Who was Edward Lear?
Nonsense Verse Writer and Landscape Painter.
Date and Place of Birth:
12th May 1812, Highgate, London, England.
Family Background:
Youngest of twenty-one children of Jeremiah Lear
a Stockbroker and his wife Ann. Brought up by his eldest sister
Ann.
Education:
From his sisters Ann and Sarah who taught him
to draw.
Chronology/Biography of Edward Lear:
1816: His father
became a defaulter with the Stock Exchange and the impecunious family
had to abandon their fashionable way of life. Lear was brought up
by his sister Ann, then 21 years old and his mother has nothing
more to do with him.
1826: He begins
to earn his living as an artist whilst still living with his sister.
1830: (June) Starts
work on "Illustrations of the Family Psittacidae or Parrots".
(November) He quickly gains a reputation as an ornithological artist
when the first two volumes of the Parrots are published. Becomes
an Associate of the Linnean Society.
1831: Begins a collaboration
with John Gould on the "Birds of Europe". Visits Amsterdam,
Berne and Berlin with Gould.
1832: (July) Starts
drawing the animals at Knowsley Hall for Lord Stanley.
1835: Goes to Ireland
with the Bishop of Norwich and his son Arthur Penryn Stanley and
becomes interested in landscape painting.
1836: Goes on a
walking tour of the Lake District. His eyesight begins to get worse.
1837: Visits Belgium,
Germany and Switzerland on his way to Rome.
1838: Travels to
Southern Italy and begins painting in oils.
1839: Walking tour
in Central Italy.
1841: Returns to
England. (September) Publishes "Views in Rome and Its Environs."
(December) Returns to Rome.
1842: Visits Sicily.
1845: (May) Returns
to England.
1846: Publishes
"Illustrated Excursions in Italy". " Publishes The
first edition of "A Book of Nonsense" under the pseudonym
Derry Down Derry. Publishes "Gleanings from the Menagerie and
Aviary at Knowsley Hall. Gives drawing lessons to Queen Victoria
and then returns to Rome.
1847: Visits Sicily
and Calabria and witnesses the revolution.
1848: (April) Because
of the political state in Italy he leaves Rome and Moves on to Corfu,
Athens, Marathon and Thebes where he becomes ill. (December) Moves
to Malta.
1849: Travels to
Cairo and Sinai then returns to Malta.(July) Returns to England
and prepares for the entrance examination to The Royal Academy Schools.
1850: Taken on as
a student at the Royal Academy.
1851: Publishes
"Journals of a Landscape Painter in Albania". Meets Alfred
and Emily Tennyson.
1852: Introduced
to William Holman Hunt who teaches him painting. Goes to live with
Hunt at Hastings and meets other members of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood.
Publishes "Journals of a Landscape Painter in Southern Calabria.
1853: (December)
The damp English weather is bad for his health and he leaves for
Egypt.
1854: Travels up
the Nile and then returns to England.
1855: Publishes
the second edition of "A Book of Nonsense". Goes to Corfu
but becomes lonely and depressed, a condition which he suffered
from throughout his life.
1856: Travels to
Albania and Greece.
1857: Returns to
England for the summer and Corfu for the winter.
1858: Travels to
Bethlehem, Jerusalem and the Dead Sea. Winters in Rome.
1859: (May) Returns
to England. (December) Returns to Rome.
1860: Returns to
England and works on his major oil painting "The Cedars of
Lebanon".
1861: (11th March)
Death of his sister Ann. Visits Florence and then winters in Corfu.
Publication of the third edition of "A Book of Nonsense".
1862: (March) "The
Cedars of Lebanon exhibited at the Great Exhibition but is not well
received. Returns to Corfu.
1863: Publishes
"Seven Ionian Islands".
1864: Leaves Corfu
for Athens when the island is ceded to the Greeks. Summer in London.
Winter in southern France.
1865: Writes his
first full length nonsense story "The History of the Seven
Families of the Lake Pipple Popple". Returns to England but
then moves on to Venice as he is commissioned to do painting by
Lady Waldegrave. Winters in Malta.
1866: Returns to
England. (November) Thinks about proposing marriage to Gussie Bethell.
Travels to Egypt and Jerusalem. Returns to England. Winter in Cannes.
Writes the "Owl and the Pussycat" song.
1868: Travels to
Corsica then returns to England. Winters in Cannes.
1869: Publishes
"Journal of a Landscape Painter in Corsica".
1870: Buys land
in San Remo and decides to settle down. (December) Finishes "Nonsense
Songs and Stories", "Botany and Alphabets".
1871: Moves into
Villa Emily. (December) Finishes "More Nonsense".
1872: Spends summer
in England. Travels towards India but turns back at Suez.
1873: Travels to
India again and visits Bombay.
1875: Leaves India
and Ceylon. Spends summer in England.
1876: Publishes
final nonsense book "Laughable Lyrics"
1877: Brief visit
to Corfu to see his friend who is ill.
1878: Summer in
Switzerland.
1880: Buys new land
for building. (February) Last visit to England. (September) Returns
to Monte Generoso, Italy.
1881: Summer in
Monte Generoso at the Villa Tennyson.
1884: Sells the
Villa Emily
1885: Spends summer
in Brianza.
1886: Completes
payment for the Villa Tennyson building work.
1887: Abandons his
long held plan to illustrate Tennyson's
work.
Ironically he wished to be known for his landscape
painting but is more often known as the "Father of English
Nonsense".
Written Works:
- 1841: "Views
in Rome and Its Environs"
- 1846: "Illustrated
Excursions in Italy". "A Book of Nonsense" (under
the pseudonym Derry Down Derry). "Gleanings from the Menagerie
and Aviary at Knowsley Hall.
- 1851: "Journals
of a Landscape Painter in Albania".
- 1863: "Seven
Ionian Islands".
- 1865: "The
History of the Seven Families of the Lake Pipple Popple".
- 1866: "Owl
and the Pussycat"
- 1869: "Journal
of a Landscape Painter in Corsica".
- 1871:
"Nonsense Songs and Stories".
- 1872:
"More Nonsense Songs".
- 1876: "Laughable
Lyrics"
- (1889):
"Nonsense Drolleries".
- (1900):
"The Jumblies".
Marriage:
Never Married though contemplated proposal to
Gussie Bethell.
Places of Interest:
LONDON:
British Library.
Date and Place of Death:
29th January 1888, San Remo, Italy.
Age at Death:
75.
Site of Grave:
San Remo, Liguria, Italy.
