1860 – 1900 Illustration’s Beginnings

Edward Lear was best known for his landscape, bird and other animal illustrations as well as his “nonsensical” limerick poems. Being the youngest of 21 children in the family, Lear was raised by his elder sister, Anne, and earned a living by drawing bird illustrations at the age of 15. With his mastery in “ornithological draughtsman”, he subsequently worked for the British Museum and published a collection of his drawings of parrots called Illustrations of the Family of Psittacidae, or Parrots. Later in 1835, he also developed an interest in watercolor landscape paintings.

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The Family of Psittacidae, or Parrots

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The Family of Psittacidae, or Parrots

Howatke, by Edward Lear, 1867

The falls of the Kalama, Albania, 1851

In comparison to the meticulous and fine lineworks of his early illustrations, the overall style of his caricature illustrations for his poem collection, A Book of Nonsense, is relatively more simplistic and spontaneous. For instance, the characters on these pages are outlined with continuous and thick strokes. Many of the characters’ postures are exaggerated as well to create a whimsical and childish effect.

A Book of Nonsense

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A Book of Nonsense

It is really interesting to see the diversity of Edward Lear’s illustration styles. As Lear continued to travel around the world, he became a constant learner who developed a passion in different fields including visual art, literature and music. His art style also shifted according to his lifestyle and environment.

References:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Lear

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Edward-Lear

https://www.illustrationhistory.org/artists/edward-lear