"Macrocercus Aracanga" by Edward Lear

Macrocercus Aracanga (Red and Yellow Macaw)

Edward Lear (1812-1888)

1832

Hand-coloured lithograph

615 x 463 mm; Support: 530 x 355 mm

Collection of the Guild of St George, Museums Sheffield

Accession Number: CGSG00120

Although Lear is best known now for his landscapes and nonsense verse, there are, as Jenny Uglow says, "other Lears" (5). [Commentary continues below.]

This work is currently on display at the "John Ruskin: The Power of Seeing" exhibition at Two Temple Place, London, 26 January-22 April 2019, which kindly allows selective photography. [Click on the image to enlarge it, and mouse over the text for links.]

Photographs and text by Jacqueline Banerjee.

Related Material

The painting in its frame

Review of the exhibition

Edward Lear first made his name as an animal painter, more specifically, as the illustrator (with folio-sized lithographs like this) of the Family of Psittacidae, or Parrot. According to Uglow, his work was judged "infinitely superior to Audubon" (53). Done from life, and with Lear's touch of humour, they are certainly full of character and have an enduring appeal. Ruskin's St George's Museum had a huge collection of ornithological plates, watercolour drawings etc, including Lear's (see Works, Vol. 30, 242-44).

Bibliography

Ruskin, John. Works of John Ruskin. Vol. 30. Eds. E. T. Cook and Alexander Cook. London: George Allen, 1907. xxi-lxxvi. Internet Archive. Contributed by University of California Libraries. Web. 8 February 2019.

Uglow, Jenny. Mr Lear: a Life of Art and Nonsense. Hbk. London: Faber, 2017. [Review]

Created 8 February 2019