Edward Lear (1812-1888) is best known for his humorous drawings and nonsense verses, but is now also widely appreciated as one of the finest draughtsmen of the 19th century. He began his career drawing birds and animals for John Gould. In 1837, he left England for the first of his many travels abroad: to Italy, Greece, Turkey, Palestine and Egypt. During these travels he made thousands of landscape sketches which served as the basis for the watercolours that he later finished in his studio. The Ashmolean's collection ...
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Edward Lear (1812-1888) is best known for his humorous drawings and nonsense verses, but is now also widely appreciated as one of the finest draughtsmen of the 19th century. He began his career drawing birds and animals for John Gould. In 1837, he left England for the first of his many travels abroad: to Italy, Greece, Turkey, Palestine and Egypt. During these travels he made thousands of landscape sketches which served as the basis for the watercolours that he later finished in his studio. The Ashmolean's collection consists mainly of "topographical" drawings and watercolours of sites in Greece and the Near East, some of which - including views of Constantinople, Athens and Mount Athos - are illustrated in colour in this volume, which also includes some "nonsense" drawings on loan from other collections within Oxford.
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