Foss (cat)

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Foss couchant by Lear

Foss (c. 1873 - November 1887 ), formerly Aderphos , was the house cat of the British painter and writer Edward Lear . Although the author described them as "stubby", "corpulent" and "unattractive", the tabby cat was his favorite pet and played an important role as the poet's companion, especially in his later years. Foss was mentioned many times in his correspondence and was also part of his illustrations. In addition, the poet dedicated at least one poem to him. He is also said to have been the inspiration for his work The Owl and the Pussycat . His funeral, including an engraved tombstone, is said to have made Lear much more spectacular than he wished for himself.

background

Foss and Lear in a letter to Archdeacon William Bevan (1879)

Foss was admitted as a kitten by Lear in 1873, but later claimed he was older. His full name was Aderphos (from the Greek "adelphos", brother ), but his nickname was the abbreviation "Foss", later also "Old Foss". Lear described the cat himself as unattractive. To keep him from roaming, his tail had been clipped. There are no photographs of the cat. At the only attempt to photograph the cat, she jumped out of Lear's arms shortly before.

Lear was very fond of Foss, and he seemed to be his favorite pet. He mentioned him frequently in his correspondence, and Foss was well known among the readers of his letters. In addition, it is said to have often rolled over the Lears manuscripts to make them dry faster. According to several sources, when Lear moved to Sanremo, he commissioned the architect to build his villa according to the same plan as his old house so that the cat would not have to get used to it. Even so, the cat climbed into one of the chimneys on the first day in her new home.

influence

Illustration for The Owl and the Pussycat

Foss is said to have been the model for Lear's illustration of the poem The Owl and the Pussycat . Lear had decided to let the tail stand. Foss is also mentioned by name in the poem How Pleasant to Know Mr Lear .

There are also numerous drawings by Lear showing Foss. These include some that show both, as well as a series of drawings depicting Foss as a heraldic animal in various poses. The New York Times named Lear's drawings by Foss as his best caricatures.

death

Edward Lear Aged 73 and a Half and His Cat Foss, Aged 16 (1885)

When Lear suffered from depression and loneliness in his later years, Foss was a loyal companion to him. Foss died at Lear's Tennyson Villa in Sanremo in November 1887, just two months before Lear's own death. Foss' age could have been 14, 16, or 17 years. Lear was convinced that his cat must have been much older than indicated at the time of adoption, and had 31 years written on the tombstone. In fact, there are some drawings by Lear before 1872 that show a similar tomcat.

Foss received his own tombstone - with an epitaph from Lear - under a fig tree in the garden of Villa Tennyson. Foss' funeral is said to have taken place with greater pomp and ceremony than his master's funeral, which was rarely attended.

Pop culture references

Foss is mentioned in the song Mr Lear by British folk singer Al Stewart . The song is on his 2005 album A Beach Full of Shells .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d Edward Lear's Cat . In: The Paris Review , October 29, 2012. Retrieved May 14, 2018. 
  2. ^ A b c Edward Lear: Edward Lear ( en ). Sterling Publishing Company, Inc., 2001, ISBN 9780806930770 , p.  5 .
  3. ↑ a b Peter Levi: Edward Lear: A Life ( en ). Tauris Parke Paperbacks, 2013, ISBN 9781780765693 , p. 263 (accessed May 17, 2018).
  4. ^ A b c Whiskers in the workplace: More cats with careers . In: BBC News , February 3, 2018. Retrieved May 14, 2018. 
  5. ^ A b Edward Lear: The Complete Nonsense of Edward Lear ( en ). Courier Corporation, 2012, ISBN 9780486119465 , p. 282, (Retrieved May 14, 2018).
  6. ^ Lesley O'Mara: Cats' Miscellany ( en ). Michael O'Mara Books, 2011, ISBN 9781843177593 , p. 67 ( Accessed May 14, 2018).
  7. ↑ a b Sam Kalda: Of Cats and Men: Profiles of History's Great Cat-Loving Artists, Writers, Thinkers, and Statesmen ( en ). Potter / Ten Speed ​​/ Harmony / Rodale, 2017, ISBN 9780399578458 , p. 23 (accessed May 15, 2018).
  8. ^ Peter Levi: Edward Lear: A Life ( en ). Tauris Parke Paperbacks, 2013, ISBN 9781780765693 , p. 314 (accessed May 17, 2018).
  9. ^ Sandra Choron, Harry Choron, Arden Moore: Planet Cat: A Cat-Alog ( en ). Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2007, ISBN 0618812598 , p. 47 (accessed May 14, 2018).
  10. ↑ a b Kristen Hampshire, Iris Bass, Lori Paximadis: Cat Lover's Daily Companion: 365 Days of Insight and Guidance for Living a Joyful Life with Your Cat ( s ). Quarry Books, 2011, ISBN 9781592537495 , p. 27 ( Accessed May 14, 2018).
  11. ^ A Life of Nonsense (en) . In: The New York Times , May 21, 1995. Retrieved May 15, 2018. 
  12. ↑ Edward Lear . Retrieved May 15, 2018.
  13. ↑ a b Uncle John's Bathroom Reader Cat Lover's Companion ( en ). Simon and Schuster, 2012, ISBN 9781607106562 , p. 102 (accessed May 15, 2018).
  14. ↑ a b Edward Lear's Grave . In: Atlas Obscura . Retrieved May 14, 2018. 
  15. ↑ Rosie Lavan: The Restless Eye: Edward Lear at the Ashmolean . November 10, 2012. Retrieved May 15, 2018.
  16. ↑ a b Sam Stall: 100 Cats Who Changed Civilization: History's Most Influential Felines ( en ). Quirk Books, 2007, ISBN 9781594741630 , p. 110 (Retrieved May 14, 2018).
  17. ^ Edward Lear was the master of glorious nonsense . In: The Telegraph , May 12, 2012. Retrieved May 14, 2018. 
  18. ↑ Book Review - Oh Bibbles, oh Pips, this will set you purring: The Literary Companion to Dogs - Christopher Hawtree: Sinclair-Stevenson, pounds 25; The Chatto Book of Cats - Francis Wheen: Chatto, pounds 15.99 . In: The Independent , November 22, 1993. Retrieved May 15, 2018. 
  19. ↑ Larry Hughes: Mr. Lear / Al Stewart . Retrieved May 14, 2018.