Louis produced cat illustrations for postcards and greeting cards, adverts, books and toys. It was his main connection to his wife which also became a way to make money. After Emily’s death, Louis focussed solely on drawing more cats. His drawings were greatly received and led to his being commissioned to illustrate two books Madam Tabby’s Establishment and A Kitten’s Christmas Party. This was the first real luck Louis ever had. The editor liked these illustrations so much that he published two of them in the following edition of the Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News. ![]() The year prior to Emily’s death, Louis had the good fortune to show his editor a small selection of the cat drawings he had made for his wife. Emily had cancer and died three years later in 1887. When Emily became too ill to play with Peter, dear old Louis spent hours sketching the cat in the hope his drawings would bring his wife some needed cheer and a much hoped for recovery. ![]() Emily had a small black and white cat called Peter whose company she greatly enjoyed. It was because of his love for Emily that Louis started drawing cats. She was ten years older than Louis who was then a rather green 23-year-old. In 1884, Louis married the family’s governess, Emily. His artistic streak most probably came from his mother as she had once been a textile designer. ![]() This led to his joining the staff of the Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News in 1882. As he was good at art, he started submitting illustrations for various magazines. This meant that when his father died Louis became the family’s sole provider. He was born in the East End of London in 1860, the only boy in a family of five girls. Louis Wain was a talented artist but he was never a lucky man. Sometimes it seems that luck is far more important than talent.
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