Sir Edwin Henry Landseer (7 March 1802 – 1 October 1873) was an English painter and sculptor, well known for his paintings of animals – particularly horses, dogs, and stags. However, his best-known works are the lion sculptures at the base of

Nelson's Column Nelson's Column is a monument in Trafalgar Square in the City of Westminster, Central London, built to commemorate Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson's decisive victory at the Battle of Trafalgar over the combined French and Spanish navies, during whic ...

Trafalgar Square Trafalgar Square ( ) is a public square in the City of Westminster, Central London, laid out in the early 19th century around the area formerly known as Charing Cross. At its centre is a high column bearing a statue of Admiral Nelson commemo ...

Life

Landseer was born in London, the son of the engraver

John Landseer John Landseer (1762/3? – 20 February 1852) was an English landscape engraver. Birth Landseer was born in Lincoln in 1769, according to Cosmo Monkhouse, or in London in 1761, according to his son Edwin's biographer, F.G. Stephens. Howev ...

A.R.A. and Jane Potts. He was something of a

prodigy Prodigy, Prodigies or The Prodigy may refer to: * Child prodigy, a child who produces meaningful output to the level of an adult expert performer ** Chess prodigy, a child who can beat experienced adult players at chess Arts, entertainment, and ...

whose artistic talents were recognised early on. He studied under several artists, including his father, and the

history painter History painting is a genre in painting defined by its subject matter rather than any artistic style or specific period. History paintings depict a moment in a narrative story, most often (but not exclusively) Greek and Roman mythology and Bible ...

Benjamin Robert Haydon Benjamin Robert Haydon (; 26 January 178622 June 1846) was a British painter who specialised in grand historical pictures, although he also painted a few contemporary subjects and portraits. His commercial success was damaged by his often tactles ...

, who encouraged the young Landseer to perform

dissection Dissection (from Latin ' "to cut to pieces"; also called anatomization) is the dismembering of the body of a deceased animal or plant to study its anatomical structure. Autopsy is used in pathology and forensic medicine to determine the cause o ...

s in order to fully understand animal musculature and skeletal structure. Landseer's life was entwined with the

Royal Academy The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly in London. Founded in 1768, it has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. Its pur ...

. At the age of just 13, in 1815, he exhibited works there as an “Honorary Exhibitor”. He was elected an Associate at the minimum age of 24, and an Academician five years later in 1831. He was an acquaintance of

Charles Robert Leslie Charles Robert Leslie (19 October 1794 – 5 May 1859) was an English genre painter. Biography Leslie was born in London to American parents. When he was five years of age he returned with them to the United States, where they settled in Philad ...

, who described him as "a curly-headed youngster, dividing his time between Polito's wild beasts at Exeter Chanqe and the Royal Academy Schools." They also visited Scotland together in 1824, which had a great effect upon Landseer. In 1823 Landseer was commissioned to paint a portrait of

Georgiana Russell, Duchess of Bedford Georgiana Russell, Duchess of Bedford (18 July 1781 – 24 February 1853), formerly Lady Georgiana Gordon, was a British aristocrat, patron of the arts and wife of John Russell, 6th Duke of Bedford. Georgiana was born at Gordon Castle in Sco ...

. Despite her being twenty years older than he was, they began an affair. He was knighted in 1850, and although elected to be president of the Royal Academy in 1866 he declined the invitation. In his late thirties Landseer suffered what is now believed to be a substantial nervous breakdown, and for the rest of his life was troubled by recurring bouts of melancholy, hypochondria, and depression, often aggravated by alcohol and drug use. In the last few years of his life Landseer's mental stability was problematic, and at the request of his family he was declared insane in July 1872.

Painting

Landseer was a notable figure in 19th-century

British art The Art of the United Kingdom refers to all forms of visual art in or associated with the United Kingdom since the formation of the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707 and encompasses English art, Scottish art, Welsh art and Irish art, and forms ...

, and his works can be found in

Tate Britain Tate Britain, known from 1897 to 1932 as the National Gallery of British Art and from 1932 to 2000 as the Tate Gallery, is an art museum on Millbank in the City of Westminster in London, England. It is part of the Tate network of galleries in ...

, the

Victoria and Albert Museum The Victoria and Albert Museum (often abbreviated as the V&A) in London is the world's largest museum of applied arts, decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 2.27 million objects. It was founded in 1852 and nam ...

Kenwood House Kenwood House (also known as the Iveagh Bequest) is a former stately home in Hampstead, London, on the northern boundary of Hampstead Heath. The house was originally constructed in the 17th century and served as a residence for the Earls of Mans ...

and the

Wallace Collection The Wallace Collection is a museum in London occupying Hertford House in Manchester Square, the former townhouse of the Seymour family, Marquesses of Hertford. It is named after Sir Richard Wallace, who built the extensive collection, along w ...

in London. He also collaborated with fellow painter

Frederick Richard Lee Frederick Richard Lee (10 June 1798 in Barnstaple, Devon – 5 June 1879 in Vleesch Bank, South Africa) was an English artist. Life 1862 painting of the Rock of Gibraltar with Windmill Hill Barracks in view Lee was the son of Thomas Lee o ...

. Landseer's popularity in

Victorian Britain In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the period of Queen Victoria's reign, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. The era followed the Georgian period and preceded the Edwardia ...

was considerable, and his reputation as an animal painter was unrivalled. Much of his fame – and his income – was generated by the publication of engravings of his work, many of them by his brother

Thomas Thomas may refer to: People * List of people with given name Thomas * Thomas (name) * Thomas (surname) * Saint Thomas (disambiguation) * Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, and Doctor of the Church * Thomas the Ap ...

Portrait of an Arab Mare with her Foal by Sir Edwin Henry Landseer

Edwin Landseer - Alpine Mastiffs Reanimating a Distressed Traveler

One of his earliest paintings is credited as the origin of the myth that St. Bernard rescue dogs in the

Alps The Alps () ; german: Alpen ; it, Alpi ; rm, Alps ; sl, Alpe . are the highest and most extensive mountain range system that lies entirely in Europe, stretching approximately across seven Alpine countries (from west to east): France, Sw ...

carry a small casket of

brandy Brandy is a liquor produced by distilling wine. Brandy generally contains 35–60% alcohol by volume (70–120 US proof) and is typically consumed as an after-dinner digestif. Some brandies are aged in wooden casks. Others are coloured with ...

on their collars. ''Alpine Mastiffs Reanimating a Distressed Traveller'' (1820) shows two of the dogs standing over a man who is partially buried in snow. One is barking to attract attention while the other, who is depicted with the miniature barrel, attempts to revive the man by licking his hand. His appeal crossed class boundaries: reproductions of his works were common in middle-class homes, while he was also popular with the aristocracy. Queen Victoria commissioned numerous pictures from the artist. Initially asked to paint various royal pets, he then moved on to portraits of

ghillie ''Gillie'' or ''ghillie'' is an ancient Scottish Gaelic, Gaelic term for a person who acts as a servant or attendant on a fishing, hunting, deer stalking or falconry, hawking expedition, primarily in the Scottish Highlands or on a river such as ...

s and

gamekeeper A gamekeeper (often abbreviated to keeper), or in case of those dealing with deer (deer-)stalker, is a person who manages an area of countryside (e.g. areas of woodland, moorland, waterway or farmland) to make sure there is enough game for shoo ...

s. Then, in the year before her marriage, the queen commissioned a portrait of herself, as a present for Prince Albert. He taught both Victoria and Albert to etch, and made portraits of Victoria's children as babies, usually in the company of a dog. He also made two portraits of Victoria and Albert dressed for costume balls, at which he was a guest himself. One of his last paintings was a life-size

equestrian portrait An equestrian portrait is a portrait that shows the subject on horseback. Equestrian portraits suggest a high-status sitter, who in many cases was a monarch or other member of the nobility, and the portraits can also carry a suggestion of chivalry ...

of the Queen, shown at the Royal Academy in 1873, made from earlier sketches. The Monarch of the Glen, Edwin Landseer, 1851

Landseer was particularly associated with Scotland, which he had first visited in 1824 and the

Highlands Highland is a broad term for areas of higher elevation, such as a mountain range or mountainous plateau. Highland, Highlands, or The Highlands, may also refer to: Places Albania * Dukagjin Highlands Armenia * Armenian Highlands Australia *Sou ...

in particular, which provided the subjects (both human and animal) for many of his important paintings. The paintings included his early successes ''The Hunting of Chevy Chase ''(1825–26), ''An Illicit Whisky Still in the Highlands'' (1826–1829) and his more mature achievements, such as the majestic stag study '' The Monarch of the Glen'' (1851) and ''Rent Day in the Wilderness'' (1855–1868). In 1828, he was commissioned to produce illustrations for the Waverley Edition of Sir

Walter Scott Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832), was a Scottish novelist, poet, playwright and historian. Many of his works remain classics of European and Scottish literature, notably the novels ''Ivanhoe'', ''Rob Roy (n ...

's novels. So popular and influential were Landseer's paintings of dogs in the service of humanity that the name

Landseer Sir Edwin Henry Landseer (7 March 1802 – 1 October 1873) was an English painter and sculptor, well known for his paintings of animals – particularly horses, dogs, and stags. However, his best-known works are the lion sculptures at the bas ...

came to be the official name for the variety of

Newfoundland dog The Newfoundland is a large working dog. They can be black, brown, or black and white. However, in the Dominion of Newfoundland, before it became part of the confederation of Canada, only black and Landseer (white-and-black) coloured dogs were ...

that, rather than being black or mostly black, features a mixture of both black and white. It was this variety Landseer popularised in his paintings celebrating Newfoundlands as water rescue dogs, most notably ''Off to the Rescue'' (1827), ''A Distinguished Member of the Humane Society'' (1838), and ''Saved'' (1856). The paintings combine the Victorian conception of childhood with the appealing idea of noble animals devoted to humankind, a devotion indicated, in ''Saved,'' by the fact the dog has rescued the child without any apparent human involvement. Landseer's painting '' Laying Down The Law'' (1840) satirises the legal profession through

anthropomorphism Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human traits, emotions, or intentions to non-human entities. It is considered to be an innate tendency of human psychology. Personification is the related attribution of human form and characteristics t ...

. It shows a group of dogs, with a

poodle , nickname = , stock = , country = Germany or France (see history) , height = , maleheight = , femaleheight = , weight = , maleweight = , femaleweight = , coat ...

symbolising the

Lord Chancellor The lord chancellor, formally the lord high chancellor of Great Britain, is the highest-ranking traditional minister among the Great Officers of State in Scotland and England in the United Kingdom, nominally outranking the prime minister. The ...

. ''The Shrew Tamed'' was entered at the 1861 Royal Academy Exhibition and caused controversy because of its subject matter. It showed a powerful horse on its knees among straw in a stable, while a lovely young woman lies with her head pillowed on its flanks, lightly touching its head with her hand. The catalogue explained it as a portrait of a noted equestrienne, Ann Gilbert, applying the taming techniques of the famous 'horse whisperer'

John Solomon Rarey John Solomon Rarey (1827–1866) was a nineteenth-century horse whisperer, an important figure in the rehabilitation of abused and vicious horses during the 1850s. Originally from Groveport, Ohio, Rarey trained his first horse at the age of twelve. ...

. Critics were troubled by the depiction of a languorous woman dominating a powerful animal and some concluded Landseer was implying the famous courtesan

Catherine Walters Catherine Walters (13 June 1839 – 5 August 1920), also known as "Skittles", was a fashion trendsetter and one of the last of the great courtesans of Victorian London. Walters' benefactors are rumoured to have included intellectuals, lead ...

, then at the height of her fame. Walters was an excellent horsewoman and along with other "pretty horsebreakers", frequently appeared riding in Hyde Park. Some of Landseer's later works, such as his ''Flood in the Highlands'' and ''

Man Proposes, God Disposes ''Man Proposes, God Disposes'' is an 1864 oil-on-canvas painting by Edwin Landseer. The work was inspired by the search for Franklin's lost expedition which disappeared in the Arctic after 1845. The painting is in the collection of Royal Hollo ...

'' (both of 1864) are pessimistic in tone. The latter shows two

polar bears The polar bear (''Ursus maritimus'') is a hypercarnivorous bear whose native range lies largely within the Arctic Circle, encompassing the Arctic Ocean, its surrounding seas and surrounding land masses. It is the largest extant bear species ...

toying with the bones of the dead and other remains, from Sir

John Franklin Sir John Franklin (16 April 1786 – 11 June 1847) was a British Royal Navy officer and Arctic explorer. After serving in wars against Napoleonic France and the United States, he led two expeditions into the Canadian Arctic and through ...

's failed Arctic expedition. The painting was purchased at auction by

Thomas Holloway : Thomas Holloway (22 September 180026 December 1883) was an English patent medicine vendor and philanthropist. Early life Holloway was born in Devonport, Plymouth, Devon, the eldest son of Thomas and Mary Holloway (née Chellew), who at the ...

and hangs in the picture gallery of

Royal Holloway, University of London Royal Holloway, University of London (RHUL), formally incorporated as Royal Holloway and Bedford New College, is a public research university and a constituent college of the federal University of London. It has six schools, 21 academic departm ...

. It is a college tradition to cover the painting with a

union jack The Union Jack, or Union Flag, is the ''de facto'' national flag of the United Kingdom. Although no law has been passed making the Union Flag the official national flag of the United Kingdom, it has effectively become such through precedent. ...

, when exams are held in the gallery, as there is a longstanding rumour that the painting drives people mad when they sit near it. In 1862 Landseer painted a portrait of

Louisa Caroline Stewart-Mackenzie Louisa Caroline Baring, Lady Ashburton (; 5 March 1827 – 2 February 1903), was a Scottish art collector and philanthropist who had close connections with several artistic and literary figures of the period. Early life Louisa Caroline Stewart ...

holding her daughter Maysie.

Sculpture

Landseer Edwin-Old Shepherds Chief Mourner 1837

In 1858 the government commissioned Landseer to make four bronze lions for the base of

in Trafalgar Square, following the rejection of a set in stone by Thomas Milnes. Landseer accepted on condition that he would not have to start work for another nine months, and there was a further delay when he asked to be supplied with copies of casts of a real lion he knew were in the possession of the academy at Turin. The request proved complex, and the casts did not arrive until the summer of 1860. The lions were made at the Kensington studio of

Carlo Marochetti Baron Pietro Carlo Giovanni Battista Marochetti (14 January 1805 – 29 December 1867) was an Italian-born French sculptor who worked in France, Italy and Britain. He completed many public sculptures, often in a neo-classical style, plus re ...

, who also cast them. Work was slowed by Landseer's ill health, and his fractious relationship with Marochetti. The sculptures were installed in 1867.

Death

Landseer's death on 1 October 1873 was widely marked in England: shops and houses lowered their blinds, flags flew at half mast, his bronze lions at the base of

Nelson's column Nelson's Column is a monument in Trafalgar Square in the City of Westminster, Central London, built to commemorate Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson's decisive victory at the Battle of Trafalgar over the combined French and Spanish navies, during whic ...

were hung with wreaths, and large crowds lined the streets to watch his funeral cortege pass. Landseer was buried in

St Paul's Cathedral St Paul's Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral in London and is the seat of the Bishop of London. The cathedral serves as the mother church of the Diocese of London. It is on Ludgate Hill at the highest point of the City of London and is a Grad ...

, London. At his death, Landseer left behind three unfinished paintings: ''Finding the Otter'', ''Nell Gwynne'', and ''The Dead Buck'', all on easels in his studio. It was his dying wish that his friend

John Everett Millais Sir John Everett Millais, 1st Baronet, ( , ; 8 June 1829 – 13 August 1896) was an English painter and illustrator who was one of the founders of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. He was a child prodigy who, aged eleven, became the youngest ...

should complete the paintings, and this he did.J

Miscellaneous

Landseer was rumoured to be able to paint with both hands at the same time, for example, paint a horse's head with the right and its tail with the left, simultaneously. He was also known to be able to paint extremely quickly—when the mood struck him. He could also procrastinate, sometimes for years, over certain commissions. The architect

Sir Edwin Landseer Lutyens Sir Edwin Landseer Lutyens ( ; 29 March 1869 – 1 January 1944) was an English architect known for imaginatively adapting traditional architectural styles to the requirements of his era. He designed many English country houses, war memoria ...

was named after him and was his godson—Lutyens' father was a friend of Landseer.

Gallery

File:Edwin Landseer - Scene from A Midsummer Night's Dream. Titania and Bottom - Google Art Project.jpg, ''

Scene from A Midsummer Night's Dream ''Scene from A Midsummer Night's Dream. Titania and Bottom'' is an 1851 oil-on-canvas painting by British artist Edwin Landseer. Landseer was mainly known for his paintings of animals: this is his only painting of a fairy scene. The painting ...

'', c. 1850 File:Landseer, Edwin Henry (Sir, RA) - Lion- A Newfoundland Dog - Google Art Project.jpg, ''Lion: A Newfoundland Dog'', 1824 File:Sir Edwin Henry Landseer - Favourites, the Property of H.R.H. Prince George of Cambridge - Google Art Project.jpg, ''Favourites, the Property of H.R.H. Prince George of Cambridge'', 1834 to 1835 File:Edwin Landseer - The Arab Tent - WGA12440.jpg, ''The Arab Tent'', 1866 File:A Distinguished Member of the Humane Society by Sir Edwin Landseer.jpg, ''

A Distinguished Member of the Humane Society ''A Distinguished Member of the Humane Society'' is an 1831 oil on canvas work by English painter Sir Edwin Henry Landseer depicting a Newfoundland dog. The original was damaged in a flood whilst on loan to the Tate Gallery in 1928, and was retu ...

'', exhibited 1838 File:Edwin Landseer- The Monkey Who Had Seen the World.JPG, ''The Monkey Who Had Seen the World'', 1827 File:Landseer Saved.jpg, ''Saved'', 1856 File:Eos, A Favorite Greyhound of Prince Albert.jpg, ''A Favourite Greyhound of Prince Albert'', 1841 File:Windsor Castle in Modern Times. 1841-1845.jpg, ''Windsor Castle in Modern Times'', Queen Victoria and her family, c. 1842 File:Edwin Landseer - Attachment.jpg, ''Attachment'', 1829 File:Edwin Landseer - Queen Victoria and Prince Albert at the Bal Costumé of 12 May 1842 - WGA12439.jpg, ''Queen Victoria and Prince Albert at the Bal Costumé of 12 May 1842'' File:Edwin Landseer. Falcon.JPG, ''Falcon'', 1837 File:Edwin Landseer- The Wild Cattle of Chillingham.JPG, ''The Wild Cattle of Chillingham'', 1867 File:Landseer.doutful.crumbs.jpg, ''

Doubtful Crumbs ''Doubtful Crumbs'' is an 1858-1859 oil on canvas painting of a St. Bernard (dog), St. Bernard or mastiff and a street dog, by Edwin Landseer, now in the Wallace Collection, in London. Until at least 1902 it was also known as ''Looking for the C ...

'', 1858 File:Flood in the Highlands by Sir Edwin Landseer - Sir Edwin Landseer - ABDAG002312.jpg, ''Flood in the Highlands'',

Aberdeen Art Gallery Aberdeen Art Gallery is the main visual arts exhibition space in the city of Aberdeen, Scotland. It was founded in 1884 in a building designed by Alexander Marshall Mackenzie, with a sculpture court added in 1905. In 1900, it received the art ...

File:Rachel Russell (1826-1898) by Edwin Henry Landseer (1802-1873).jpg, ''Rachel Russell'', 1835 File:Sir Edwin Henry Landseer - A Highland Landscape - Google Art Project.jpg, ''A Highland Landscape'', c. 1830 File:Edwin Landseer- A Highland Breakfast.JPG, ''A Highland Breakfast'', 1834 File:Manproposesgoddisposes.jpg, ''

'', 1864 File:Edwin Henry Landseer's Alexander and Diogenes.jpg, alt=, Alexander and Diogenes, exhibited 1848

Notes

References

* * *

External links

Landseer Gallery at MuseumSyndicate

The Royal Collection
��Landseer works belonging to the British Royal Family.
Google Art Project
��Landseer works on Google Art Project. * * * * * , engraved by

Charles Heath Charles Theodosius Heath (1 March 1785 – 18 November 1848) was a British engraver, currency and stamp printer, book publisher and illustrator. Life and career He was the illegitimate son of James Heath, a successful engraver who enjoyed ...

for The Keepsake annual for 1829 with ''Verses'' by

Letitia Elizabeth Landon Letitia Elizabeth Landon (14 August 1802 – 15 October 1838) was an English poet and novelist, better known by her initials L.E.L. The writings of Landon are transitional between Romanticism and the Victorian Age. Her first major breakthrough ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Landseer, Edwin Henry 1802 births 1873 deaths 19th-century English painters English male painters Burials at St Paul's Cathedral Dog artists People with mental disorders Royal Academicians Recipients of the Pour le Mérite (civil class) 19th-century English male artists