Sir Edwin Landseer, R.A. (1802 – 1873): a group of drawings formerly in the collection of the artist, Frederick Richard Lee, R.A. and a self portrait of the artist.
The group of previously unrecorded drawings and a letter were all, apart from the self- portrait, once in the collection of the artist, Frederick Richard Lee, R.A. (1798-1879). The self-portrait executed in 1829, when the artist was aged just 27, is being offered to the market for the first time in nearly fifty years.
Landseer and Lee were friends and occasional collaborators for much of their adult life, sharing the same interests, friends, and patrons. The two men worked together on at least half a dozen collaborative works, with Lee producing the landscapes and Landseer the animals and figures; two of these, The Cover and Bringing in a Stag, are in the Tate Gallery, London.
Both artists were keen sportsmen, particularly fishing and shooting and as a result were often at the same country houses at the same time. They had several patrons in common, in particular, William Wells and the Duke of Bedford, amongst others.
Lee was highly regarded in his lifetime, establishing a hugely successful career as a landscape painter. He enrolled as a student at the Royal Academy schools in 1818, was elected A.R.A. in 1834 and R.A. four years later. He exhibited regularly at the Royal Academy and the British Institution, until he retired from the Royal Academy in 1871, preferring to spend his last few years indulging his great passion, sailing. His success as an artist, enabled him to buy a yacht, which he sailed as far as the West Indies, South Africa, and Mauritius and even to Australia and Tasmania at the age of 74.
The peak of Lee’s career lasted from the early 1830s to the end of the 1850s and his landscapes found favour with both wealthy industrialists and the aristocracy. Such was his popularity that Constable, with whom he was frequently compared, was widely reported as being jealous of the younger man’s abilities. William Wells (1768–1847), shipbuilder, art collector, patron, trustee of the National Gallery, director of the British Institution and friend to Landseer and Lee, apparently remarked once, when Constable showed him some his sketches, that they ‘might be of service to Lee’ (Campbell Lennie, Landseer, The Victorian Paragon, 1976, p. 78).
Landseer wasn’t the only artist to benefit from Lee’s ability, Thomas Sidney Cooper (1803– 1902) also collaborated with him, also producing the animals, whilst Lee undertook the landscapes. So well-known were these collaborations, that on Lee’s death, his obituary in The Athenaeum, discussed his working with Cooper and Landseer.
Campbell Lennie notes that the two artists eventually fell out, apparently over ‘accusations of cheating at a game of billiards; the two men never spoke to each other again’ (Campbell Lennie, ibid, p. 201). Whose fault the argument was is unclear, but Landseer, especially later in life, was highly sensitive, imagining slights and picking arguments.
We are grateful to Richard Ormond for his help in cataloguing the present collection.
Landseer the draughtsman
As was remarked shortly after the artist’s death, ‘the masterliness of Landseer’s touch can be seen in his earliest drawings; and in none of his works is it more keenly discernible than in his pen and ink sketches. As we look at some of these, we are tempted to believe that, of all the instruments that can be used by the artist, there is none so wonderful as the pen. In his most mature time, with all the appliances of colour, Landseer never set before us deer and dogs more living that those which, with a few touches of the pen upon white paper, he shows us in these sketches’. (British Quarterly Review, ‘Landseer – Works of the late Sir Edwin Landseer, R.A.’ October 1874, pp. 514-535. Article VIII)
Landseer found artistic and social success early in his career. His easy manner, good looks and enjoyment of dancing, music and country sports enabled him to move in the highest social circles. The Dukes of Northumberland, Bedford, Gordon, Atholl and Beaufort, amongst others, all numbered amongst his friends and patrons. In 1836, Landseer was commissioned to paint, Dash, Princess Victoria’s favourite dog, as a birthday present for the future queen. This was the beginning of a close relationship between the artist and the Royal Family. He taught Queen Victoria to sketch and his opinion was regularly sought on artistic matters, such as the proposed museums at South Kensington. His closeness to the Royal Family led to him depicting the family, not in the more usual grand, formal manner, but in more relaxed, intimate settings. Furthermore, it was partly due to Landseer, that the Royal Family began to spend time in Scotland and his paintings of them in Highland settings, helped to visually represent the abiding love the Queen and Prince Albert developed for Scotland.
Apart from the more established artistic training, initially in the studio of Benjamin Robert Haydon and then at the Royal Academy Schools, Landseer also spent time at Sir Charles Bell’s celebrated anatomy classes and recording the wild and exotic animals in London’s menageries; the Exeter Exchange and the Tower of London. He was inspired by the work of George Stubbs (purchasing Stubbs’s series of anatomical drawings of horses in about 1817) and like him, spent time studying animal anatomy, where possible even dissecting and examining their skeletons. Indeed, his interest was so well known that when one of the lions at the Exeter Exchange died, the owner, Mr Cross sent it to Landseer, who dissected the animal, had the skin stuffed and the skeleton articulated. This careful and detailed study helped Landseer to establish himself as one of the leading animal painters of the period and to influence numerous other artists both in Britain and further afield, including French artists, Gustave Courbet (1819–1877) and Rosa Bonheur (1822–1899).
Landseer sketched constantly, throughout his career, in order to explore compositions, deepen his understanding of a subject or produce an aide memoire, as well as a form of relaxation or entertainment. The spontaneity and emotional response so evident in his drawings has helped cement Landseer’s reputation as one of the most skilled draughtsmen of the 19th Century. His ability to work rapidly and incisively was widely admired and his drawings were eagerly sought by his contemporaries. Such was his ability that he could apparently draw as well with either hand, or, as he entertained his fellow house guests, with both hands at the same time. Landseer’s breadth of style and his ability to capture with just a ‘few lines, dots, jags and scratches’ (British Quarterly Review, op.cit, p. 516) is clearly reflected in the current group of drawings.
Landseer’s figure drawings were often gently humorous. They were, by and large, of his friends and acquaintances, people he knew and respected, and his intention was to capture the essence of their character, rather than merely record a visual likeness. There were usually intended to light-heartedly illustrate their quirks or weaknesses and encourage amusement, to be laughed with, not at. They were never in the spirit of the more direct works of the satirical artists like George Cruikshank (1792–1878) and James Gilray (1756–1815), or the cartoonists of the journals that spring up during the 19th Century. Landseer’s lively and spontaneous sketches and studies belie the difficulty that the artist would sometimes find with his portraits in oil. As Richard Ormond points out, ‘his career is littered with uncompleted portraits and disgruntled patrons, as he struggled to achieve convincing likenesses’. (Richard Ormond, Edwin Landseer, the Private Drawings, 2009, p. 180). It seems that the medium of pen and ink, gave Landseer the freedom to draw quickly and by distilling his style and paring it back to the essentials, he did not have to think too hard about his pen portraits.
Landseer applied an equally dynamic style of penmanship to his animal studies. His deep understanding of the mechanics of animal and bird forms, combined with his rapid, method of working gave a liveliness and sense of realism and individuality that rivalled his portraits of people.
The decade from which this group of drawings dates, is widely regarded as the artist’s golden period. As Richard Ormond stated, Landseer’s ‘reputation as the foremost animal painter of the day…was matched by social celebrity and financial success’. (Richard Ormond, Edwin Landseer, The Private Drawings, 2009, p. 12). Landseer, despite his success, struggled with depression throughout much of his life, and ultimately in his final year, was declared insane. Alcohol and drug abuse compounded the problem. He was hypersensitive to criticism, quick to imagine slights and picked fights with old friends. His first breakdown was in 1840, possibly brought on by the death of his mother, as well as the Duchess of Bedford’s refusal to marry him and the murder of his friend Lord William Russell. Luckily many of his friends remained loyal, helping him through his bouts of depression and he was also able to continue to excel as an artist throughout his life.
Cat no 1.
Stags by a Fallen Tree
With inscription lower centre in the hand of F. R. Lee: Sir E Landseer RA Pen and brown ink on wove Whatman paper dated 1835 11.3 by 18.1 cm., 4 ¼ by 7 in.
Although a keen sportsman, Landseer would apparently spend as much time sketching wildlife, especially deer and birds. As a result of his careful study, Landseer developed a lasting respect for the stag which evolved in his art into depicting him as a heroic figure, emblematic of the powerful, yet often tragic forces of nature. Increasingly, they became a reflection, not only of the state of the artist’s mind, but also the philosophical and even political concerns of the period. Consequently, his work became increasingly monumental, with the animals forming the key focus, culminating in his Monarch of the Glen (National Galleries of Scotland) originally conceived for the refreshment room of the Houses of Parliament.
The present lively, rapidly executed sketch is characteristic of his most sophisticated and accomplished drawings. It is typical of his deer studies of the 1830s, which are largely gentle, pastoral depictions. However, he is also intent on reflecting the nobility of the stags, their proud stance and grace, whilst the twisting shapes of the branches of the fallen tree, make an interesting interplay of line, contrasting with the antlers of the stags and must have appealed to the artist.
Cat no 2.
Study of hounds, coupled together
Signed lower centre: EL/1837. and with inscription verso in the hand of F. R. Lee: drawn by Sir E. Landseer/RA Pen and brown ink on blueish laid paper with watermark J Green & Son 17.5 by 22.3 cm., 6 ¾ by 8 ¾ in.
In the present sheet Landseer has, with great delicacy of line and carefully rendered shading and shadow, captured the individual character and likeness of the pair of hounds, whilst at the same time, reflecting the bonding nature of pack animals.
Cat no 3.
A Dog carrying a Rabbit
Pen and brown ink on sheet of writing paper, with watermark 11.8 by 18.2 cm., 4 ½ by 7 in.
During the 1830s Landseer’s paintings of dogs formed a coherent group of works, of which about half were commissions and half were independent subject pictures, which found a ready market with his patrons.
Landseer was always fascinated by dogs and kept a number as pets throughout his life. He was a highly gifted animal painter, but his drawings and paintings of dogs were particularly adept. His ability to capture, with extraordinary vivacity, their movements, behaviour and individuality, proved hugely popular with Landseer’s clients. Whilst staying with Sir Walter Scott in 1824, for example, he entertained the writer and his wife, with his numerous rapidly executed and keenly observed sketches of their beloved dogs.
In the present sheet the artist has, with a few rapid strokes, captured the lively personality of the gundog, the softness of his long coat and even the gentleness with which the dog is carrying his prey, as well as hinting at the hilly landscape of the animal’s surroundings. The artist has let the sepia ink run slightly to soften the drawing and add to the atmospheric effect. The sheet is folded as if a letter, which suggests that it may have been sent to Lee as part of correspondence between the two artists.
Cat no 4.
A dog carrying a Heron
With inscription lower left in the hand of F. R. Lee: by E. Landseer R.A./1835 Pen and brown ink on laid paper watermarked with a fleur de lys 15.7 by 18.3 cm., 6 by 7 in.
The dog in the present drawing appears to be the same dog as depicted in the drawing of A dog carrying a rabbit (no.3).
Herons in the 19th century were still regarded as game birds. However, they had a long association with falconry and thus with the age of medieval chivalry, which would have appealed to Landseer’s romantic nature. In 1830, Landseer produced a self portrait as a falconer, with a bird of prey on his gloved left hand and a heron at his feet.
Cat no 5.
A Heron in flight
With inscription in the hand of F. R. Lee, lower right: by E Landseer R.A. Pencil on paper watermarked with crown Sheet 23.3 by 18.7 cm., 9 by 7 ¼ in.
Cat no 6.
A Ferret with a Rat
With inscription in the hand of F. R. Lee, lower right: by E Landseer R.A. Pen and brown ink 18.6 by 22.5 cm., 7 ¼ by 8 ¾ in.
The present study of a ferret holding down a rat, is masterly display of the artist’s ability to distil and abstract form, without losing any of the essence of the subject.
Cat no 7.
Study of three Doves
With inscription lower right in the hand of F. R. Lee: by E. Landseer R.A./1835 Pen and brown ink on laid paper watermarked with part of a crown 11.7 by 18.2 cm., 4 ½ by 7 in.
Cat no 8.
Studies of an Eagle, crouched over its Prey
With inscription in the hand of F. R. Lee, in pencil lower right: by E Landseer RA Pen and brown ink on the reverse of a letter, with fragmentary watermark 18.5 by 23.8 cm., 7 ¼ by 9 ¼ in.
In 1834, Landseer exhibited a small oil The Eagle’s Nest (now in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London) at the British Institution. The work depicted an eagle resting on a rocky outcrop near its nest, while its partner soars above the dramatic landscape of the Cairngorms. The realism inherent in such paintings was only possible due to the numerous studies from life that Landseer produced, in order to fully understand the forms and behaviour of his subjects.
Sea eagles became extinct in Scotland towards the end of the 19th century and golden eagles were widely hunted, becoming extinct in England and Wales by 1850 and with only small numbers in Scotland. Given the artists deep interest in wildlife, Landseer must have been fascinated by these rare birds.
Cat no 9.
Studies of an Eagle
Signed and inscribed lower centre: I hope this slight sketch will answer your purpose -/to the best of my recollection, it is about the right size/for your Picture. – with sincere wishes for the re-establishment/of your health and strength. Yrs Sc/EL and further inscribed with colour notes. Inscribed verso with address: F. R Lee Esq/ 16… With further inscription in the hand of F R Lee, in pencil: E Landseer RA Pen and brown ink and pencil on laid paper with fragmentary watermark fleur de lys 18.5 by 22.5 cm., 7 ¼ by 8 ¾ in.
As with the study of A Dog carrying a Rabbit (cat. 3) and Studies of an Eagle crouched over its prey (no.. 8), the present sheet is part of a letter to Lee. It clearly demonstrates the collaborative nature of Lee and Landseer’s relationship during the 1830s. Both artists would have seen eagles during their various trips to Scotland and their interest in these birds of prey continued throughout their career, A much later painting from the early 1860s, by Lee, shows an Eagle soaring above a river, entitled An Eagle in a Highland landscape by Lee was sold at Christie’s in July 2005.
The slight sketch of the eagle in flight at the top left of the sheet, was a popular motif for the artist and appears in a number of Landseer’s work, including Dead Deer and Deerhound, painted in 1825; Morning painted several years later in 1855, as well as, An Event in the Forest, painted about thirty years after these sketches, in 1865 and widely disseminated through an engraving by his brother Thomas.
Cat no 10.
A Ghillie looking at a River
With inscription, lower right in the hand of F.R. Lee: by E. Landseer R.A./1835 Pen and brown ink on laid paper watermarked with a crown 18.4 by 11.6 cm., 7 ¼ by 4 ½ in.
The present drawing probably depicts one of the Scottish ghillies or gamekeepers that Landseer would have known and for whom the artist had enormous respect. He admired their deep knowledge and understanding of the landscape in which they lived and the animals which inhabited it and they often formed the subject of his paintings and drawings. He painted the 4th Duke of Atholl’s gamekeeper, John Crerar, on several occasions, including a portrait of him with his pony, (now in the Perth Museum and Art Gallery) and variously with the Duke of Atholl.
Landseer’s ability to capture the character, as well as the appearance of the sitter, with a few deft strokes of the pen is amply illustrated in the present drawing.
Cat no 11.
Study of a Fisherman and Dog, with a Horse and Foal
With inscription lower right, in the hand of F. R. Lee: Sir E. Landseer/R.A. Pencil 8.8 by 16.3 cm., 3 ½ by 6 ¼ in.
Landseer endlessly sketched sporting activities and wildlife, as well as the people who lived and work in the Highlands. These formed the basis for the lively paintings of Scottish subjects which found a ready market with his patrons, including the Dukes of Northumberland, Bedford, Atholl, Gordon, Wellington, all of whom commissioned Scottish subjects from the artist in the 1820s and 30s.
The present study depicts figures ready to take home the results of a day’s fishing; one figure holding a net and the other riding a pack pony with panniers to hold the catch.
Cat no 12.
A Study of a Stag
With inscription lower right, in the hand of F. R. Lee: by E Landseer/RA Black chalk on laid paper with fragmentary watermark 11.3 by 17.1 cm., 4 ¼ by 6 ¾ in.
During the 1830s, Landseer did not produce many finished paintings of deer and the few that existed, tended to depict deer in tranquil landscape settings, such as, Deer in Coldbath Fields, Woburn Abbey, painted circa 1835 and commissioned by the Duke of Bedford. Despite the relative paucity of paintings of deer during this period, Landseer, continued however, to extensively sketch and study deer, producing simple studies like the present work and the pen and ink drawing of Stags by a fallen tree (no. 1).
The artist had his own menagerie, at his home in St John’s Wood which included various deer. Cat no 13.
Letter
W.A. Sunday Night
My dear Sir
My occupation here, as a/ Sculptor, has lasted/much longer than I expected/but being so far advanced/for a day or 2./I don’t like to give it up./The professors of that/art who have seen/it, say it is `Wonderful’/Considering the time I have/been employed, (8 days)/and its being my first/effort, I say nothing,/they tell me it takes Chantry a month to/model a Bust./If you see Mr Wells/tell him I have a picture/ready for the B.I. that requires only one/days work, if they/will grant me a little/indulgence as to time./(do what you can for me./I hope you are all well -/I have shot once and killed/3 Woodcocks!!!/Yrs m…/ELandseer
Addressed to: F.R. Lee Esq R.A./16 Norton Street/Portland Road
Landseer was a prolific correspondent and his letters paint a valuable picture, not only of the artist’s working practice and his life in general, but also of the wider Victorian period. The present letter is one of the few that is known of between Lee and Landseer, although their friendship and collaboration, must have occasioned a great deal of correspondence. Campbell Lennie notes that William Wells wrote to Landseer, citing correspondence between the two artists, ‘In one of your letters to him [Lee] you confess that you had not done much more…than amuse yourself therefore turn to and work hard, and to do that you must rise early’ (Lennie, Landseer, The Victorian Paragon, p. 96).
The tone of the present letter, as well as that recorded in Lennie, demonstrates the easy intimacy that existed between the artists, as well as their closeness to their patron, William Wells, who is the Mr Wells mentioned in the present letter.
William Wells made his fortune in shipbuilding. He was a passionate art collector and his Surrey home, was a regular haunt for the artists of the day including, Goodall, Cooke, Grant and Frith, as well as Landseer and Lee. Landseer began visiting his house Redleaf from the early 1830s and over the ensuing years, it became the artist’s second home. He would spend long periods, sometimes several months at a time there, such as in 1844 when Landseer’s house was being rebuilt. At least a quarter of his early surviving correspondence was written from there. As Richard Ormond notes, ‘from the accounts of many artists that stayed at Redleaf it was clear that Landseer, who was represented in the (Wells) collection by more than twenty works, was its presiding genius. (Richard Ormond, Sir Edwin Landseer, 1982, p. 9).
The renowned sculptor, Sir Francis Chantrey (1781–1841) and Landseer were friends, the two were both keen sportsmen and shared some of the same friends and patrons, including Sir Walter Scott. In April 1835, Chantrey commissioned Landseer to paint Pen, Brush and Chisel: The Studio of Sir Francis Chantrey (Royal Collection).
The initials W.A. at the top of the sheet, suggest that this letter was written from Woburn Abbey. Landseer’s first recorded visit to the home of the Dukes of Bedford was in 1823 and he became a regular visitor there, as well as to their London and Scottish residences. The Duke of Bedford was one of Landseer’s earliest and most important patrons, commissioning Landseer’s first historical painting, the Hunting of Chevy Chase (Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery) in 1826. The surviving correspondence between the two men, show their mutual interests in sport and art as well as their easy relationship. Landseer also formed an intimate friendship with the Duke’s second wife, Georgiana, which lasted until the Duchess’ death in 1853. This, despite the gap in their social position and in their ages; the Duchess was 40 when she met the 21-year-old artist. It has been suggested that the two were lovers and although it is uncertain how physically intimate they were, they were certainly emotionally close, and it is widely thought that part of the reason for Landseer’s breakdown in 1840, was supposedly the widowed Duchess’ refusal to marry him.
In the mid 1830s, Landseer designed a high relief, silver dish for the 6th Duke of Bedford (1766–1839), now called the Landseer dish. Apart from the monumental sculptural commission to create the lions around the base of Nelson’s column, between 1858 and 1866, this is the only other known sculpture by the artist. However, the dish is hallmarked 1837, so it is unlikely that this letter refers to this project, so it appears to suggest that Landseer was engaged on another, as yet, unidentified sculptural commission.
The Duke and Landseer were frequent correspondents and the former’s letters, are full of discussions of natural history, country sports and art. The easy tone indicates a warmth and friendship that went beyond painter and patron.
Cat no 14.
Self-Portrait aged Twenty-seven
Inscribed lower left: Edwin Landseer sketched by himself in 1829. Pen and brown ink on laid paper 22 by 17.6 cm., 8 ½ by 6 ¾ in.
Provenance: Private collection, UK since c. 1970; Thence by descent
Landseer found early success both socially and artistically and the present self-portrait illustrates the artist’s self-confidence and good looks. Landseer was clever, amusing, an accomplished raconteur and enormously sociable. All of these traits, coupled with his love of sports, particularly hunting, shooting and fishing, as well as dancing, made him a popular figure, able to move in the highest of social circles. He became Queen Victoria’s favourite artist and was knighted in 1850.
The present drawing shows the artist in Highland dress, his bonnet resting on a rock next to him. The dress and pose are highly romantic and demonstrate the influence of Sir Walter Scott on the young artist. Landseer met Scott in London at the age of 22 and was invited to stay with the writer at his baronial home, Abbotsford in the Scottish Borders. Landseer spent about ten days there in early October 1824, and this visit proved of lasting influence, not only on the subject matter and emotional content of his work, but also introducing Landseer to the landscape of Scotland. For the rest of his life, Scotland proved a source of inspiration, retreat, relaxation and restoration to the artist. Much of Landseer’s work from 1824 onwards, articulated his deep emotional response to Scotland, through the animals, people and landscapes that he depicted.
Scott’s works like the Lady of the Lake (1810), Waverley (1814) and Rob Roy (1817) had a seminal impact on the creation of Scotland's national identity, along with the work of poets, including Wordsworth, Byron and James Macpherson. Landseer played an equally important role, as one of the first artists to give a visual expression to the romantic notions of the Highlands.
During the 1820s it was just beginning to be fashionable for the aristocracy to take hunting lodges for the autumn months and Landseer became a regular visitor to Blair Atholl and to the Bedford’s lodge, The Doune, near Aviemore, as well as to Glenfeshie, the rustic retreat built by the Duchess of Bedford. The Royal Family also became enamoured by Scotland and Landseer’s images of them in Highland settings were amongst the most important visual images of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.