Edward Lear (1812-1888)
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Edward Lear (1812-1888)

The Temple of Olympian Zeus with the Acropolis beyond, Athens

Details
Edward Lear (1812-1888)
The Temple of Olympian Zeus with the Acropolis beyond, Athens
inscribed and dated 'Athens./14 June. 1848.' and numbered '30' (lower right) and further inscribed 'The Acropolis at least/1/2 a mile further off/I .../put blue smoke from the city/& more ochre on pillar bases' (lower left)
pencil, pen and brown ink and watercolour, heightened with touches of bodycolour
10½ x 19½ in. (26.7 x 49.5 cm.)
Provenance
Canon Charles M. Church.
H.M.N. Hollis and by descent until 1985.
Literature
Vivian Noakes, Edward Lear 1812-1888, 1985, illustrated p. 49.
Susan Hyman, Edward Lear in the Levant, 1988, illustrated p. 44.
Exhibited
Sheffield, Graves Art Gallery, Edward Lear, 1964, catalogue untraced.
London, Royal Academy, Edward Lear 1812-1888, 1985, no. 20b, reproduced p. 49.
Special notice
No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 17.5% will be added to the buyer's premium which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis. Christie's Interest in Property Consigned for Auction. From time to time, Christie's may offer a lot which it or an affiliate owns in whole or in part. This is such a lot.

Lot Essay

This drawing was executed during Lear's first visit to Athens in the summer of 1848 in the company of Sir Stratford Canning, British Ambassador in Turkey. Whilst in Corfu Sir Stratford and Lady Canning, who were on their way to Constantinople invited Lear to join them, for a week in Athens. The ambassador's man-of-war sailed out of Corfu harbour on 30 May 1848. Two days later they crossed the Isthmus of Corinth on horseback and arrived at Athens on 2 June. Lear spent the first two weeks in Athens drawing as much as he could. He was particularly inspired by the great classical ruins and wrote to his sister Ann 'The beauty of the temples I well knew from countless drawings - but the immense sweep of the plains with exquisitly formed mountains down to the sea - and the manner in which that huge mass of rock-the Acropolis - stands above the modern town with its glittering white marble ruins against the deep blue sky ... I wish you could see the Temple of the Parthenon or the Acropolis - I really never saw anything so wonderful.'

Whilst in Athens he met another friend whom he had known in Italy and to whom he presumably gave this drawing, Charles Church. Church's Uncle, Sir Richard Church commanded the Greek forces in the War of Independence against Turkey. Church spoke modern Greek and could act as Lear's interpreter. The ambassadorial party continued and Lear followed them by boat to Constantinople.

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