A distant view of the Citadel of Corfu

Details

EDWARD LEAR (LONDON 1812-1888 SAN REMO)
A distant view of the Citadel of Corfu
signed, inscribed and dated 'Corfu./ Edward Lear. del/ 1856.' (lower left)
pencil and watercolour heightened with white
11 5/8 x 18 1/2 in. (29.5 x 47 cm.)

Provenance

Mr Horsfall, by whom given to
Mrs. R.I.D. Pound, 1920's (†); Sotheby's, London, 19 November 1987, lot 167.
with Spink, London.

Special notice

This lot has been imported from outside of the UK for sale and placed under the Temporary Admission regime. Import VAT is payable at 5% on the hammer price. VAT at 20% will be added to the buyer’s premium but will not be shown separately on our invoice.

Conditions of sale

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Lot Essay

Edward Lear first visited Corfu briefly in 1848. Since 1814 the island had been a British Protectorate, with a large expatriate community. On this first visit he was overwhelmed by the beauty of the scenery. Writing to his sister Ann, he said: 'I wish I could give you any idea of the beauty of this island, it is really a Paradise' (V. Noakes, Edward Lear: The Life of a Wanderer, Stroud, 2006, p. 73). In 1855, looking for a place to escape the harshness of the English climate, he returned to Corfu and spent several winters living there, while his great friend Franklin Lushington (1823-1901) was Judge to the Supreme Court of Justice in the Ionian Islands.

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