This very nice drawing by English painter Edward Lear (1812-1888) was sold yesterday at Christie’s London for EUR 25.000. It is a study made with pencil and watercolour paint for a later painting. On the paper some text is visible, such as the names of colours and the word Arbutus or Strawberry tree . The words are instructions for himself when making a painting of this sketch.

On more or less the same location Lear made this painting but without the monastery. In my opinion the watercolours are much more interesting then the paintings Lear made.

Look at the fine lines and the soft colours and the texts in the upper corner. Lear made this watercolour on the 2nd of September 1856 standing on the coastal path to Pantocratoros.

In 2015 we had this view on the smallest monastery of the peninsula.

In 2019, low-hanging clouds clung on the mountains, but Stavronikita was clearly in sight. The photograph is taken just outside Pantocratoros.

Herman Voogd (thanks to Gerry Brisch)