Edward Lear

With Martyn Gregory, London

This watercolour has been carefully presented. Some of the watercolour pigments have faded very slightly and the paper has suffered from minor discolouration. There are two very small paper losses to the sheet, the first is located in the lower left hand corner, the second at the extreme upper edge. The work has been laid down.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Ashdod is situated on the Mediterranean coast of Israel, thirty-three miles west of Jerusalem. Lear drew this sheet towards the end of a four month expedition of Egypt and the Holy Land. Lear left England in December 1866, writing in his diary that 'it seems like a dream that I am about to see the blinding brightness of the south once more'.¹ Upon reaching Cairo he sailed down the Nile to the remote Wadi Halfa, before heading northwards again to the Egyptian capital.  From there he set out across the desert to Gaza and arrived in Jerusalem on 22^nd March. Having originally intended to visit Nazareth and Galilee, he was, however too over come with exhaustion and instead travelled to Alexandria, via the port of Ashdod. A month late he was back in England.  

1. V. Noakes, Edward Lear, The Life of a Wanderer, London, 1968, p. 214