Plate 147 Obelisk at Luxor After David Roberts R.A.
This iconic view by Roberts depicts the Obelisk of Ramses II at Luxor on the 1st December 1838. 'The temple of Luxor was the main satellite of the huge sacred complex of Karnak, to which it was connected under Netanebo I by a majestic avenue of human-headed sphinxes almost two miles long. During the 19th dynasty Rameses II completed the temple by adding the great colonnaded courtyard with the axis towards the east, preceded by the huge front pylon decorated with reliefs portraying his victory against the Hittites at the battle of Kadesh. In front of it he erected two obelisks, covered with propitiatory inscriptions and scenes of offerings to Amun, which were donated to France by the Pasha of Egypt Mohammed Ali.' [1]
The drawings and watercolours from this sketching tour by David Roberts of the Holy Land and Egypt were collated together into folios and released over a seven year period between 1842 and 1849 by the publisher F.G. Moon from 20 Threadneedle Street London. This lithograph is an original First Edition version and was published on the 1st August 1846. Louis Haghe (the Belgian lithographer and friend of Roberts) oversaw and produced all of the lithographs for this series.
Medium: Original First Edition Lithograph, Full Plate, hand coloured on thick woven paper.
Full Plate 147.
Inscribed l.l. 'Luxor Decr 1st 1838' and l.r. 'David Roberts RA Louis Haghe lith', 48.5 x 32 cm (picture size), framed.
References:
[1] Fabio Bourbon (ed). Yesterday and Today: Egypt. Swan Hill Press: London, 1996, p.156. Translated by A.B.A., Milano.
Condition report: generally very good for its age. There are a couple of small foxing marks to the left of the obelisk. Please note, there are light reflections on the frame in the photographs.