Louis Wain

artnet.com

Louis Wain was a famous artist born in 1860. His works were described as being "anthropomorphic" like his cats sharing human characteristics. His work was said to be due to his condition of schizophrenia. Louis Wain was never officially diagnosed, however his work was said to depict signs of the illness such at the deterioration of his mind. His work began to become more noticed when he depicted these images of cats doing human like activities. 

Louis Wain first began drawing pictures of his own cat to make his sick wife feel better. Unfortunately she did pass, but Louis Wain continued on his work. Although he was continuing his  passion, he was clearly impacted by his wife's death. It was said that Louis Wain suffered from anxiety and depression and used his work as an outlet for these emotions. 

Why Louis Wain Artwork Reflects Mental Health: 

His work is a depiction of the types of way people cope with mental illness. He used his talent to indulge in making these pieces. Although he was said to suffer from variety of illnesses, he still managed to progress in his everyday life. This is important because a common stigma for the mentally ill is that they are not normal and cannot function correctly. This is untrue because those who are mentally ill do have the capacity to continue living their life to the fullest such as Louis Wain. 

Sources:
https://illustrationchronicles.com/Cute-Cats-and-Psychedelia-The-Tragic-Life-of-Louis-Wain