About this artwork
Great Lavra is the largest and oldest monastery on Mount Athos, founded in 963. This atmospheric sketch shows the monastery harbour, dominated by a watch tower. The island of Thasos is visible on the horizon. Although Lear found the scenery of Mount Athos ‘stupendous’, he took a violent dislike to the monastic way of life. In an extravagant outburst he complained about ‘these miserable, mutton-hating, man-avoiding, misogynic, morose and merriment-marring, monotoning, many-mule-making, mocking, mournful, minced-fish & marmalade-masticating Monx’.
Updated before 2020
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artist:Edward Lear (1812 - 1888) English
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title:Lavra, with Thaos in the distance
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date created:1856
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materials:Pen and brown ink with watercolour over pencil
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measurements:14.60 x 22.22 cm
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object type:
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credit line:Accepted by H.M. Government in lieu of Inheritance Tax and allocated to the National Gallery of Scotland, 2003
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accession number:D 5551.13
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gallery:
Edward Lear
Edward Lear
Although now best known for his nonsense verse, Edward Lear was a superb draughtsman, a talented musician, an intrepid traveller and an outstanding landscape artist and travel writer. He was born in London and began to draw commercially at the age of sixteen. He developed a passion for travelling...