Attempted Bloggery: Edward Lear's The Temple of Olympian Zeus

Sunday, March 18, 2012

Edward Lear's The Temple of Olympian Zeus

Edward Lear, known today largely for his nonsense verse and drawings, also did serious plain air painting during his travels. Here is his view of the Temple of Olympian Zeus with the Acropolis in the background.

Edward Lear (1812-1888)

The Temple of Olympian Zeus with the Acropolis beyond, Athens

inscribed and dated 'Athens./14 June. 1848.' and numbered '30' (lower right) and further inscribed 'The Acropolis at least/1/2 a mile further off/I .../put blue smoke from the city/& more ochre on pillar bases' (lower left)
pencil, pen and brown ink and watercolour, heightened with touches of bodycolour
10½ x 19½ in. (26.7 x 49.5 cm.)

Price Realized

£26,290

($38,226)
Sales totals are hammer price plus buyer’s premium and do not reflect costs, financing fees or application of buyer’s or seller’s credits.

Estimate

£15,000 - £20,000

($21,810 - $29,080)

Provenance

Canon Charles M. Church.
H.M.N. Hollis and by descent until 1985.

Literature

Vivian Noakes, Edward Lear 1812-1888, 1985, illustrated p. 49.
Susan Hyman, Edward Lear in the Levant, 1988, illustrated p. 44.

Exhibited

Sheffield, Graves Art Gallery, Edward Lear, 1964, catalogue untraced.
London, Royal Academy, Edward Lear 1812-1888, 1985, no. 20b, reproduced p. 49.