About this artwork
Lear was profoundly inspired by the landscape of Greece. Between 1855 and 1864, he lived for long periods on the island of Corfu. Stavrós was a picturesque viewpoint much visited by British tourists. According to Lear, ‘no lovelier view can be seen, so much so that I rank it first of all the distant Corfu views’. Panoramic views, with brilliantly lit, romantic and infinite skies, were among Lear’s favourite subjects. This spectacular watercolour encapsulates his delight in the clear light and ‘the vast yet beautiful simple sweeping lines’ of the Greek landscape.
Updated before 2020
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artist:Edward Lear (1812 - 1888) English
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title:Stavrós, Corfu
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date created:1862
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materials:Pen and brown ink and watercolour with some gouache
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measurements:32.70 x 49.53 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 5551.18
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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...