How an unsuspecting couple found £11,000 worth of cat paintings in a skip
Two works by 19th-century artist Louis Wain are heading for auction, after being rescued by a couple in South Wales who had no idea of their value.
No one had the appropriate respect for the 19th-century cat artist extraordinaire Louis Wain during his lifetime. He was maligned by art critics as ‘not a real artist’ due to his vast commercial output, and it seems that this sickening slander didn’t end with his death. Two paintings by the artist, worth £11,000 combined, were discovered in a skip by an unsuspecting couple in their sixties in South Wales.
‘We always joked they might be worth something one day, but never truly believed it,’ said one of the pair from Pembrokeshire, who chose to remain anonymous. ‘When we initially saw them in the tip, they grabbed our attention as we thought it could be a lovely gift for our daughter-in-law, who loves cats,’ they added.
'Psychedelic Cats' has been valued at £6000.
Louis Wain at his drawing board in the 1890s with a cat.
The paintings, which are now up for auction with Rogers Jones Auctioneers & Co, are Blue Cat Among the Flowers (estimate: £5,000) and Psychedelic Cats — which is a double-sided piece, featuring a painting on the reverse, Deer in an Idyllic Landscape. This has been valued at £6,000. The pieces are characteristic of Wain’s whimsical anthropomorphic felines.
Ironically they were discovered by the couple while on a dog walk. The paintings will be part of the upcoming British and European Fine Art Sale in Cardiff, alongside more than 80 pieces of art, including five pieces from British artist Mary Feddan.
Charles Hampshire of Rogers Jones said: ‘It’s always wonderful to hear stories of people uncovering extraordinary treasures in their homes.’
If your love of Louis Wain doesn’t stretch to £11,000, then ‘Louis Wain and the Cat Show’ is a highly anticipated annual exhibition held at the Chris Beetles Gallery in St James's, London. This year’s exhibition will take place at some point this summer, so keep your eyes peeled.
The British and European Fine Art auction is taking place on Thursday, May 21. To find out more, visit their website.
