Cat's Nightmare (undated)

Cat's Nightmare (undated) source: Illustrated Chronicles

It has been speculated that Wain suffered symptoms of anxiety and depression in his early life. Though we can't know for sure, I believe we often got a look into his mind through works such as Cat's Nightmare. 

The drawing depicts two cats tucked into bed; they peer over their covers at a crowd of owls that surrounds the bed. Staring at this drawing longer, you can see the looming shadows of more owls in the background. I'm sure it was intended to be an amusing image but I can't help but be unsettled by it. 

Wain supported himself and his five sisters on very little money. Under the immense pressure to provide for his family, he suffered symptoms of depression and anxiety. Perhaps the he felt that he had many eyes on him, looking to him to provide or to produce more art. It must have been such a weight on his shoulders. 

This piece might speak to Wain's fear of expectations. The expecting eyes of his sisters and publications asking for more and more work. We can't know for sure what Wain's intentions were behind this image but I know that I can resonate with this feeling of anxiety, of being watched with expecting eyes.