Lot #12: Pair Hand-colored Edward Lear Engravings

Edward Lear, 1804-1888, is best known for his children's and nonsense poems, including "The Owl and the Pussycat," and his likewise silly limericks. He was also a self-taught naturalist and artist, and at an early age was selling illustrations for use in natural history books. (Unlike Audubon, Lear drew from life, and spared his subjects!) This talent brought him to the attention of the Earl of Derby, who provided him with residency and funding for some years, and launched his career by introducing him to the world of monied British peers. Lear was the 20th of 21 children, whose parents had a rocky financial existence at times, and suffered from respiratory issues as well as epilepsy, none of which put a damper on his rise. When his poor eyesight made it increasingly difficult to complete his detailed nature drawings, the Earl provided funds and introductions for a move to Italy, where Lear became a landscape painter and began to write his poems. This pair of hand-colored engravings date to 1843, and show a Blue-banded Nondes and a Kuhl's Coriphilus, both engraved after Lear's original by William H. Lizars. Somewhat unusually, Lizars engraved these plates on steel rather than copper, and the harder medium allowed for a finer line. They were hand-colored before publication, and here present a lovely pair in double cream mattes, framed under glass in gilt faux bamboo. Excellent condition. Dimensions: 19.5"W X 22"H Pickup category timeslot {A}