Artwork
Civitella di Subiaco
Civitella di Subiaco is a print by the Romanticist artist Edward Lear. It dates from 1840 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
Overview
Created circa 1840 by the English polymath Edward Lear, this print depicts a tranquil mountainous landscape identified as Civitella di Subiaco.
Created circa 1840 by the English polymath Edward Lear, this print depicts a tranquil mountainous landscape identified as Civitella di Subiaco. The composition centers on a winding rocky track flanked by trees, a solitary palm bending over a stone, and a distant jagged summit beneath a softly clouded sky. The work exemplifies Lear’s transition from scientific illustration to the more lyrical rendering of places encountered during his travels.
Subject & Meaning
The image presents an idealized view of a real Italian locale, yet the treatment is more poetic than documentary. By emphasizing the interplay of light across foliage and rock, the scene conveys a sense of quiet contemplation, inviting the viewer to imagine the serenity of a remote hillside while hinting at the broader Romantic fascination with nature’s sublime aspects.
Technique & Style
Executed with precise line work and subtle tonal shading, the print balances crisp foreground details against a more atmospheric background. Lear’s background in zoological drawing informs the careful rendering of textures, while his later interest in landscape art appears in the softened edges of the sky and the nuanced gradations that suggest depth and distance.
History & Provenance
Lear produced the piece during a period of extensive travel across Europe, when he frequently transformed field sketches into illustrations for travel publications. Although originally intended for inclusion in such volumes, the print now resides in private and institutional collections that focus on 19th‑century British printmaking, reflecting its dual significance as both a travel record and a work of art.
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Artist & collection
Artist
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…
