Autographed Letter from Sir Edwin Landseer, dated June 19, 1855, with an original drawing of a donkey by a thistle

1855. Framed. Fine. The charming drawing was intended for "The London Illustrated News". Although it was probably dashed off in no time by Landseer, it is far more than a doodle, for he applied wash to supplement the ink sketching. The vignette also demonstrates his utter mastery of animal portraiture, for he captures expression on the donkey as well as subtle contortions of the body that animate the animal, and communicate motion. The letter is on blue stationary with the page, 11.5 by 8.5 cm. Landseer's handwriting is not the best and so we are not sure of perhaps 25 percent of the words of the five line note, nor of the name of the Villa from which the letter was sent. The letter is a folded sheet, but all the content is on one page. It is mounted onto manila paper, creating generous margins. The frame is thus 41.5 by 31 cm. The frame is a wonderful complement, with its bands of gilt (and red flecked gilt) flanking a rich red in the center of the cove molded shape. The frame, modern and surely custom done, is well-worth using. Landseer is simply the most famous British animal artist of the Victorian era. Probably most fondly celebrated for his incomparable canine paintings, he was equally adept at portraying other species. His paintings of stags are absolutely iconic, as an example of Landseer's versatility in the broad genre of animal art. (Inventory #: 008092)