats and that this infection can be linked to causing schizophrenia in humans. rather poetic, non?

8 comments:

Unknown said...

I love all the cats, especially the first and last pictures! And what an amusing conspiracy theory. x

Anonymous said...

sounds a bit scary that theory! hehe but i do love the paintings!

Diana said...

I remember studying this. The last photo brings me chills because we were so in depth of the disease.

Rebecca, A Clothes Horse said...

Wow, interesting works and even more intriguing story. I'm a little surprised he didn't draw images of cats being murdered or something...I mean I'd be a bit bitter towards them if I had contracted something from them.

reckless daughter said...

clothes horse: yeah, I would be too, I suppose. he was clearly obsessed. there are other, slightly more disturbing drawings but these are the ones I liked best.

Diana: I totally agree! that last one freaks me out a little but I thought it was very telling so I decided to include it.

Romeika said...

I love this illustration of the cats in the snow, so cute!:-)

hakki alsaidi said...

i like it , Regard's

Romeika said...

I love this illustration of the cats in the snow, so cute!:-)

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