Edward Lear: The Life of a Wanderer

by Vivien Noakes

Edward Lear is famous as the author of "A Book of Nonsense" and of the timeless children's songs, "The Owl and the Pussycat" and "The Jumblies". Yet, for this gentle genius, infectious merriment mingled with a deep sadness. Who is the man behind the nonsense? Born the twentieth of twenty-one children, he was rejected by his mother and brought up by his eldest sister. Almost entirely self-taught, at the age of nineteen Lear published "Illustrations of the Family of Psittacidae, or Parrots", one the finest books of ornithological illustration ever produced. Then, at the age of twenty-five, he turned his back on this early success to become a traveller and landscape painter. Largely unrecognized during his lifetime, he is now considered to be one of the finest painters of the Victoria age. Always an outsider, yet at ease with the noblest in the land, Lear was a friend of the Pre-Raphaelites and of Tennyson, and was drawing master to Queen Victoria. Loved by the children whom he entertained with his songs and stories, he was an innovator in both literature and art, bringing the largely oral tradition of Nonsense into the literary fold, and accompanying his verses with powerful but simple drawings that were revolutionary in their day and set the pattern for modern cartoon illustration.

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1968

Reviews

[Adam · Rating 5 out of 5]

I strongly reccommend reading this well-written, well-researched, intelligent biography of a fascinating but tragic man.

Often frustrated, never satisfied, frequently melancholic, deeply unhappy, Edward Lear - writer and visual artist - lead a fascinatingly varied life. He travelled widely over southern Europe and in India, sketching wherever he went. His skill as both a landscape and a zoological/botanical artist was supreme, but he felt unable to draw humans to his satisfaction. Although he was a master in water-colour and sketching, he strove to create great works in oil, a medium which brought him scant success. He felt that others believed that oil was superior to watercolour and pencil etc., and it commanded high selling prices. Yet, today many would kill to own one of his watercolours or even pencil sketches.

As a 'wordsmith', he was unrivalled both in his powers of description and his production of 'nonsense' works. It is the latter by which many remember him. A prolific letter-writer, Lear favoured his visualworks over his literary, which were highly successful and sold well during and after his life.

Lear was a wanderer. His quest to see new places and to keep revisiting old ones was partly due to his fear of loneliness. He never married nor did he have other long-term or even short-term relationships. This was because he had rightly felt rejected by his mother, and ,also, wished to hide the fact that he was epileptic. Although he always feared being alone, he was surrounded by friends, who often helped him by giving him commissions or simply donations of money. His friends included leading figures in 19th century British cultural life, for example the artist Holman Hunt and the poet Alfred Lord Tennyson. He also socialised with aristocrats and high government officials.

This biography has fascinated me and made me want to read more of Lear's writing, especially his marvellous travel journals.

[Hilary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Until I saw some of Lear's beautiful zoological and watercolour paintings at the Ashmolean Museum some years ago, I knew of him only through his nonsense verse and had no idea he was such a hugely talented artist.

This is a really first-class biography of a fascinating subject. Vivien Noakes brings Lear vividly to life through his paintings, nonsense verse, diaries and travel journals. Despite his difficult start in life (he was one of 21 children of whom 13 died!) and his epilepsy, he lived a very full and varied life travelling the world and gathering wonderful friends and acquaintances along the way. He could be difficult but he was always entertaining and clearly well loved by all who knew him.

This has left me wanting more, and I hope to be able to read Jenny Uglow's new biography of Lear.

[Siobhan Royle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emily Tennyson wrote to Lear once saying, "to you is given the precious gift of peopling lives of many not only of this generation but of generations to come with good & beautiful things & thoughts".
Count me among one of those lives he has "peopled". Lear was instantly a soul I could admire, love, and even relate to, and who I now deeply look up to.

I have never fallen in love so quickly and deeply with a historical/literary figure before as I have with Edward Lear.
This biography is so well written by Noakes and Lear's wonderful personality and joy and love of life and connection and nonsense is so powerful.
He is such an interesting guy; so full of sadness and silliness.

Everyone would benefit from reading his biography and his works.

The emotional fools and silly nonsense makers of the world make life worth living.

[Jane Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book came to me as part of my late father's collection. I knew of Edward Lear only as the nonsense poet, without having any idea of his work as a painter and travel writer. And what travels, at a time when travel was slow and difficult! I must admit to shedding a tear when I reached the end of his journey with him.

[Cricket Muse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Known for his comical limericks, Edward Lear was actually an accomplished landscape artist whose tragic life shaped him to find solace in the company of friends and entertaining children with lively verses. Noakes provides an in-depth portrait of a man who masked his pain with mirth.

[Lord Zion · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting, well researched book about a fascinating and unusual man.

[Amanda Witt · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good book, I didn't know much of Lear's life like this at all - that he was trying to become a famous artist/painter or his numerous trips to Italy/Spain and other places.

[Adam Stevenson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A warm and witty biography, that manages to teeter between melancholy and sweet whimsey without falling headlong into either, rather like the man himself then.

I enjoyed this book so much that when I lost it on a bus, I immediately bought another copy.