A Life Etched in Animal Form: The World of Sir Edwin Landseer Sir Edwin Henry Landseer, born in London on March 7, 1802, was more than merely a painter of animals; he became a visual chronicler of the Victorian soul as reflected through them. His father, John Landseer, an accomplished engraver, instilled in young Edwin an early appreciation for art and technique, but it was the boy’s innate talent – a prodigious gift for capturing the essence of living creatures – that truly set him on his path. From a tender age, he demonstrated remarkable skill, exhibiting at the Royal Academy at just thir…