Isola Bella, Lago Maggiore
1839
Long before he became famous for writing silly limericks and nonsense poetry, Edward Lear traveled Italy capturing dramatic landscapes like this 1839 sketch of Lake Maggiore. Elegantly dressed women in the foreground gaze across the calm water toward the grand, terraced palace of Isola Bella, while massive, dark storm clouds brew ominously over the mountains. It's a perfect snapshot of the Romantic era's obsession with nature's sublime power and the fashionable 'Grand Tour' of Europe. You can almost feel the cool breeze rolling off the lake as you look at those tiny, awestruck figures!
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