Florence from San Miniato
Florence from San Miniato
Florence from San MiniatoSigned lower right: E. Lear/1838Watercolour over pencil heightened with bodycolour and gum arabic19.3 by 30.2 cm., 7 ½ by 11 ¾ in.Provenance:With Davis Galleries, New York;Deane F. Johnson, his sale, Christie's, 18th November 2004, lot 70;By descent to the present ownerThis dates from Lear's first European trip. He left England in the summer of 1837 and did not return permanently to London until the late 1840s. He reached Florence in November and recalled `the clear lilac mountains all round it - the exquisite walks on every side to hills covered with villages, convents and cypresses, where you have the whole city beneath you - the bustle of the Grand Duke's court and the fine shops - the endless churches - the Zebra Cathedral of black and white marble - the crowds of towers and steeples - all these make Florence a little Paradise in its way - if it were but hotter. - Oh! How I used to go shivering about!' (quoted in Jenny Uglow, Mr Lear - A Life of Art and Nonsense, 2017, pp.110-111). He left the city with some regret but the cold urged him southwards and he was in Rome in mid December.){kind=link}
Edward Lear (1812-1888)
Florence from San Miniato
Signed lower right: E. Lear/1838
Watercolour over pencil heightened with bodycolour and gum arabic
19.3 by 30.2 cm., 7 ½ by 11 ¾ in.
Provenance:
With Davis Galleries, New York;
Deane F. Johnson, his sale, Christie's, 18th November 2004, lot 70;
By descent to the present owner
This dates from Lear's first European trip. He left England in the summer of 1837 and did not return permanently to London until the late 1840s. He reached Florence in November and recalled `the clear lilac mountains all round it - the exquisite walks on every side to hills covered with villages, convents and cypresses, where you have the whole city beneath you - the bustle of the Grand Duke's court and the fine shops - the endless churches - the Zebra Cathedral of black and white marble - the crowds of towers and steeples - all these make Florence a little Paradise in its way - if it were but hotter. - Oh! How I used to go shivering about!' (quoted in Jenny Uglow, Mr Lear - A Life of Art and Nonsense, 2017, pp.110-111). He left the city with some regret but the cold urged him southwards and he was in Rome in mid December.