Edward Lear

With Agnew's, London;
John, Lord D'Ayton (1922-2003);
thence by decent to the present owners

 

London, Sotheby's, Edward Lear, An Exhibition of Works by Edward Lear from the D'Ayton International Collection, assembled by John D'Ayton, 2004, no. 14

Although some of the more delicate pigments may have faded a little, in general this watercolour has been well preserved. The paper has darkened very slightly, but this has not disrupted the balance of the composition. There are several minor creases visible in the sky - however these appear to be original to the sheet. The work has not been laid down, but is heavily attached to a backboard. For further information on this lot please contact Mark Griffith-Jones on 0207 293 5083 or mark.griffithjones@sothebys.com.
"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."

Few foreigners visited Albania in the mid nineteenth century and Lear, who ventured there in 1848 with only his servant, Giorgio, described it as 'a new world [which] charmed the eye.' He was delighted by the wild, dramatic landscape and wrote of 'a profusion everywhere of the most magnificent foliage recalling the greenness of our own island – clustering plane and chestnut, growth abundant of forest oak and beech, and dark tracts of pine. You have majestic cliff shores; castle-crowned heights, and gloomy fortresses; palaces glittering with gilding and paint; mountain passes such as you encounter in the snowy regions of Switzerland; deep bays and blue seas with bright, calm isles resting on the horizon; meadows and grassy knolls; convents and villages; olive-clothed slopes and snow-capped mountain peaks – and with all this a crowded variety of costume and pictorial incident such as bewilders and delights an artist at each step he takes.'¹

1. S. Hayman, Edward Lear in the Levant, Travels in Albania, Greece and Turkey in Europe, 1848-1849, London 1988, p. 72