Lear first visited Corfu, then under British administration, in 1848. He returned in December 1855 and was astonished once again by the beauty of the island. He lived on Corfu for extended periods until the British departure from the Ionian Islands in 1864. Lefkími is in the south of Corfu and was an area Lear found particularly attractive for the lush greenery and panoramic views. The ‘cypress tuffy hill of Aghios Taxiárchis’ became a favourite subject. A small chapel is just visible among the trees in this sketch.