Saturday 1 April 2017

Edward Lear - part 6



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):


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

1844 Santa Rosa di Conca
sepia ink over graphite on white paper 41 x 26.5 cm
Houghton Library, Harvard College Library, Harvard Universit
y

1844 Stretti di San Luigi
black chalk, pencil, wash, heightened with white, on light buff paper 16.5 x 10 cm

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

1844 Tivoli
watercolour 27 x 46 cm approx.
© Victoria and Albert Museum, London 

1844 Trasacco
black chalk, pencil, heightened with white, on light buff paper 13.5 x 22 cm

1845 Cori
sepia ink and wash over graphite on blue paper 31 x 22.7 cm
Houghton Library, Harvard College Library, Harvard University

1845 Grottaferrata
sepia ink and wash over graphite on cream paper 15.3 x 24.3 cm
Houghton Library, Harvard College Library, Harvard University

1845 L'Aquila
black chalk, touches of pencil, wash, heightened with white, on light grey paper 14 x 28 cm

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

1845 Marino
sepia ink and wash over graphite on cream paper 18 x 26.2 cm
Houghton Library, Harvard College Library, Harvard University

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

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

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

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

1845 San Vittorino
sepia ink and wash over graphite on white paper 28 x 46.2 cm
Houghton Library, Harvard College Library, Harvard University

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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:

1846 A Book of Nonsense by "Derry Down Derry"
2 parts in 2 volumes

There was a Young Lady of Tyre,

There was an Old Derry Down Derry,

There was an Old Man of Cobentz,

There was an Old Man of the Hague,
original artwork

1846-50 Gleanings from the Menagerie and Aviary at Knowsley Hall:

Yagouarondi ( Puma )

Night Monkey

Javan Squirrel

Piping Guan

American Emu

Stanley Crane

Eyed Tyrse

Red Lemur