"Who's Afraid of a Big Black Stag-Beetle?"

Wain, Louis

Wain, Louis (illus.)

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(London: c. 1900). A framed, matted original painting by Louis Wain, signed by the artist in the lower left corner. This whimsical watercolor illustration depicts three wide-eyed cats standing upright, backed against a wall, with their mouths open in surprise. The cats are distancing themselves from a large, black stag-beetle crawling across the floor. A gallery label on the reverse is the source for the title of the painting. Louis Wain is best known for his anthropomorphic, often humorous illustrations of cats, which he first created around 1880 in order to amuse his wife while she was ill with cancer. Frame measures 14 by 17 inches; mat opening is 5 3/4 by 9 1/4. Silver frame is slightly rubbed, else a very fine example of Wain's characteristic art. (Item ID: 24017)