Toski on the Nile, Egypt

Toski on the Nile, Egypt

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86

Edward Lear (1812-1888)
Toski on the Nile, Egypt

Inscribed lower left:
Toske. 4 5. p.m. and numbered 401 lower right
Pen and brown ink and watercolour
6.2 by 17.5cm., 2 ¼ by 6 ¾ inches

This dates from Lear's third trip to Egypt in the winter of 1866-67. He left Cairo with his servant Giorgio and they met Lear's Canadian cousin Archie Jones at Luxor. They reached the southern-most point of their journey on 4
th February at Abu Seer and the present watercolour dates from 10th February 1867 on their return. Toske or Toski is on the Nile between Abu Simbel (which Lear visited on 8th February) and the rock temple Derr (11th February) and was the site of a battle in the Sudan War on 3rd August 1889.

Other watercolours executed at Toski are in the collection of the National Gallery of Scotland (annotated `2.30-2.45pm' and numbered 398) and were with the Fine Art Society in 1970(numbered 393) and with the Leger Galleries in 1987 (`2-2.30pm' and numbered 397). No. 400, drawn at 4pm, is in the collection of Yale Center for British Art. A further view taken at Toski, numbered 389, was sold at Christie's on 21
st November 2001, lot 60 for £10,575.