The Temple of Olympian Zeus, Greece

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Artist: Edward Lear (English, 1812–1888)
Medium: Pencil and watercolor heightened with white, on buff paper
Size: 9.8 × 19.4 cm (3 7/8 × 7 5/8 in.)
Culture: English
Museum: J. Paul Getty Museum
Rights: CC0 — no rights reserved

Having achieved only modest success as an artist throughout his career, Edward Lear sought to make money later in life by reprising versions of iconic and popular views that were affordable and easily marketable. Accounts tell of him lining up sheets of paper in a sort of production line to produce multiple images of the same scene, laying in each part of the composition in sequence.

This watercolor of the Temple of Olympian Zeus with the Acropolis in the background is a typical example of that work, and also reflects the relatively small size of these productions. It was made on the basis of larger multiple sketches taken on site in June 1848. These watercolors of his late production can be differentiated from the earlier sketches by their lack of color notes and inscriptions, their completeness of composition (no gaps or areas left incomplete), and the addition of his initials.

Text: J. Paul Getty Trust, CC BY 4.0.