- 223
EDWARD LEAR | On the Nile at Mensheeh
Estimate
2,500 - 3,500 GBP
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Description
- Lear
- On the Nile at Mensheeh
- Pen and brown ink and watercolour;inscribed, dated and numbered, lower left: dark brown / clay / Mensheeh / 2.15. P.M. Jany 11 1867 / (129)
- 73 by 165 mm
Provenance
Sale, London, Christie's, 12 April 1994, lot 171
Condition
The work has remained in good condition. In the upper left hand corner the paper has darkened slightly (although this is only visible on very close inspection). There is a very small paper loss at the upper right hand corner. The sheet is not laid down.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
Catalogue Note
In early December 1866, Lear left England for his third visit to Egypt. He had once described the Nile as a “magnificent river”, and had found himself astonished by the colours, so it is unsurprising that his second trip to Egypt involved another excursion up the Nile. This time, he planned to travel up the Nile through the Nubian desert to the second cataract, yet on arriving in Cairo he discovered that it would cost him £400 to do so. Desperate to take the boat, Lear wrote to his friends asking for a loan, on the assurance that the borrowed money would be repaid once he had returned to England. He succeeded in raising the necessary funds and set off, stopping at Luxor where a cousin, Archie Jones, joined him for the excursion. Mansheeh, illustrated in the present drawing, lies between Cairo and Luxor, and is the site of a Hellenistic town. Lear depicts here the edge of the Nile with boats in the foreground, and buildings in the distance.