Lot 836 Edward Lear (1812-1888), "A Street Scene in Vevey, Switzerland", watercolour, inscribed and dated 1837, 28cm x 18cm, within a stained wood frame. Provenance: Christie's 8th July 1997, lot no.76. Note: Executed during Edward Lear's first journey to Italy in 1837, the present watercolour belongs to a pivotal period in the artist's career, when his reputation as a topographical draughtsman was rapidly becoming established. Leaving London in July, Lear journeyed through Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany before passing through Vevey, on the northern shore of Lake Geneva, en route to Rome, where he arrived in December. Situated at the mouth of the Veveyse Valley beneath Mont Pélerin, Vevey offered Lear a striking combination of Alpine scenery and expansive views across Lake Geneva. Although almost certainly begun on the spot, the present work was subsequently developed into a highly finished watercolour, representative of the carefully resolved exhibition watercolours that characterised Lear's early career. £1600-2200
