St. Paul's Bay, Malta

Lear travelled to Malta for the winter of 1865-6 on his way from Venice to Corfu and stayed for three months. He was impressed by the island, writing to Lady Waldegrave on 13 February 1866 that 'there is every variety of luxury, animal, mineral and vegetable - a Bishop and daughter, pease and artichokes, works in marble and filigree, redmullet, an Archdeacon, Mandarin Oranges, Admirals and Generals, Marsala Wine 10d. a bottle - religious processions, poodles, geraniums, balls, bacon, baboons, books, and what not' (Lady Strachey, ed., Later Letters of Edward Lear, London, 1911, p. 68). Another drawing made on this day from very close by, inscribed 'Selmun', the name of the peninsula which meets St Paul's Bay, was sold at Christie's, London, 15 December 2010, lot 86.