Edward Lear (Edward Lear, 1812–1888), English painter and graphic artist, passed away. In 1848, he came to Albania and visited Tirana, Kruja, Shkodra, Kavaja, Berat, Himara, Vlora, Tepelena and Gjirokastra. He made several color lithographs of these places, measuring 17×10 cm, and published them in the book “Journals of a landscape painter in Albania”, London, 1851. In 1852, he also published the book ” “Journals of a landscape painter in Southern Calabria” (“Diary of a landscape painter in Southern Calabria”), where there are also lithographs from Arbëresh villages. Edward Lear’s lithographs about Albania stand out for their realism and artistic value. They are mainly with motifs from the nature of the country, as well as with characteristic buildings, castles, etc. Some of them are also valid as historical evidence of the views that those places had in the 19th century. Eduard Lear also made oil paintings. The two most popular are: “Mountain of Tomori” and “Coast of Albania”. (In the photo: Edward Lear)
Text: Albanian encyclopedic dictionary – Vol. 2, Academy of Sciences of Albania, “Kristalina-KH”, Tirana, 2008, page 1528.
Photo: © https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Lear
Graphic processing: AHCF
