Petra
1858
watercolor
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
1858
watercolor
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
Edward Lear painted Petra’s cliffs in watercolour in 1858. The cliffs rise like red walls around a narrow gorge. In the background, a tiny human figure walks toward the entrance. Lear visited Petra during a long trip through the Near East. He faced health troubles but kept drawing. His watercolours show places as he saw them, not as grand tourist views. Look next at another Lear, Edward.
