Landseer, Thomas (1795 London 1880). Great Skill have they in Palmistry. Still delightedly in the arms of her newly wed spouse – with silk hat – the bride lets the fortune teller read from her hand. All as humanly dressed monkeys. Etching. (1827/28.) Inscribed: T:L, otherwise with the line from Cowper’s The Sofa as above. 17.7 x 20.4 cm.

Rümann, Das Illustrierte Buch des 19. Jhdts., Leipsic 1930, pp. 99 ff.; Nagler 1; Thieme-Becker XXII, 305. – On specially wide-margined buff paper. – In the outermost white margin of three sides rather feebly foxing.

one of the only few early and thus typical works by Landseer :

“ That Thomas Landseer could be judged only by these illustrations a little book with woodcuts proves which show next to nothing of his intellect ” .

Worked since 1827 the 25 etchings incl. title were published in numbers and with classical sub-texts till 1828 in three editions: standard edition in quarto, edition on larger paper in large quarto, edition with proofs in large quarto, too. Besides copies on mounted China.

Otherwise qualified by Rümann i. a.:

“ Much  more  important  was  Edwin’s  brother  Thomas  Landseer …

… in the 20s he distinguished himself by a series of 25 plates that were published 1828 under the title of ‘Monkeyana’ (ills. 57).

Technically  his  etchings  are  masterly ,

no less admirable the intellectual grasp of the theme. With much humor and sharp observation he transfers the plain life of his time to the monkey’s life. His sarcasm is biting, almost vicious. ”

In regard of the latter judgement Landseer’s contemporary Nagler, Monogramists V, 686, might be more to the point :

“ …  the  habits , costumes , and  foolishnesses  of  his  time
(Landseer  has)  caricatured  delectably ” .

And Stechow sovereignly sums up :

“ Monkeys  always  fascinated  artists ”

(Pieter Bruegel, Cologne 1977, page 76).

“ The monkey as the animal most similar to man plays an important rôle in art history since antiquity.

As  figura  diaboli ,

as  symbol  of  sin  and  the  fall  of  man ,

as  fool , as  figure  of  vanity

he appears in most varied context … (A)lso the usual religious reference in the interpretation of the monkey as

man  mixed  up  in  his  passion  for  profane  things … ”

(Hella Robels, Frans Snyders, Munich 1989, page 43).

Later Thomas Landseer devoted himself largely to the reproduction of the animal depictions by his brother Sir Edwin.
Offer no. 14,383 / EUR  222. (c. US$ 310.) + shipping

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