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.
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.