1858
watercolor
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
Masada is a 1858 watercolor by Edward Lear, a Impressionism work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
This painting shows a rugged landscape with a large rocky outcrop in the foreground. The scene is set against a pale blue sky with a few wispy clouds. In the distance, a body of water stretches out to the horizon. The artist has used a range of earthy tones to capture the texture and depth of the rocky terrain. The brushstrokes are loose and expressive, giving the painting a sense of energy and movement. The painting's use of light and shadow creates a sense of depth and atmosphere, drawing the viewer's eye into the scene. To learn more about the artist's use of chiaroscuro, a technique that uses strong contrasts between light and dark to create a sense of volume and depth, look up chiaroscuro.
A watercolour drawing by Edward Lear from 1858, depicting Masada during his journey from Petra to Jerusalem. The work is part of a series of studies of the site, including a larger watercolour executed on the same day and a seven-foot oil painting exhibited in 1861. The drawing was later sold at Christie’s in 1977.
Read the full account in the museum source.
Edward Lear (12 May 1812 – 29 January 1888) was an English artist, illustrator, musician, author and poet, who is known mostly for his literary nonsense in poetry and prose and especially his limericks, a form he popularised but which term he never used.
See the richer artist pageYour cart is empty
Explore artworks →
