Edward Lear, Auribeau.
Signed with monogram l.r., inscribed ‘Abribeau’ and dated ‘1868’ l.l. watercolour 33 x 51.5 cm. (13 x 20 1/4 in.)
Lear was in Cannes until April of 1868. From there he could make expeditions into the hills; he and his servant Giorgio would leave Cannes early in the morning, and he would spend the day drawing.
Lear made several visits to Auribeau- a medieval village between Cannes and Grasse. It is perched on top of a rocky peak above the Siagne gorge and has stunning views of the surrounding mountains.
Lear’s European travels were now coming to an end and with the exception of a few drawings produced in the Italian Alps during the summer months of the 1880s, his depictions of the South of France were the last of his European drawings. Lear, was at the height of his powers as a draughtsman and watercolourist when he painted the present work which is a stunning rendition of this beautiful hilltop town.
