Such was the reaction of one contemporary critic to Louis Wain’s ceramic creations when he launched his range of “Lucky” mascots in 1914 – unlike his anthropomorphic artworks of Edwardian cats and dogs which had won him general acclaim, these proto-cubist figures were a step too far for the British public and were a commercial flop in Wain’s homeland.
However, that wasn’t the end of the story for these weird and wonderful pottery cats and dogs, for following a successful stint working in New York for Hearst Newspapers by providing cat-themed cartoon strips for their Journal-American publication Wain had garnered a following in the United States and interest had been shown in his range of figural ornaments.
So, a trans-Atlantic shipment was arranged to deliver a considerable stock of the ceramics which Wain had designed for the firm Max Emanuel & Co. to New York but, in a typically tragic twist for the artist, a German U-Boat torpedoed the ship and the entire cargo was lost to the Atlantic Ocean.
Therefore extant figures are very scarce and, following the reemergence of Wain and his very particular genius into the popular consciousness thanks to a major exhibition at the V&A in 1972, academic evaluations of his contributions to British art and, of course, the feature film The Electrical Life of Louis Wain of 2021 starring Benedict Cumberbatch as Louis Wain, they have become hugely sought after by collectors.
Wilson55 Auctioneers & Valuers are delighted to be offering two Louis Wain pottery figures/spill vases in our 29th May Modern Art & Design Sale, the “Lucky Futurist Cat” and the “Lucky Bully Bulldog”. Both these figures have indeed led fortunate lives, being free from damage and restoration, and so are highly desirable examples of their type.
For the full catalogue entries and additional illustrations please visit our auction preview via this link - https://www.wilson55.com/auction/details/md0525-modern-art--design/?au=539
For enquiries about these wonderful pieces or about consigning your Louis Wain artworks to our leading online auctions contact Design Specialist James Spiridion via email james.spiridion@wilson55.com or phone 01270 623878.
