Author Archives: Marco Graziosi

The Gook

Posted on July 17, 2014 by Marco Graziosi

Gustave Verbeek‘s Loony Lyrics of Lulu, 17 July – 23 October 1910, presented an adventure of Lulu and her “papa” with a fantastic animal described in the last panel in a limerick composed by Lulu, a real tour de force, as … Continue reading →

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JP Benson’s Woozlebeasts

Posted on July 15, 2014 by Marco Graziosi

A rare example of a coloured Woozlebeasts strip by John Prentiss Benson (11 September 1904). On nonsenselit.org you will find the full run of the newspaper strips, in black and white, as well as the 1905 book published by Moffat, … Continue reading →

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Limericks!

Posted on June 18, 2014 by Marco Graziosi

A quick note on a few studies on the limerick I have read or re-read recently. Scheepers, Christoph, et al. “Listening to Limericks: A Pupillometry Investigation of Perceivers’ Expectancy.” PLoS ONE 8.9 (2013): e74986. The abstract appears to confirm what … Continue reading →

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Tolkien’s Nevbosh Limerick

Posted on June 17, 2014 by Marco Graziosi

From Joan Acocella’s “Slaying Monsters,” in The New Yorker for 2 June 2014, a review of the recently published translation of Beowulf by J.R.R. Tolkien: Tolkien was a serious philologist from the time he was a child. He and his cousin Mary … Continue reading →

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Edward Lear, Philae

Posted on June 16, 2014 by Marco Graziosi

Edward Lear, Philae. Signed with monogram (lower right). Oil on paper laid down on canvas. 13 3/8 x 21 ¼ in. (34 x 54 cm.) Lear visited Philae twice, in late January and early February 1854 and in January 1867. Christie’s.

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Edward Lear, Jerusalem Looking North West (1859)

Posted on June 15, 2014 by Marco Graziosi

Edward Lear, Jerusalem looking North West. Signed with monogram and dated ‘EL /1859’ (lower right) and inscribed ‘Jerusalem looking North West’ (on the stretcher) and with inscription ‘Jerusalem looking North West/Painted by Edward Lear from drawings/made there in 1858 for Lord … Continue reading →

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Edible Clothes Redux

Posted on June 14, 2014 by Marco Graziosi

When I posted two of George Cruikshank’s caricatures which might have inspired Edward Lear in writing “The New Vestments” I forgot to link to this great article on Lear’s poem by Carol Rumens in the Guardian of 30 December 2013: Edward Lear’s The … Continue reading →

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Edward Lear, View of Florence (1861)

Posted on June 14, 2014 by Marco Graziosi

  Edward Lear, View of Florence from Villa Petraja. Signed with monogram and dated ‘EL /1861’ (lower left). Oil on canvas. 18 ½ x 29 ¾ in. (47 x 75.5 cm.) ‘At present I am at work ferociously on the Petraja … Continue reading →

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Edward Lear, Anadoluhisari (1848)

Posted on June 13, 2014 by Marco Graziosi

Edward Lear, Anadoluhisari, Istanbul, on the Bosphorus. Inscribed and dated ‘Bosphorus./1. Sept. 1848′ (lower left) and again in pencil (lower right) and numbered ’17’ (lower right) and further inscribed with colour notes. Pencil, pen and brown ink and brown wash … Continue reading →

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An Early Botanical Study by Edward Lear

Posted on June 10, 2014 by Marco Graziosi

Edward Lear, An early botanical study. Signed and dated “June 1828.” To be auctioned at Bonham’s.

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