Testudo tabulata (Chelonoidis denticulata) - Edward Lear
Archival giclée
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Description
A precise zoological lithograph of the yellow-footed tortoise by British artist Edward Lear, featuring hand-coloured details and scientific nomenclature.
This lithographic print depicts the Testudo tabulata, now classified as Chelonoidis denticulata, commonly known as the yellow-footed tortoise. Edward Lear, primarily recognised for his nonsense verse, began his career as a highly skilled natural history illustrator. His early work for the Zoological Society of London demonstrates a precise observation of animal anatomy and texture.
The composition presents the tortoise in profile, a standard convention for scientific documentation of the era. Lear employs a delicate application of watercolour over the lithographic base to capture the specific patterning of the scutes on the shell and the scales on the limbs. The background remains minimal, suggesting a dry, arid environment with faint indications of distant terrain, which ensures the viewer focuses entirely on the biological subject.
Lear produced these plates during a period when the study of exotic species was a primary interest for British naturalists. His ability to balance scientific accuracy with aesthetic clarity is evident in the rendering of the tortoise's skin and the subtle shading of the shell. The print includes the original scientific nomenclature at the base, reflecting the rigorous classification systems of the nineteenth century. This piece provides a clear example of the intersection between art and science, where the illustrator served as a vital link in the dissemination of biological knowledge before the widespread use of photography. The work remains a fine example of Victorian-era zoological documentation, prized for its observational quality and technical execution.
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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
Testudo tabulata (Chelonoidis denticulata) - 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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