298. EDWARD LEAR (1812-1888). ZANTE.

Inscribed `Zante. April2/1848/21`, pen and brown ink heightened with white over pencil, on buff paper
26.25 x 44cm.

* Lear first visited the island of Zante in 1848, returning in May 1863 in order to make sketches for his volume of lithographs, ‘Views in the Seven Ionian Islands’. Lear struggled to find ‘picturesque combinations of landscape’ on Zante and, indicating his frustrations, he described the plain as ‘one unbroken contrivance of future currant-dumplings and plum-puddings’. Nonetheless, one could hardly deny that Lear has found an impressive vista in this composition.

Provenance; London, Guy Peppiatt Fine Art Ltd, from whom acquired by the owner.