Psitteuteles versicolor - Edward Lear
Archival giclée
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Description
A detailed nineteenth-century ornithological study of the variegated lorikeet by Edward Lear, featuring precise hand-coloured lithography.
This lithograph depicts the Psitteuteles versicolor, commonly known as the variegated lorikeet. Produced during the early 1830s, the work originates from Edward Lear's Illustrations of the Family of Psittacidae, or Parrots. Lear, a young artist at the time, gained early recognition for his precise observation of avian anatomy. He worked directly from live specimens housed in the menagerie of the Zoological Society of London.
The composition focuses on the bird perched upon a bare, textured branch. Lear employs a clean, white background to ensure the viewer concentrates on the plumage. The lorikeet displays a distinct red crown, a yellow patch near the eye, and a chest marked by vertical red streaks against a green body. The artist uses fine, layered strokes to suggest the texture of the feathers, while the branch is rendered with lighter, more gestural marks to provide a sense of scale without distracting from the subject.
Lear's approach to ornithological art differed from his contemporaries. He prioritised the character and posture of the bird over rigid, scientific diagrams. His work captures the subtle turn of the head and the specific grip of the claws on the wood. This print reflects the nineteenth-century fascination with exotic species and the systematic documentation of the natural world. The inclusion of the scientific name, Trichoglossus versicolor, at the base of the plate follows the conventions of nineteenth-century natural history publications. This piece remains a clear example of the intersection between scientific enquiry and artistic skill during the Victorian era.
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Because every print is made to order, we don't offer change-of-mind returns, refunds or exchanges. If your order arrives faulty, damaged or incorrect, we'll replace it free of charge — just contact us within 48 hours of delivery. See our refunds page for full details.
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Manufacturing
Each print is produced to order using 12-colour giclée printing on FSC-certified archival paper. Designed in Britain and printed at your nearest production hub to reduce waste and speed up delivery.
Care and materials
Specific Features
Every Solis piece is made to order with archival, gallery-quality materials built to last.
- Museum-grade giclée printing for rich, fade-resistant colour
- Archival matte fine-art paper, FSC-certified
- Multiple sizes and framing options available
- Frames in black, natural wood, dark wood or white
- Framed prints arrive ready to hang
Care & Cleaning
To keep your artwork looking its best:
- Dust gently with a soft, dry cloth
- Avoid prolonged direct sunlight
- Never use liquid cleaners on the print or canvas surface
- Keep in a dry, room-temperature space
- Handle prints with clean, dry hands
Materials & Sizing
Museum-grade giclée on FSC-certified archival matte paper, with framed and canvas options.
- Paper sizes: A4, A3, A2, A1, A0 and B2 (50×70 cm)
- Canvas: XS (20×30 cm) to Large (60×90 cm)
- Frames: black, natural wood, dark wood or white
Psitteuteles versicolor - Edward Lear
Artist Biography
Edward Lear
His landscape career ran simultaneously. From the 1840s he made extended sketching tours through Italy, Albania, Greece, Egypt, Palestine, India, and Ceylon, producing illustrated travel journals of careful documentary precision. In 1846 Queen Victoria sought him out as a drawing teacher, having admired his Italian lithographs; he gave her twelve lessons. Brief study under William Holman Hunt in 1852 introduced Pre-Raphaelite rigour to his oils, though his watercolours and pen-and-ink drawings remain his most direct legacy.
Lear suffered from epilepsy throughout his life, calling it the Demon and concealing it carefully from a society ill-equipped to understand it. He was severely shortsighted from childhood and lived with considerable loneliness, despite the warmth of his nonsense verse. He settled in San Remo in 1871, eventually naming his house Villa Tennyson after his close friend Alfred, Lord Tennyson, for whom he composed settings of 212 poems.
His cat, Foss, was his companion for 15 years. When Lear moved to a larger house in San Remo, he had it built to identical proportions so Foss would not be disoriented. Foss died two months before Lear, in January 1888. The Owl and the Pussycat (1871), containing the word runcible spoon, now in everyday English use, is his most enduring poem.
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