This dates from Lear’s third trip to Egypt in the winter of 1866-67. He left Cairo with his servant Giorgio and they met Lear’s Canadian cousin Archie Jones at Luxor. They reached the southern-most point of their journey on 4th February at Abu Seer and the present watercolour dates from 16th February 1867 on their return. Toske or Toski is on the Nile between Abu Simbel (which Lear visited on 8th February) and the rock temple Derr (11th February) and was the site of a battle in the Sudan War on 3rd August 1889. The picture was started 'en plein air' in 1867 and revisited for completion in 1881.

Other watercolours executed at Toski are in the collection of the National Gallery of Scotland (annotated ‘2.30-2.45pm’ and numbered 398) and were with the Fine Art Society in 1970 (numbered 393) and with the Leger Galleries in 1987 (‘2-2.30pm’ and numbered 397). A further view taken at Toski, numbered 389, was sold at Christie’s on 21st November 2001, lot 60 for £10,575