A Blog of Bosh

Edward Lear, Waiee, India

Posted on April 11, 2012 by Marco Graziosi

Edward Lear, Waiee, Bombay Presidency, India.
Pencil and grey wash on paper with watermark ‘J WHATMAN/1881’
15¼ x 22¼in. (39 x 56.5cm.).

Lear travelled in India between 1873 and 1875. He docked at Bombay on 22 November 1873 from where he travelled north to Lucknow to join the Vice-regal party of Lord Northbrook.
This is a preliminary sketch for one of the Tennyson drawings subtitled as above to illustrate the lines from the poem Mariana, ‘…. the day, was sloping towards his western bower.’
Probably dated from late 1884 or early 1885, this work is based on an earlier drawing Lear executed in India – hence the absence of annotations.

Christie’s.

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ARG!’s Edward Lear Cartoons

Posted on March 29, 2012 by Marco Graziosi

Producer-Director Artie Romero, of ARG! Cartoon Animation, has announced on the bicentenary Facebook page that

“Edward Lear’s Nonsense Stories,” our series of short cartoon webisodes for YouTube will premiere on Sunday, April 1st, 2012. Yes, April Fools Day. On that date there will be a very prominent link to this show’s new channel on our animation studio’s website, Artie.com. We are now putting the finishing touches on the first season’s 33 shows. In honor of Mr. Lear’s 200th birthday, there will also be an anthology of the first six shows shown on the fourth season of “Sprockets and Splices,” a showcase of independent film shorts. It’s a nationwide syndicated television program in the U.S. Each “Edward Lear’s Nonsense Stories” will feature one Lear limerick from A Book of Nonsense (1846).

Previews of the cartoons are already available on YouTube, and you can view them from this page.

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More and More Bicentenary Events

Posted on March 21, 2012 by Marco Graziosi

Yesterday afternoon Michael Rosen’s Word of Mouth programme on BBC 4 was devoted to Edward Lear and Nonsense literature in general:

Michael Rosen and guests celebrate nonsense at an event recorded at Radio 4’s More The Words festival in Bristol. Michael’s guests include the children’s writer Philip Ardagh, the actor Paul Nicholson, and nonsense experts Anna Barton and James Williams. With help from an audience of adults and children at Bristol Central Library, Michael will be filling a cauldron with nonsense poems, prose, limericks and tongue twisters, with a few nonsense sounds thrown in to bring out the flavour. And the programme will mark the 200th anniversary of Edward Lear’s birth with discussion of the writer’s life and work.

The programme will be broadcast again on Monday, 26 March, at 23:00, but you can listen to it right now.

William Holman Hunt’s portrait of Edward Lear, 1857.

More exhibitions of Edward Lear’s works have been announced:

National Museums Liverpool hold a number of Edward Lear Watercolours. They are all extremely beautiful and they will be on display starting on the 28th of April at The Walker Art Gallery to celebrate his bicentenary. An extended web feature will also be available.
“How Pleasant to Know Mr Lear” written and presented by Nicholas Parsons.
Nicholas presents a portrait of the nonsensical genius, Edward Lear conveying a rounded picture of the man’s amazing life and unusual personality. A varied selection of his comic and serous verse is performed including The Owl & The Pussycat, The Jumblies, The Pobble, The Quangle Wangle, The Yonghy-Honghy-Bo, Uncle Arly and The Dong with the Luminous Nose.
Knowsley Hall, Liverpool. Cost £75 includes canapés and champagne on arrival 3 course meal and half bottle of wine per person. Places are limited so book early to avoid disappointment. Call our events team on 0151 489 4827 to book your place today.
Nicholas Parsons nominated Edward Lear for BBC Radio 4’s series, “Great Lives.” Here you can still listen to the programme.
The Ashmolean Museum in Oxford are going to put on a display of their Edward Lear Collection to coincide with the date of the conference (21-22 September, Jesus College, Oxford). It will run from 20 September 2012 to 6 January 2013.

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Some New Bicentenary Events

Posted on March 14, 2012 by Marco Graziosi

Having been away from home for some time, I am late to announce this concert, but there will be another on on 23 March:

However, Benjamin Charvner has kindly sent me this version of Cold Are the Crabs for your listening pleasure.

I have also added several events to the list of bicentenary celebrations:

‘How Pleasant to Know Mr Lear!’ Edward Lear, Tennyson Family Friend, Lincoln Central Library. Until 29 May. Free admission. List of works on display.
‘Too vainy and bumptious’? The story of Edward Lear’s Illustrations of Tennyson’s Poetry. The Collection, Lincoln. 14 April ― 30 September.
A celebration of Edward Lear with Roger McGough, Michael Rosen and others at the British Library. 13 May.
To celebrate the Bi-centenary of the birth of Edward Lear, a small selection of his drawings and watercolours from the British Museum collection will be on display in the Prints and Drawings Gallery, Room 90, from 14 May.
Celebration of Edward Lear in Islington, the borough he was born in, with Michael Rosen. 29 May.