Live Auction 17081Old Master and British Drawings and Watercolours Including Works from the Collection of Jean Bonna
After Edward Lear (London 1812-1888 San Remo)
Lot 230 Property from the descendants of Charles Church (lots 229-244)

After Edward Lear (London 1812-1888 San Remo)

The Acropolis from the southwest, with the Temple of Athena Niké

Closed2 July 2019

Price Realised

GBP 3,000

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After Edward Lear (London 1812-1888 San Remo)
The Acropolis from the southwest, with the Temple of Athena Niké
inscribed and dated 'Athens. / 5. 6. 7. June / 1848' (lower left), and inscribed and numbered '(6) / a copy, made June 1866; the original belongs to / F.L.' (Penned & traced in Edward Lear's hand (?) by F. Underhill)' (lower right)
pencil, pen and brown ink and watercolour, heightened with bodycolour
12 7/8 x 20 3/8 in. (32.7 x 51.8 cm.)

Charles Church, and by descent to the present owners.

Specialist note

The 'F.L.' mentioned in the inscription must be Franklin Lushington (1823-1901), Lear's great friend who he met in Malta in 1849. Lear would later live with Lushington in Corfu, where the latter was a judge. Frederick Thomas Underhill (1846-1897) was best known as a copyist for the Guild of St George. Lear employed Underhill to prepare his illustrations of Tennyson's poems for reproduction, but seemingly also employed him to copy other drawings: a diary entry from 31 October 1864 reads 'Paid young Underhill £2.10.0 for his work: a good Lad'.