Louis Wain
Louis Wain was one of the most popular commercial illustrators in the history of England. Born in 1860, his anthropomorphic portrayals of cats captured the imagination of the Edwardian era and his work helped to elevate the profile and popularity of our feline friends to unprecedented heights. Before Wain, cats in England were often thought of with contempt but his work humanised them and helped to show them as something to be liked, admired, and even loved.
Today his work continues to attract interest but his legacy is based more on his struggles with mental health than the work that he created. While never officially diagnosed with schizophrenia, many people believe that he suffered from this condition and some have argued that his later drawings demonstrate his psychotic deterioration.
I feel like this poor kitty when I think about launching the Italian, French, Portuguese, Spanish, and Turkish versions of DailyArt. We plan to start them this month. :)
Cheers!
Zuzanna