Lear (Edward) The Book of Nonsense, second edition, 72 lithographed illustrations with 5-line limerick caption, trimmed affecting text to or or two leaves, foxing, contemporary half-calf, spine faded, original upper wrapper trimmed and pasted to upper cover, worn, T. McLean, [Noakes 73b] [1855]; and 9 of the same, different editions, and 5 about the author, v.s. (16) ⁂ A scarce edition.
EDWARD LEAR (BRITISH 1812-1888)INBOWER'D VAULTS OF PILLAR'D PALM (RECOLLECTION OF THE ARABIAN NIGHTS) NEAR TEL EL KEBEER, EGYPT Black and grey washTitled (to mount, lower centre); and numbered '5' (to mount, upper left)9.5 x 14.5cm (3½ x 5½ in.)Provenance:Acquired from Thomas Agnew & Sons, London, 4 July 1985, n. 47320
EDWARD LEAR (BRITISH 1812-1888) WADY HALFEH, EGYPT Signed with the monogram, dated 1884 and inscribed ‘Wady Halfey Feb 3 1887’, watercolour 9cm x 17.5cm (3.5in x 7in) Childs Gallery, Boston;Agnew's London No. 15361 This work shows Wadi Halfa situated on the shore of Lake Nubia (Lake Nasser) on the present-day Sudanese-Egyptian border. Lear was particularly interested in the stark contrast between the landscape in Lower Egypt and Nubia writing in a letter to Lady Waldegrave 'Nubia delighted me, it isn't a bit like Egypt... Sad, stern, uncompromising landscape - dark ashy purple lines of hills, piles of granite rocks, fringes of palm, and ever and anon astonishing ruins of oldest temples.'
EDWARD LEAR (BRITISH 1812-1888) DRYMADES, ALBANIA Signed with the monogram and inscribed ‘Drymades’, watercolour heightened with white 11.5cm x 18cm (4.5in x 7.25in) Thos. Agnew & Sons Ltd, London Lear painted some of the wildest and most dramatic countryside when he first travelled through Albania under challenging conditions in the autumn of 1848. Few foreigners had been to the remote area beyond Yannina. On occasion Lear was prevented from making drawings in this Islamic country where pictorial representations were regarded with fear and suspicion.
EDWARD LEAR (BRITISH 1812-1888) SEPOLCRO DI TERONE, AGRIGENTO, SICILY Inscribed, dated and numbered ‘Sepolero di Terone Gigente 29 May 1847 (63)’ and further inscribed with notes throughout, pencil, pen and ink 8.25cm x 25.5cm (3.25in x 10.25in) Leaving Rome in April 1847, Lear travelled south together with John Proby (1780-1855), subsequently 2nd Earl of Carysfort. They stayed in Sicily from the 3rd of May to 19th of July, as a result of which a volume containing twenty Nonsense drawings of their adventures on the island was published in 1938 as Lear in Sicily. At the end of May they were in Agrigento, the city founded by Greek colonists in about 580 BC, and from there Lear wrote to his sister 'Nothing of earth can be so beautiful as Girgenti with its 6 Temples — I speak of the old town — & the flowers & birds are beyond imagination lovely. I must however, need say that the gnats, fleas, flies, wasps, etc. etc.— require much philosophy to bear'.The Tomb of Theron is located in the Valley of the Temples and dates from the 1st century BC. Theron (died 473 BC), son of Aenesidemus, was a Greek tyrant of the town of Acragas from 488 BC.
EDWARD LEAR (BRITISH 1812-1888) SUNSET ON THE NILE NEAR MANKABAT Inscribed and dated ‘5.20 sunset Jan 8 1867 (near Mankabat)’ and numbered ‘107’ and further inscribed with colour notes throughout, pen and ink and watercolour 12.5cm x 19cm (5in x 7.5in) Colnaghi, London This drawing can be compared with the watercolour titled Near Gan el Kebir and dated 9 January 1867 at the Yale Centre for British Art (inv.no.B1997.7.105). Both drawings were executed when Lear was travelling on the river Nile near the town Asyut, around 200 miles south of Cairo.
EDWARD LEAR (BRITISH 1812-1888) ASWAN, EGYPT Inscribed and dated ‘Assouan 9. Feb 1854 9.10AM’ and further inscribed with colour notes throughout, pen and ink and watercolour 24.25cm x 43.75cm (9.5in x 17.25in) Agnew's, no. 28008 During his second visit to Egypt Lear arrived in Cairo in December 1953. From there, he travelled up the Nile for several months, writing to his sister 'I have been at work every day throughout the whole daylight, and so charming is the place and the climate that I shall be very sorry to leave it.' However, his unusually extensive colour notes from this period show the difficulties Lear experienced depicting the Nile scenery: 'Egypt is at least a land to learn colour in.' Lear travelled as far as Philae near Aswan before beginning his return journey on 8 February. A week later his boat arrived at Luxor and there he spent ten days exploring Karnak and the ruined temples at Thebes.
EDWARD LEAR (BRITISH 1812-1888) SUNSET ON THE NILE Signed with monogram and inscribed ‘Nile’, watercolour 17cm x 36.5cm (6.75in x 13.5in) Agnew's, London, no.48070 At the end of his journey along the Nile, Lear writes on 25 February 1867 'In no place - it seems to me, can the variety & simplicity of colours be so well studied as in Egypt; in no place are the various beauties of shadow more observable, or more interminably numerous'
EDWARD LEAR (BRITISH 1812-1888) WALLS OF PAVIA Signed and dated ‘Edw. Lear 11 May 1841’ and inscribed ‘Walls of Pavia’, watercolour 6.5cm x 13.5cm (2.75in x 5.25in) Child's Gallery, Boston Apart from two visits to England, Lear stayed in Italy between 1837 and 1847 where he enjoyed financial freedom and was actively involved in the community of international artists in Rome. A fine example of Lear's early landscapes, the present watercolour was executed when the artist travelled to England in the spring of 1841 after having spent the winter in Rome.
EDWARD LEAR (BRITISH 1812-1888) PATTI Inscribed and dated ‘Patti 4 July 1847’ and numbered 2/2, and further inscribed with notes throughout, pencil and pen and ink 30cm x 46cm (11.75in x 17.75in) Patti, which is close to Messina, is most known for the magnificent ruins of the surrounding ancient Greek city of Tindari and the ruins of its ornate Roman villa, which dates back to the second and third centuries AD. Founded in 1094 by Norman King Roger II of Sicily, Patti was destroyed by Frederick of Aragon in 1300 due to its affiliation with the House of Anjou. Rebuilt in the 16th century, it was eventually sacked by Ottoman Turks.
EDWARD LEAR (BRITISH 1812-1888) CEYLON, SRI LANKA Numbered and dated ‘(792) 11.30 A.M. 20 Nov 1874’ and further inscribed with notes throughout, pen and ink and watercolour 9.25cm x 25.75cm (3.5in x 10in) The Fine Art Society, London, by 1952. Travelling along the southern coastline of Sri Lanka in November 1874, Lear writes 'Certainly, the lofty, lofty coco-lined roads of South Ceylon are wonderful and so, on all sides is the crammed luxuriance of a thousand sorts of beautiful vegetation; but beyond these, and now and then a brilliant space of shore and sea.'
EDWARD LEAR (BRITISH 1812-1888) VENICE AND SANTA MARIA DELLA SALUTE Inscribed, dated and numbered ‘Venice 11 Nov (2)’, pen and ink and watercolour 11.5cm x 16.5cm (4.5in x 6.5in) Agnew's, no. 29488 After a first visit to Venice in 1857, Lear returned in November 1865 to make studies for a commission of an oil painting he had received from Lady Waldegrave. His diary entry for 13th of November indicates the artist's engagement with the view of Santa Maria della Salute at that time, and reads as follows: 'Had a cup of café noir in the Hotel - & then got a gondola for the day. First drew S[anta] M[aria] de S[salute] by the Doge's Palace -then from the Iron Bridge... but it was very cold'.
This remarkable ornithology lithograph with hand-finished color is from the esteemed John Gould’s The Birds of Europe. The work was published in London between 1832 and 1837. John Gould created nearly 3000 hand-colored plates of animals in his extensive career. Gould gained much of his knowledge by observation and experience and contributed greatly to scientific knowledge at the time. Gould is believed to have done the original sketches for all of the plates. The majority of this work is believed to have been drawn and lithographed by Elizabeth Gould. It was also the first time Gould employed the masterful Edward Lear. "There is no doubt that Edward Lear was the first person to understand the art of lithography, and to use it to its fullest potential. It was a legacy that granted the fabled works of Gould their success, and took them into the forefront of nineteenth-century illustration" (Tree). Of Lear's lithographs: "they are certainly among the most remarkable bird drawings ever made, … it is evident that Lear endowed them with some measure of his own whimsy and intelligence, his energetic curiosity, his self-conscious clumsiness and his unselfconscious charm." (Hyman)
EDWARD LEAR (BRITISH 1812 - 1888)LUXOR, EGYPTPen, ink, and watercolour with white heighteningSigned (lower left), inscribed (lower right)11 x 18cm (4¼ x 7 in.)Provenance: The Fine Art Society, London, September 1954
EDWARD LEAR (BRITISH 1812-1888)VIEW OF MOUNT MODINO, NEAR ABETONE, TUSCANYWatercolour and brown inkTitled and dated '18 20 August 1883' (lower right)30 x 54cm (11¾ x 21¼ in.)
This remarkable ornithology lithograph with hand-finished color is from the esteemed John Gould’s The Birds of Europe. The work was published in London between 1832 and 1837. John Gould created nearly 3000 hand-colored plates of animals in his extensive career. Gould gained much of his knowledge by observation and experience and contributed greatly to scientific knowledge at the time. Gould is believed to have done the original sketches for all of the plates. The majority of this work is believed to have been drawn and lithographed by Elizabeth Gould. It was also the first time Gould employed the masterful Edward Lear. "There is no doubt that Edward Lear was the first person to understand the art of lithography, and to use it to its fullest potential. It was a legacy that granted the fabled works of Gould their success, and took them into the forefront of nineteenth-century illustration" (Tree). Of Lear's lithographs: "they are certainly among the most remarkable bird drawings ever made, … it is evident that Lear endowed them with some measure of his own whimsy and intelligence, his energetic curiosity, his self-conscious clumsiness and his unselfconscious charm." (Hyman)
LEAR, Edward (British, 1812-1888). Two red-breasted birds on a branch. Pencil and watercolor, heightened with gum arabic. Signed lower left: "E. Lear". 5 1/4" x 7" sheet. Provenance: Lady Strachey, Sutton Court; And by descent. The Strachey family were deeply influential in helping shape and preserve Lear’s legacy. They were close friends and published various publications on the artist between 1888 and 1911. Lear was already drawing "for bread and cheese" by the time he was aged sixteen and soon developed into a serious "ornithological draughtsman" employed by the Zoological Society and then from 1832 to 1836 by the Earl of Derby, who kept a private menagerie at his estate, Knowsley Hall. He was the first major bird artist to draw birds from real live birds, instead of skins. Lear's first publication, published when he was nineteen years old, was Illustrations of the Family of Psittacidae, or Parrots in 1830. One of the greatest ornithological artists of his era, he taught Elizabeth Gould while also contributing to John Gould's works and was compared favorably with John James Audubon. Unfortunately his eyesight deteriorated too much to work with such precision on fine drawings and lithographic stones, thus he turned to landscape painting and travel.
LEAR, Edward (British, 1812-1888). Eagles. Watercolor on paper. Signed lower right: "E Lear". ca. 1830. 10 1/4" x 8 1/4" sheet, 20 1/4" x 18 1/2" framed. Lear was already drawing "for bread and cheese" by the time he was aged sixteen and soon developed into a serious "ornithological draughtsman" employed by the Zoological Society and then from 1832 to 1836 by the Earl of Derby, who kept a private menagerie at his estate, Knowsley Hall. He was the first major bird artist to draw birds from real live birds, instead of skins. Lear's first publication, published when he was nineteen years old, was Illustrations of the Family of Psittacidae, or Parrots in 1830. One of the greatest ornithological artists of his era, he taught Elizabeth Gould while also contributing to John Gould's works and was compared favorably with John James Audubon. Unfortunately his eyesight deteriorated too much to work with such precision on fine drawings and lithographic stones, thus he turned to landscape painting and travel.
This remarkable ornithology lithograph with hand-finished color is from the esteemed John Gould’s The Birds of Europe. The work was published in London between 1832 and 1837. John Gould created nearly 3000 hand-colored plates of animals in his extensive career. Gould gained much of his knowledge by observation and experience and contributed greatly to scientific knowledge at the time. Gould is believed to have done the original sketches for all of the plates. The majority of this work is believed to have been drawn and lithographed by Elizabeth Gould. It was also the first time Gould employed the masterful Edward Lear. "There is no doubt that Edward Lear was the first person to understand the art of lithography, and to use it to its fullest potential. It was a legacy that granted the fabled works of Gould their success, and took them into the forefront of nineteenth-century illustration" (Tree). Of Lear's lithographs: "they are certainly among the most remarkable bird drawings ever made, … it is evident that Lear endowed them with some measure of his own whimsy and intelligence, his energetic curiosity, his self-conscious clumsiness and his unselfconscious charm." (Hyman)
This remarkable ornithology lithograph with hand-finished color is from the esteemed John Gould’s The Birds of Europe. The work was published in London between 1832 and 1837. John Gould created nearly 3000 hand-colored plates of animals in his extensive career. Gould gained much of his knowledge by observation and experience and contributed greatly to scientific knowledge at the time. Gould is believed to have done the original sketches for all of the plates. The majority of this work is believed to have been drawn and lithographed by Elizabeth Gould. It was also the first time Gould employed the masterful Edward Lear. "There is no doubt that Edward Lear was the first person to understand the art of lithography, and to use it to its fullest potential. It was a legacy that granted the fabled works of Gould their success, and took them into the forefront of nineteenth-century illustration" (Tree). Of Lear's lithographs: "they are certainly among the most remarkable bird drawings ever made, … it is evident that Lear endowed them with some measure of his own whimsy and intelligence, his energetic curiosity, his self-conscious clumsiness and his unselfconscious charm." (Hyman)
Included in this lot: Glaucous Gull Great Black-backed Gull Description of the work: This remarkable ornithology lithograph with hand-finished color is from the esteemed John Gould’s The Birds of Europe. The work was published in London between 1832 and 1837. John Gould created nearly 3000 hand-colored plates of animals in his extensive career. Gould gained much of his knowledge by observation and experience and contributed greatly to scientific knowledge at the time. Gould is believed to have done the original sketches for all of the plates. The majority of this work is believed to have been drawn and lithographed by Elizabeth Gould. It was also the first time Gould employed the masterful Edward Lear. "There is no doubt that Edward Lear was the first person to understand the art of lithography, and to use it to its fullest potential. It was a legacy that granted the fabled works of Gould their success, and took them into the forefront of nineteenth-century illustration" (Tree). Of Lear's lithographs: "they are certainly among the most remarkable bird drawings ever made, … it is evident that Lear endowed them with some measure of his own whimsy and intelligence, his energetic curiosity, his self-conscious clumsiness and his unselfconscious charm." (Hyman)
EDWARD LEAR (BRITISH, 1812-1888) EDWARD LEAR (BRITISH, 1812-1888) Coast of Crete, looking towards the village of Perivolia and Mount Ida (Psilortis), 1864 with inscriptions and notes (lower left and right) pen & ink 27 x 6.5 cm (10 1/2 x 2 1/2 in.) The work is inscribed primarily in Greek and dated; 'Psilortis and Perivolia from the house of Mr Constantine Kalokarinos, in Rethimo, 8 May 1864, 6pm' (lower). Provenance Thomas Agnew & Sons Moore-Gywn Fine Art, British Pictures, Allen Street, London Exhibited Vivien Noakes, Edward Lear 1812 - 1888. Royal Accadmey, exh cat 1995 section 25
This remarkable ornithology lithograph with hand-finished color is from the esteemed John Gould’s The Birds of Europe. The work was published in London between 1832 and 1837. John Gould created nearly 3000 hand-colored plates of animals in his extensive career. Gould gained much of his knowledge by observation and experience and contributed greatly to scientific knowledge at the time. Gould is believed to have done the original sketches for all of the plates. The majority of this work is believed to have been drawn and lithographed by Elizabeth Gould. It was also the first time Gould employed the masterful Edward Lear. "There is no doubt that Edward Lear was the first person to understand the art of lithography, and to use it to its fullest potential. It was a legacy that granted the fabled works of Gould their success, and took them into the forefront of nineteenth-century illustration" (Tree). Of Lear's lithographs: "they are certainly among the most remarkable bird drawings ever made, … it is evident that Lear endowed them with some measure of his own whimsy and intelligence, his energetic curiosity, his self-conscious clumsiness and his unselfconscious charm." (Hyman)
This remarkable ornithology lithograph with hand-finished color is from the esteemed John Gould’s The Birds of Europe. The work was published in London between 1832 and 1837. John Gould created nearly 3000 hand-colored plates of animals in his extensive career. Gould gained much of his knowledge by observation and experience and contributed greatly to scientific knowledge at the time. Gould is believed to have done the original sketches for all of the plates. The majority of this work is believed to have been drawn and lithographed by Elizabeth Gould. It was also the first time Gould employed the masterful Edward Lear. "There is no doubt that Edward Lear was the first person to understand the art of lithography, and to use it to its fullest potential. It was a legacy that granted the fabled works of Gould their success, and took them into the forefront of nineteenth-century illustration" (Tree). Of Lear's lithographs: "they are certainly among the most remarkable bird drawings ever made, … it is evident that Lear endowed them with some measure of his own whimsy and intelligence, his energetic curiosity, his self-conscious clumsiness and his unselfconscious charm." (Hyman)
This remarkable ornithology lithograph with hand-finished color is from the esteemed John Gould’s The Birds of Europe. The work was published in London between 1832 and 1837. John Gould created nearly 3000 hand-colored plates of animals in his extensive career. Gould gained much of his knowledge by observation and experience and contributed greatly to scientific knowledge at the time. Gould is believed to have done the original sketches for all of the plates. The majority of this work is believed to have been drawn and lithographed by Elizabeth Gould. It was also the first time Gould employed the masterful Edward Lear. "There is no doubt that Edward Lear was the first person to understand the art of lithography, and to use it to its fullest potential. It was a legacy that granted the fabled works of Gould their success, and took them into the forefront of nineteenth-century illustration" (Tree). Of Lear's lithographs: "they are certainly among the most remarkable bird drawings ever made, … it is evident that Lear endowed them with some measure of his own whimsy and intelligence, his energetic curiosity, his self-conscious clumsiness and his unselfconscious charm." (Hyman)
This remarkable ornithology lithograph with hand-finished color is from the esteemed John Gould’s The Birds of Europe. The work was published in London between 1832 and 1837. John Gould created nearly 3000 hand-colored plates of animals in his extensive career. Gould gained much of his knowledge by observation and experience and contributed greatly to scientific knowledge at the time. Gould is believed to have done the original sketches for all of the plates. The majority of this work is believed to have been drawn and lithographed by Elizabeth Gould. It was also the first time Gould employed the masterful Edward Lear. "There is no doubt that Edward Lear was the first person to understand the art of lithography, and to use it to its fullest potential. It was a legacy that granted the fabled works of Gould their success, and took them into the forefront of nineteenth-century illustration" (Tree). Of Lear's lithographs: "they are certainly among the most remarkable bird drawings ever made, … it is evident that Lear endowed them with some measure of his own whimsy and intelligence, his energetic curiosity, his self-conscious clumsiness and his unselfconscious charm." (Hyman)
This remarkable ornithology lithograph with hand-finished color is from the esteemed John Gould’s The Birds of Europe. The work was published in London between 1832 and 1837. John Gould created nearly 3000 hand-colored plates of animals in his extensive career. Gould gained much of his knowledge by observation and experience and contributed greatly to scientific knowledge at the time. Gould is believed to have done the original sketches for all of the plates. The majority of this work is believed to have been drawn and lithographed by Elizabeth Gould. It was also the first time Gould employed the masterful Edward Lear. "There is no doubt that Edward Lear was the first person to understand the art of lithography, and to use it to its fullest potential. It was a legacy that granted the fabled works of Gould their success, and took them into the forefront of nineteenth-century illustration" (Tree). Of Lear's lithographs: "they are certainly among the most remarkable bird drawings ever made, … it is evident that Lear endowed them with some measure of his own whimsy and intelligence, his energetic curiosity, his self-conscious clumsiness and his unselfconscious charm." (Hyman)
This remarkable ornithology lithograph with hand-finished color is from the esteemed John Gould’s The Birds of Europe. The work was published in London between 1832 and 1837. John Gould created nearly 3000 hand-colored plates of animals in his extensive career. Gould gained much of his knowledge by observation and experience and contributed greatly to scientific knowledge at the time. Gould is believed to have done the original sketches for all of the plates. The majority of this work is believed to have been drawn and lithographed by Elizabeth Gould. It was also the first time Gould employed the masterful Edward Lear. "There is no doubt that Edward Lear was the first person to understand the art of lithography, and to use it to its fullest potential. It was a legacy that granted the fabled works of Gould their success, and took them into the forefront of nineteenth-century illustration" (Tree). Of Lear's lithographs: "they are certainly among the most remarkable bird drawings ever made, … it is evident that Lear endowed them with some measure of his own whimsy and intelligence, his energetic curiosity, his self-conscious clumsiness and his unselfconscious charm." (Hyman)
This remarkable ornithology lithograph with hand-finished color is from the esteemed John Gould’s The Birds of Europe. The work was published in London between 1832 and 1837. John Gould created nearly 3000 hand-colored plates of animals in his extensive career. Gould gained much of his knowledge by observation and experience and contributed greatly to scientific knowledge at the time. Gould is believed to have done the original sketches for all of the plates. The majority of this work is believed to have been drawn and lithographed by Elizabeth Gould. It was also the first time Gould employed the masterful Edward Lear. "There is no doubt that Edward Lear was the first person to understand the art of lithography, and to use it to its fullest potential. It was a legacy that granted the fabled works of Gould their success, and took them into the forefront of nineteenth-century illustration" (Tree). Of Lear's lithographs: "they are certainly among the most remarkable bird drawings ever made, … it is evident that Lear endowed them with some measure of his own whimsy and intelligence, his energetic curiosity, his self-conscious clumsiness and his unselfconscious charm." (Hyman)
This remarkable ornithology lithograph with hand-finished color is from the esteemed John Gould’s The Birds of Europe. The work was published in London between 1832 and 1837. John Gould created nearly 3000 hand-colored plates of animals in his extensive career. Gould gained much of his knowledge by observation and experience and contributed greatly to scientific knowledge at the time. Gould is believed to have done the original sketches for all of the plates. The majority of this work is believed to have been drawn and lithographed by Elizabeth Gould. It was also the first time Gould employed the masterful Edward Lear. "There is no doubt that Edward Lear was the first person to understand the art of lithography, and to use it to its fullest potential. It was a legacy that granted the fabled works of Gould their success, and took them into the forefront of nineteenth-century illustration" (Tree). Of Lear's lithographs: "they are certainly among the most remarkable bird drawings ever made, … it is evident that Lear endowed them with some measure of his own whimsy and intelligence, his energetic curiosity, his self-conscious clumsiness and his unselfconscious charm." (Hyman)
This remarkable ornithology lithograph with hand-finished color is from the esteemed John Gould’s The Birds of Europe. The work was published in London between 1832 and 1837. John Gould created nearly 3000 hand-colored plates of animals in his extensive career. Gould gained much of his knowledge by observation and experience and contributed greatly to scientific knowledge at the time. Gould is believed to have done the original sketches for all of the plates. The majority of this work is believed to have been drawn and lithographed by Elizabeth Gould. It was also the first time Gould employed the masterful Edward Lear. "There is no doubt that Edward Lear was the first person to understand the art of lithography, and to use it to its fullest potential. It was a legacy that granted the fabled works of Gould their success, and took them into the forefront of nineteenth-century illustration" (Tree). Of Lear's lithographs: "they are certainly among the most remarkable bird drawings ever made, … it is evident that Lear endowed them with some measure of his own whimsy and intelligence, his energetic curiosity, his self-conscious clumsiness and his unselfconscious charm." (Hyman)
This remarkable ornithology lithograph with hand-finished color is from the esteemed John Gould’s The Birds of Europe. The work was published in London between 1832 and 1837. John Gould created nearly 3000 hand-colored plates of animals in his extensive career. Gould gained much of his knowledge by observation and experience and contributed greatly to scientific knowledge at the time. Gould is believed to have done the original sketches for all of the plates. The majority of this work is believed to have been drawn and lithographed by Elizabeth Gould. It was also the first time Gould employed the masterful Edward Lear. "There is no doubt that Edward Lear was the first person to understand the art of lithography, and to use it to its fullest potential. It was a legacy that granted the fabled works of Gould their success, and took them into the forefront of nineteenth-century illustration" (Tree). Of Lear's lithographs: "they are certainly among the most remarkable bird drawings ever made, … it is evident that Lear endowed them with some measure of his own whimsy and intelligence, his energetic curiosity, his self-conscious clumsiness and his unselfconscious charm." (Hyman)
This remarkable ornithology lithograph with hand-finished color is from the esteemed John Gould’s The Birds of Europe. The work was published in London between 1832 and 1837. John Gould created nearly 3000 hand-colored plates of animals in his extensive career. Gould gained much of his knowledge by observation and experience and contributed greatly to scientific knowledge at the time. Gould is believed to have done the original sketches for all of the plates. The majority of this work is believed to have been drawn and lithographed by Elizabeth Gould. It was also the first time Gould employed the masterful Edward Lear. "There is no doubt that Edward Lear was the first person to understand the art of lithography, and to use it to its fullest potential. It was a legacy that granted the fabled works of Gould their success, and took them into the forefront of nineteenth-century illustration" (Tree). Of Lear's lithographs: "they are certainly among the most remarkable bird drawings ever made, … it is evident that Lear endowed them with some measure of his own whimsy and intelligence, his energetic curiosity, his self-conscious clumsiness and his unselfconscious charm." (Hyman)
This remarkable ornithology lithograph with hand-finished color is from the esteemed John Gould’s The Birds of Europe. The work was published in London between 1832 and 1837. John Gould created nearly 3000 hand-colored plates of animals in his extensive career. Gould gained much of his knowledge by observation and experience and contributed greatly to scientific knowledge at the time. Gould is believed to have done the original sketches for all of the plates. The majority of this work is believed to have been drawn and lithographed by Elizabeth Gould. It was also the first time Gould employed the masterful Edward Lear. "There is no doubt that Edward Lear was the first person to understand the art of lithography, and to use it to its fullest potential. It was a legacy that granted the fabled works of Gould their success, and took them into the forefront of nineteenth-century illustration" (Tree). Of Lear's lithographs: "they are certainly among the most remarkable bird drawings ever made, … it is evident that Lear endowed them with some measure of his own whimsy and intelligence, his energetic curiosity, his self-conscious clumsiness and his unselfconscious charm." (Hyman)
This remarkable ornithology lithograph with hand-finished color is from the esteemed John Gould’s The Birds of Europe. The work was published in London between 1832 and 1837. John Gould created nearly 3000 hand-colored plates of animals in his extensive career. Gould gained much of his knowledge by observation and experience and contributed greatly to scientific knowledge at the time. Gould is believed to have done the original sketches for all of the plates. The majority of this work is believed to have been drawn and lithographed by Elizabeth Gould. It was also the first time Gould employed the masterful Edward Lear. "There is no doubt that Edward Lear was the first person to understand the art of lithography, and to use it to its fullest potential. It was a legacy that granted the fabled works of Gould their success, and took them into the forefront of nineteenth-century illustration" (Tree). Of Lear's lithographs: "they are certainly among the most remarkable bird drawings ever made, … it is evident that Lear endowed them with some measure of his own whimsy and intelligence, his energetic curiosity, his self-conscious clumsiness and his unselfconscious charm." (Hyman)
This remarkable ornithology lithograph with hand-finished color is from the esteemed John Gould’s The Birds of Europe. The work was published in London between 1832 and 1837. John Gould created nearly 3000 hand-colored plates of animals in his extensive career. Gould gained much of his knowledge by observation and experience and contributed greatly to scientific knowledge at the time. Gould is believed to have done the original sketches for all of the plates. The majority of this work is believed to have been drawn and lithographed by Elizabeth Gould. It was also the first time Gould employed the masterful Edward Lear. "There is no doubt that Edward Lear was the first person to understand the art of lithography, and to use it to its fullest potential. It was a legacy that granted the fabled works of Gould their success, and took them into the forefront of nineteenth-century illustration" (Tree). Of Lear's lithographs: "they are certainly among the most remarkable bird drawings ever made, … it is evident that Lear endowed them with some measure of his own whimsy and intelligence, his energetic curiosity, his self-conscious clumsiness and his unselfconscious charm." (Hyman)
This remarkable ornithology lithograph with hand-finished color is from the esteemed John Gould’s The Birds of Europe. The work was published in London between 1832 and 1837. John Gould created nearly 3000 hand-colored plates of animals in his extensive career. Gould gained much of his knowledge by observation and experience and contributed greatly to scientific knowledge at the time. Gould is believed to have done the original sketches for all of the plates. The majority of this work is believed to have been drawn and lithographed by Elizabeth Gould. It was also the first time Gould employed the masterful Edward Lear. "There is no doubt that Edward Lear was the first person to understand the art of lithography, and to use it to its fullest potential. It was a legacy that granted the fabled works of Gould their success, and took them into the forefront of nineteenth-century illustration" (Tree). Of Lear's lithographs: "they are certainly among the most remarkable bird drawings ever made, … it is evident that Lear endowed them with some measure of his own whimsy and intelligence, his energetic curiosity, his self-conscious clumsiness and his unselfconscious charm." (Hyman)
This remarkable ornithology lithograph with hand-finished color is from the esteemed John Gould’s The Birds of Europe. The work was published in London between 1832 and 1837. John Gould created nearly 3000 hand-colored plates of animals in his extensive career. Gould gained much of his knowledge by observation and experience and contributed greatly to scientific knowledge at the time. Gould is believed to have done the original sketches for all of the plates. The majority of this work is believed to have been drawn and lithographed by Elizabeth Gould. It was also the first time Gould employed the masterful Edward Lear. "There is no doubt that Edward Lear was the first person to understand the art of lithography, and to use it to its fullest potential. It was a legacy that granted the fabled works of Gould their success, and took them into the forefront of nineteenth-century illustration" (Tree). Of Lear's lithographs: "they are certainly among the most remarkable bird drawings ever made, … it is evident that Lear endowed them with some measure of his own whimsy and intelligence, his energetic curiosity, his self-conscious clumsiness and his unselfconscious charm." (Hyman)
This remarkable ornithology lithograph with hand-finished color is from the esteemed John Gould’s The Birds of Europe. The work was published in London between 1832 and 1837. John Gould created nearly 3000 hand-colored plates of animals in his extensive career. Gould gained much of his knowledge by observation and experience and contributed greatly to scientific knowledge at the time. Gould is believed to have done the original sketches for all of the plates. The majority of this work is believed to have been drawn and lithographed by Elizabeth Gould. It was also the first time Gould employed the masterful Edward Lear. "There is no doubt that Edward Lear was the first person to understand the art of lithography, and to use it to its fullest potential. It was a legacy that granted the fabled works of Gould their success, and took them into the forefront of nineteenth-century illustration" (Tree). Of Lear's lithographs: "they are certainly among the most remarkable bird drawings ever made, … it is evident that Lear endowed them with some measure of his own whimsy and intelligence, his energetic curiosity, his self-conscious clumsiness and his unselfconscious charm." (Hyman)
This remarkable ornithology lithograph with hand-finished color is from the esteemed John Gould’s The Birds of Europe. The work was published in London between 1832 and 1837. John Gould created nearly 3000 hand-colored plates of animals in his extensive career. Gould gained much of his knowledge by observation and experience and contributed greatly to scientific knowledge at the time. Gould is believed to have done the original sketches for all of the plates. The majority of this work is believed to have been drawn and lithographed by Elizabeth Gould. It was also the first time Gould employed the masterful Edward Lear. "There is no doubt that Edward Lear was the first person to understand the art of lithography, and to use it to its fullest potential. It was a legacy that granted the fabled works of Gould their success, and took them into the forefront of nineteenth-century illustration" (Tree). Of Lear's lithographs: "they are certainly among the most remarkable bird drawings ever made, … it is evident that Lear endowed them with some measure of his own whimsy and intelligence, his energetic curiosity, his self-conscious clumsiness and his unselfconscious charm." (Hyman)
This remarkable ornithology lithograph with hand-finished color is from the esteemed John Gould’s The Birds of Europe. The work was published in London between 1832 and 1837. John Gould created nearly 3000 hand-colored plates of animals in his extensive career. Gould gained much of his knowledge by observation and experience and contributed greatly to scientific knowledge at the time. Gould is believed to have done the original sketches for all of the plates. The majority of this work is believed to have been drawn and lithographed by Elizabeth Gould. It was also the first time Gould employed the masterful Edward Lear. "There is no doubt that Edward Lear was the first person to understand the art of lithography, and to use it to its fullest potential. It was a legacy that granted the fabled works of Gould their success, and took them into the forefront of nineteenth-century illustration" (Tree). Of Lear's lithographs: "they are certainly among the most remarkable bird drawings ever made, … it is evident that Lear endowed them with some measure of his own whimsy and intelligence, his energetic curiosity, his self-conscious clumsiness and his unselfconscious charm." (Hyman)
This remarkable ornithology lithograph with hand-finished color is from the esteemed John Gould’s The Birds of Europe. The work was published in London between 1832 and 1837. John Gould created nearly 3000 hand-colored plates of animals in his extensive career. Gould gained much of his knowledge by observation and experience and contributed greatly to scientific knowledge at the time. Gould is believed to have done the original sketches for all of the plates. The majority of this work is believed to have been drawn and lithographed by Elizabeth Gould. It was also the first time Gould employed the masterful Edward Lear. "There is no doubt that Edward Lear was the first person to understand the art of lithography, and to use it to its fullest potential. It was a legacy that granted the fabled works of Gould their success, and took them into the forefront of nineteenth-century illustration" (Tree). Of Lear's lithographs: "they are certainly among the most remarkable bird drawings ever made, … it is evident that Lear endowed them with some measure of his own whimsy and intelligence, his energetic curiosity, his self-conscious clumsiness and his unselfconscious charm." (Hyman)
Edward Lear (British, 1812–1888) Amalfi. 6. June. 1844 watercolor on paper Signed with E. (lower right) 13 1/8 x 8 1/8 in. (33.3 x 20.6 cm) This lot is located in Philadelphia.
Edward Lear British, (1812 - 1888) illustrations from the Book of Nonsense, 1862 2 lithographs From the private collection of Bret Waller and Mary Lou Dooley Waller, Indianapolis, Indiana. Biography from the Archives of askART: Edward Lear (12 May 1812 - 29 January 1888) was an English artist, illustrator, author, and poet, renowned today primarily for his literary nonsense, in poetry and prose, and especially his limericks, a form that he popularized. Lear was born into a middle-class family in the village of Holloway, the 21st child of Ann and Jeremiah Lear. He was raised by his eldest sister, also named Ann, 21 years his senior. A nn doted on Lear and continued to mother him until her death, when Lear was almost 50 years of age. Due to the family's failing financial fortune, at age four he and his sister had to leave the family home and set up house together. Lear suffered from health problems. From the age of six he suffered frequent grand mal epileptic seizures, and bronchitis, asthma, and in later life, partial blindness. Lear experienced his first seizure at a fair near Highgate with his father. The event scared and embarrassed him. Lear felt lifelong guilt and shame for his epileptic condition. His adult diaries indicate that he always sensed the onset of a seizure in time to remove himself from public view. How Lear was able to anticipate them is not known, but many people with epilepsy report a ringing in their ears or an "aura" before the onset of a seizure. In Lear's time epilepsy was believed to be associated with demonic possession, which contributed to his feelings of guilt and loneliness. When Lear was about seven, he began to show signs of depression, possibly due to the constant instability of his childhood. He suffered from periods of severe depression which he referred to as "the Morbids." Lear traveled widely throughout his life and eventually settled in Sanremo, on his beloved Mediterranean coast, in the 1870s, at a villa he named "Villa Tennyson." The closest he came to marriage was two proposals, both to the same woman 46 years his junior, which were not accepted. For companions he relied instead on a circle of friends and correspondents, and especially, in later life, on his Suliot chef, Giorgis, a faithful friend and, as Lear complained, a thoroughly unsatisfactory chef. Another trusted companion in Sanremo was his cat, Foss, who died in 1886 and was buried with some ceremony in a garden at Villa Tennyson. After a long decline in his health, Lear died at his villa in 1888, of the heart disease from which he had suffered since at least 1870. Lear's funeral was said to be a sad, lonely affair by the wife of Dr. Hassall, Lear's physician, not one of Lear's many lifelong friends being able to attend. Lear is buried in the Foce Cemetery in Sanremo. On his headstone are inscribed these lines from Tennyson's To E.L. [Edward Lear], On His Travels in Greece: ... all things fair.? With such a pencil, such a pen.? You shadow forth to distant men,? I read and felt that I was there. Edward Lear was known to introduce himself with his long name: "Mr Abebika kratoponoko Prizzikalo Kattefello Ablegorabalus Ableborinto phashyph" or "Chakonoton the Cozovex Dossi Fossi Sini Tomentilla Coronilla Polentilla Battledore & Shuttlecock Derry down Derry Dumps" which he based on Aldiborontiphoskyphorniostikos. Lear was already drawing "for bread and cheese" by the time he was aged 16 and soon developed into a serious "ornithological draughtsman" employed by the Zoological Society and then from 1832-36 by the Earl of Derby, who had a private menagerie. His first publication, published when he was 19, was Illustrations of the Family of Psittacidae, or Parrots in 1830. His paintings were well received and he was favourably compared with John James Audubon. Lear travelled for three years in Italy from 1837, and published two volumes of illustrations, Illustrated Excursions in Italy, the first of many such books. Lear briefly gave drawing lessons to Queen Victoria, who had been pleased by the Excursions and summoned him to Court, leading to some awkward incidents when he failed to observe proper court protocol. Lear then returned to the Mediterranean, wishing to illustrate all points along the coast of that sea. Among other trips, he visited Greece and Egypt in 1848-49, and toured the length of India and Ceylon in 1873-75. While traveling he produced large quantities of coloured wash drawings in a distinctive style, which he worked up back in his studio into oils and watercolours, as well as prints for his books. His landscape style often shows views with strong sunlight, with intense contrasts of colour. Throughout his life he continued to paint seriously. He had a lifelong ambition to illustrate Tennyson's poems; near the end of his life a volume with a small number of illustrations was published, but his vision for the work was never realized. In 1846 Lear published A Book of Nonsense, a volume of limericks that went through three editions and helped popularize the form. In 1865, The History of the Seven Families of the Lake Pipple-Popple was published, and in 1867 his most famous piece of nonsense, The Owl and the Pussycat, which he wrote for the children of his patron Edward Stanley, 13th Earl of Derby. Many other works followed. Lear's nonsense books were quite popular during his lifetime, but a rumor circulated that "Edward Lear" was merely a pseudonym, and the books' true author was the man to whom Lear had dedicated the works, his patron the Earl of Derby. Supporters of this rumor offered as evidence the facts that both men were named Edward, and that "Lear" is an anagram of "Earl". Lear's nonsense works are distinguished by a facility of verbal invention and a poet's delight in the sounds of words, both real and imaginary. A stuffed rhinoceros becomes a "diaphanous doorscraper." A "blue Boss-Woss" plunges into "a perpendicular, spicular, orbicular, quadrangular, circular depth of soft mud". His heroes are Quangle-Wangles, Pobbles, and Jumblies. His most famous piece of verbal invention, a "runcible spoon" occurs in the closing lines of The Owl and the Pussycat, and is now found in many English dictionaries: "They dined on mince, and slices of quince? Which they ate with a runcible spoon;? And hand in hand, on the edge of the sand,? They danced by the light of the moon,? The moon,? The moon,? They danced by the light of the moon." Five of Lear's limericks from The Book of Nonsense, in the 1946 Italian translation by Carlo Izzo, were set to music for choir a cappella by Goffredo Petrassi, in 1952.
Edward Lear (British, 1812–1888) A view from above the village of Ascension, Corfu Coloured lithograph Dimensions: (Frame) 18 in. (H) x 22 in. (W) (Paper) 11 in. (H) x 15.5 in. (W)
LEAR, Edward (British, 1812-1888). Two Peacocks. Watercolor on paper. ca. 1830. 6 3/4" x 9" sheet, 17 3/4" x 15 3/4" framed. Lear was already drawing “for bread and cheese” by the time he was aged sixteen and soon developed into a serious “ornithological draughtsman” employed by the Zoological Society and then from 1832 to 1836 by the Earl of Derby, who kept a private menagerie at his estate, Knowsley Hall. He was the first major bird artist to draw birds from real live birds, instead of skins. Lear’s first publication, published when he was nineteen years old, was Illustrations of the Family of Psittacidae, or Parrots in 1830. One of the greatest ornithological artists of his era, he taught Elizabeth Gould while also contributing to John Gould’s works and was compared favorably with John James Audubon. Unfortunately his eyesight deteriorated too much to work with such precision on fine drawings and lithographic stones, thus he turned to landscape painting and travel.
![Lear (Edward) The Book of Nonsense, second edition, T. McLean, [1855]; and 9 of the same, different editions, and 5 about the author (16)](https://image.invaluable.com/housePhotos/Forum-Auctions/56/788556/H20198-L398289538.jpg)
![Lear (Edward) A Book of Nonsense, eighth edition, [1863]; and others (3)](https://image.invaluable.com/housePhotos/Forum-Auctions/77/787277/H20198-L396307960.jpg)
