Artwork

Capo Sant'Angelo, Amalfi

Capo Sant'Angelo, Amalfi, by Edward Lear, ink, 1885
Capo Sant'Angelo, Amalfi, by Edward Lear, ink, 1885

Capo Sant'Angelo, Amalfi is an ink drawing by the Impressionist artist Edward Lear. It dates from 1885 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. Created circa 1885, this drawing depicts the headland of Capo Sant'Angelo on Italy’s Amalfi coast.

About this work

Overview

Created circa 1885, this drawing depicts the headland of Capo Sant'Angelo on Italy’s Amalfi coast. Executed with pen and brown ink laid over a graphite underdrawing on wove paper, the image captures the rugged cliffs rising from the sea under a clear sky, with a small fishing vessel positioned near the shoreline to suggest scale.

Subject & Meaning

The composition presents a coastal promontory viewed from the water, emphasizing the stark, jagged rock formations that characterize the Amalfi shoreline. The inclusion of a lone boat introduces a human element, highlighting the relationship between the natural environment and the modest maritime activity that has long been part of the region’s livelihood.

Technique & Style

The artist employed a quick, confident line quality, beginning with a graphite sketch that establishes the basic forms before applying brown ink for definition. The pen work varies between fine hatching for texture and broader strokes to convey the mass of the cliffs, while the limited palette focuses attention on line and contrast rather than color.

History & Provenance

The drawing was produced by an English illustrator and poet who traveled extensively in Italy during the late nineteenth century. It entered the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, where it is catalogued among other landscape studies made by the artist during his Italian voyages.

Context

During the 1880s the artist frequently recorded Mediterranean coastlines, integrating his natural‑history illustration background with a personal interest in light and topography. This work fits within a broader series of sketches that document the dramatic geology and seascapes of southern Italy, reflecting contemporary fascination with travel and the picturesque.

Artist & collection

Portrait of Edward Lear

Artist

Edward Lear

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…

This work is in the public domain (CC0). Image source: National Gallery of Art open access. Spotted an error in this record? Tell us.