Ferdinand Bauer, a German draftsman, was hired by John Sibthorpe for an expedition to Greece to collect organic specimens that later resulted in the publication of the famous botanical work Flora Graeca Sibthorpiana.

Another member of the scientific party was Ninian Imrie, a Scotish mineralogist who took several geological specimen f.i. a piece of general rock from the highest point of the summit. Imrie stated that Athos was “beautiful beyond description”. Both Bauer and Imrie depicted Skiti Anna in 1787.

The main building of Sk. Anna which is seen on the works of Bauer and Imrie.

The original drawing by Ferdinand Bauer of Sk. Anna which is a little bit different from the image in the book.

This is how the situation is today; Skiti Anna on the west slope of Mount Athos.

The expedition on Athos lasted 4 days. They went from Dafni to Xeropotamou to Karyes and to Iviron. They got mules from the Iviron monastery and walked in 6 hours to Lavra. From Lavra they climbed the top and ended the journey in Sk. Anna.

Bauer made a few landscape drawings such as this one from the westcoast but he was hired to draw plants.

An example of a plant drawing by Bauer.

Herman Voogd