Edward Lear (1812 - 1888) was an English artist, illustrator, musician, author and poet, and is known now mostly for his literary nonsense in poetry and prose and especially his limericks, a form he popularised. His principal areas of work as an artist were threefold: as a draughtsman employed to illustrate birds and animals; making coloured drawings during his journeys, which he reworked later, sometimes as plates for his travel books; as an illustrator of Alfred Tennyson's poems. As an author, he is known principally for his popular nonsense collections of poems, songs, short stories, botanical drawings, recipes, and alphabets. He also composed and published twelve musical settings of Tennyson's poetry.
For a full biography see part 1, and for earlier works see parts 1 - 5 also.
This is part 6 of 21- part series on the works of Edward Lear.
1844 - 45 Views of Italy (continued from part 5):
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| 1844 Santa Rosa di Conca sepia ink and wash over graphite on tan paper 17.3 x 25.7 cm Houghton Library, Harvard College Library, Harvard University |
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| 1844 Santa Rosa di Conca sepia ink over graphite on white paper 41 x 26.5 cm Houghton Library, Harvard College Library, Harvard University |
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| 1844 Stretti di San Luigi black chalk, pencil, wash, heightened with white, on light buff paper 16.5 x 10 cm |
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| 1844 Subiaco sepia ink and blue wash over graphite on grey paper 37.6 x 53.5 cm Houghton Library, Harvard College Library, Harvard University |
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| 1844 Tivoli watercolour 27 x 46 cm approx. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London |
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| 1844 Trasacco black chalk, pencil, heightened with white, on light buff paper 13.5 x 22 cm |
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| 1845 Cori sepia ink and wash over graphite on blue paper 31 x 22.7 cm Houghton Library, Harvard College Library, Harvard University |
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| 1845 Grottaferrata sepia ink and wash over graphite on cream paper 15.3 x 24.3 cm Houghton Library, Harvard College Library, Harvard University |
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| 1845 L'Aquila black chalk, touches of pencil, wash, heightened with white, on light grey paper 14 x 28 cm |
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| 1845 Madonna del Tufo sepia ink and wash over graphite on white paper 21.3 x 31.4 cm Houghton Library, Harvard College Library, Harvard University |
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| 1845 Marino sepia ink and wash over graphite on cream paper 18 x 26.2 cm Houghton Library, Harvard College Library, Harvard University |
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| 1845 Monte Compatri sepia ink and wash over graphite on cream paper 19.7 x 34.3 cm Houghton Library, Harvard College Library, Harvard University |
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| 1845 Monte Compatri: San Silvestro sepia ink and wash over graphite on cream paper 33 x 20.1 cm Houghton Library, Harvard College Library, Harvard University |
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| 1845 Mountainous View from Antrodoco black chalk heightened with white gouache on blue wove paper 7.4 x 12.7 cm National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC |
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| 1845 Pont Sant'Antonio sepia ink and wash over graphite on cream paper 29.1 x 48.1 cm Houghton Library, Harvard College Library, Harvard University |
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| 1845 San Vittorino sepia ink and wash over graphite on white paper 28 x 46.2 cm Houghton Library, Harvard College Library, Harvard University |
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| 1845 Tusculum: Cicero's Villa sepia ink and wash over graphite on tan paper 22.8 x 33.2 cm Houghton Library, Harvard College Library, Harvard University |
1842 L casually sits…
A set of 21 drawings of a journey made by the artist in Italy with his friend Charles Knight. Knight had given Lear riding lessons ‘round the walls of Rome’, and lent the artist one of his horses for the journey.
In these drawings Lear makes fun of his poor horsemanship, with typical self-deprecating humour.
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| 1. L contemplates a ferocious horse with feelings of distrust pen and brown ink, over graphite 13.4 x 19.3 cm © The Trustees of the British Museum, London |
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| 2. L declares that he considers his horse far from tame pen and brown ink, over graphite 13.3 x 19.3 cm © The Trustees of the British Museum, London |
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| 3. L casually seats himself on the wrong side of his saddle pen and brown ink, over graphite 13.3 x 19.2 cm © The Trustees of the British Museum, London |
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| 4. L changes his position for the sake of variety pen and brown ink over graphite 13.5 x 19.2 cm © The Trustees of the British Museum, London |
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| 5. L perceives he has not seated himself properly pen and brown ink over graphite 13.2 x 19.3 cm © The Trustees of the British Museum, London |
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| 6. L is advised by K to hold his reins short pen and brown ink over graphite 13.3 x 19.2 cm © The Trustees of the British Museum, London |
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| 7. L is politely requested by K to stop his horse pen and brown ink over graphite 13.2 x 19.2 cm © The Trustees of the British Museum, London |
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| 8. K enquires amiably of L if his stirrups are sufficiently short pen and brown ink over graphite 13.5 x 19.6 cm © The Trustees of the British Museum, London |
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| 9. K & L are pursued by an irascible ox pen and brown ink over graphite 13.1 x 19.3 cm © The Trustees of the British Museum, London |
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| 10. L is requested by K not to rise exceedingly high from his saddle pen and brown ink over graphite 13.6 x 19.2 cm © The Trustees of the British Museum, London |
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| 11. L descends an unsatisfactory hill in a pensive manner pen and brown ink over graphite 13.3 x 19.1 cm © The Trustees of the British Museum, London |
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| 12. L is besought by K to sit back on his saddle pen and brown ink over graphite 13.5 x 19.1 cm © The Trustees of the British Museum, London |
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| 13. L is immersed in an indefinite quagmire pen and brown ink over graphite 13.2 x 19.2 cm © The Trustees of the British Museum, London |
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| 14. L is informed by K that he had better put his feet nearer to his horses's sides pen and brown ink over graphite 13.5 x 19.2 cm © The Trustees of the British Museum, London |
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| 15. K entreats L to observe a large bridge called Porte Loophole pen and brown ink over graphite 13.3 x 19.1 cm © The Trustees of the British Museum, London |
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| 21. L becomes suddenly and imperceptibly entangled in an obtrusive Olive-tree pen and brown ink over graphite 13.4 x 19.3 cm © The Trustees of the British Museum, London |
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| 23. K & L discern a predominant ghost pen and brown ink over graphite 13.4 x 19.3 cm © The Trustees of the British Museum, London |
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| 25. L is confidentially assured by the groom that he had mounted his horse incorrectly pen and brown ink over graphite 13.4 x 19.4 cm © The Trustees of the British Museum, London |
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| 26. K affectionately induces L to perceive that a thorn-bush has attached itself to his repugnant horse pen and brown ink over graphite 13.4 x 19.3 cm © The Trustees of the British Museum, London |
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| 27. L is much disturbed by several large flies pen and brown ink over graphite 13.3 x 19.3 cm © The Trustees of the British Museum, London |
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| 33. K & L are attacked by several very venomous Dogs in the vicinity of Colonna pen and brown ink over graphite 13.3 x 19.2 cm © The Trustees of the British Museum, London |
1846 A Book of Nonsense by Derry Down Derry:
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| 1846 A Book of Nonsense by "Derry Down Derry" 2 parts in 2 volumes |
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| There was a Young Lady of Tyre, |
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| There was an Old Derry Down Derry, |
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| There was an Old Man of Cobentz, |
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| There was an Old Man of the Hague, original artwork |
1846-50 Gleanings from the Menagerie and Aviary at Knowsley Hall:
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| Yagouarondi ( Puma ) |
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| Night Monkey |
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| Javan Squirrel |
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| Piping Guan |
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| American Emu |
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| Stanley Crane |
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| Eyed Tyrse |
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| Red Lemur |
