Ginger cat (c. 1930)

Ginger cat (c.1930) source: Bethlem Museum of the Mind

Though Louis Wain was adored by the public for his works, he was often exploited for his success and rarely profited due to the lack of publishing royalties. He continued to struggle financially during the war, leading to his detiorating mental health. He was even known to act out in erratic and sometimes violent ways. Because of this, his sisters had him committed to Springfield Mental Hospital in 1924. 

Medical understanding of mental health was extremely poor in the early twentieth century. Wain was diagnosed with 'schizophrenia' but it was likely that he had severe depression and maybe even on the autism spectrum. Mental illness was often conflated with moral weakness, the patients in these 'asylums' were mistreated and neglected.  

After a year, he was 'discovered' there and campaigns to improve his care gained support by popular writer H.G Wells and even the Prime Minister at the time. They raised the funds to eventually move him to Bethlem Royal Hospital, and then in 1930 to Napsbury Hospital.

During his time in medical care, his art style began to change becoming more abstract. This can be seen in the drawing, Ginger cat. It features a signature Wain wide-eyed cat on a colourful backdrop of shapes and patterns.