Lear, Edward

Ink drawing of man falling off a chair, 93 by 106mm., together with three-line verse below, unsigned, single leaf of blue wove paper, left side mounted on large card, some minor soiling

Justin G. Schiller, Nonsensus... Stroud: Catalpa Press, 1988

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, where appropriate.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

A variant version of both illustration and verse for ‘There was an Old Man of Cape Horn’. As first published in the 1846 edition of A Book of Nonsense, the limerick concludes "So he sat on a chair, till he died of despair, | That dolorous Man of Cape Horn." The conclusion here reads "So he sate on a chair + tore off his hair – that intrinsic old man of Cape Horn". Interestingly the Kraus manuscript (Koch Foundation) includes "He sate" before continuing "and behaved like a bear – That intrinsic…" This suggests that both the Krauss manuscript and the present piece are closely connected. The reverse of the leaf includes an abandoned and smudged drawing of a head.