Edward Lear, A view of Menton from across the bay.
Signed with monogram (lower right). Pencil, watercolour and bodycolour. 16.5 x 26cm (6 1/2 x 10 1/4in).

Lear had moved to Nice in November 1864 where he began work on 240 of what he termed his ‘Tyrants’. These were systematically worked up watercolours, taken from sketches and painted simultaneously in a production line method. They were sold relatively cheaply at around 10 guineas and although they are an achievement in terms of workload and inventiveness their varying quality and formulaic approach have been criticised.

After this herculean effort, Lear set out on foot and painted around the coast of the Corniche for a month, capturing the beautiful scenery of the coast from Nice to Menton. The present and following lot would seem to date from this time and show his focus on the detail in the middle distance with the rocky foregrounds left understated and the dramatic hills plunging into the Mediterranean.

Bonhams.