This sketch of the Nile by Edward Lear was taken on 30 January 1867 during the artist’s third visit to Egypt. It shows a traditional Egyptian cargo vessel crowded with a large number of people sailing along the river in mid-stream. Barren land is outlined in the background, whereas the spectator appears to be standing on rocks in the immediate foreground. Two smaller sketches of ships, unconnected to the scene, can be seen in the bottom and upper left corners of the sheet.


By the time of his third visit to Egypt, Lear had established his individual style, which, despite its sense of detailed observation, mostly emphasizes sensitive colouring and rather swooping pencil lines. Lear tended to scribble notes onto the image clearly marking them as sketches, including descriptive comments on staffage figures or vegetation, but also on colour hues.

In this view Lear does specify the location as ‘Shetaal’ and remarks on the figures on the vessel ‘150 blameless Ethiopians’, turning the watercolour into a visual journal record of his journey.