Edward Lear, Aswan, Egypt.
Inscribed and dated ‘Assouan 9. Feb 1854 9.10AM’ and further inscribed with colour notes throughout, pen and ink and watercolour. 24.25cm x 43.75cm (9.5in x 17.25in).
Provenance
Agnew’s, no. 28008
During his second visit to Egypt Lear arrived in Cairo in December 1953. From there, he travelled up the Nile for several months, writing to his sister ‘I have been at work every day throughout the whole daylight, and so charming is the place and the climate that I shall be very sorry to leave it.’ However, his unusually extensive colour notes from this period show the difficulties Lear experienced depicting the Nile scenery: ‘Egypt is at least a land to learn colour in.’ Lear travelled as far as Philae near Aswan before beginning his return journey on 8 February. A week later his boat arrived at Luxor and there he spent ten days exploring Karnak and the ruined temples at Thebes.
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