(Holloway 1812-1888 San Remo) A resting traveller near a mountain rock, inscribed and dated "Cephalonia near Asso.9 May 1862", pen and brown ink over pencil, brown and yellow wash on paper, 17,5 x 24,5 cm, browned, stained, mounted, framed, (Sch)

From 1848 to 1864 Lear undertook several journeys to Greece, Crete and the Ionic Islands and made numerous drawings, watercolours and poems. The figure of the resting traveller in the drawing may represent himself. In his travel itinerary of Friday, May 9, 1862 he reports: "Slept well. No fleas. G. is in anteroom. Rose at 4.30 coffee. Off 5.30 - with G. & a guide, Dimitri. Heavy mist on all places - plain & hill: wild paths & flat desert-like spots: sand walk by seaside. Inland to S. Procopius - a picturesque little monastery. beautiful olives. Hills near Sea, Capo BiancoÄ.Ü Solitady. Goats & dogs - capo bianco - drew. Mantis. fine ravine. - At monastery of A... by 9.30. Wonderful grove of Cypresses: drew a good deal: lovely day. Lunch. & drew - At. 2- after various sketches began to go homeward. Walked down the hill... To the sea thence, & bathed, & so by sand & hilly undulations... This house & familiy reminds me of Abruzzi days. Dr. Samuelli dined, & nothing could be more pleasant than the whole matter - save that they asked me to eat too much. However I was too tired to be as polite as I ought to be. Bed at 9.30 The Dr. goes to town tomorrow." Comp. Edward Lear's Diaries - The Private Journals of a Landscape Painter, ed. by Marco Graziosi, Houghton Library, Harvard University, MS Eng. 797.3. For comparable drawings by Edward Lear, which were executed during his trips to Greece: Exh. Cat. Edward Lear in Greece, 14th February – 8th June 2014, Scottisch National Gallery, Edinburgh.

The attribution to Edward Lear was confirmed by Dr. Briony Llewellyn on the basis of a photograph.