Mr Lear

We know Edward Lear as a genius of nonsense, full of shocks and surprises, and as a poet of strange loves – ‘The Owl and the Pussy Cat’, ‘The Dong with a Luminous Nose’. We may know him, too, for his superb paintings of birds and animals – he is still regarded as one of the finest natural history painters – or for his luminous landscapes. But do we know that he taught Queen Victoria to draw, travelled alone across the wild Albanian mountains, or waded through muddy fields with Tennyson?

Lear lived all his life on the borders of rules and structures, of disciplines and desire. Children adored him and adults loved him, yet somehow he was always alone. This beautifully illustrated volume, a fresh, joyful and moving appreciation, follows Lear from his troubled childhood to his striving as an artist, tracking his swooping moods, passionate friendships and restless travels. And as we travel with him, his ‘nonsenses’ are elegantly unpicked – without losing any of their fun – and his complex poetic genius is revealed.