Peasant Women from Ragusa 1848 - 1866

This watercolour, "Peasant Women from Ragusa" by Edward Lear captures figures and ethnographic observations on a single sheet. The composition, rather than presenting a complete scene, is fragmented, featuring sketches of women in traditional dress, annotations, and details of clothing. The figures are rendered with quick, fluid lines and washes of colour. The clothing, with its ornate patterns and textures, seems to invite us to decipher a cultural semiotic. Lear uses colour not to create realism, but to highlight specific details. The red fez-like hats, the blues and browns of the dresses, all stand out against the pale background, creating a chromatic structure. Lear's use of line and colour blurs the boundaries between observation and artistic interpretation. The annotations around the figures suggest an attempt to fix meaning and place the scene within a broader cultural context. The composition resists a singular, stable reading, inviting ongoing interpretation.