British artist and writer of nonsense verse (1812-1888).
(1812-1888) English artist and humorist. His Book of Nonsense 1846 popularized the limerick (a five-line humorous verse). He first attracted attention by his paintings of birds, and later turned to landscapes. He traveled to Italy, Greece, Egypt, and India, publishing books on his travels with his own illustrations, and spent most of his later life in Italy.
Born in Holloway, London of Danish descent, Lear was the 20th of 21 children and was brought up by an elder sister. His father was declared bankrupt when he was 4, he had only 5 years of schooling, and he was both epileptic and asthmatic. As a young man he was for a time art master to Queen Victoria. He made ornithological drawings 1832–36 as draftsman for the zoologist John Gould, and later exhibited at the Royal Academy.
His Book of Nonsense was produced for the grandchildren of his patron, the Earl of Derby. It was this book in particular which gained him fame. His other works are Journal of a Landscape Painter in Albania 1851, Journal of a Landscape Painter in Southern Calabria 1852, In Corsica 1870, More Nonsense Rhymes 1872, and Laughable Lyrics 1877.