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This lithograph depicts a view of the vast temple complex of Karnak as a landscape of broken stone and overwhelming scale, where architecture feels almost geological in its permanence. Colossal columns and fallen blocks dominate the scene. Their surfaces are thick with hieroglyphs and relief carvings, rendered with meticulous care, yet many lie fractured or half-buried in sand. The ruins stretch laterally across the composition, giving the impression that the complex extends far beyond the frame. Upright columns stand like a petrified forest, while toppled drums and lintels suggest the slow collapse of an ancient order. A group of Egyptian men, a woman with a large jar on her head, and a child are sitting or standing on a stone slab in the foreground.
This duotone lithograph is printed on a sheet has wide margins. Overall the sheet measures 16.75" high and 23.88" wide. There is a band of discoloration in the upper margin on the right which slightly involves the upper edge of the if the image and a faint horizontal crease in the upper margin of the sheet. The image is otherwise in very good condition.
The drawings and watercolors from Roberts' tour of the Holy Land and Egypt were collated together into folios and released over a seven year period by the publisher F.G. Moon from 20 Threadneedle Street London. This lithograph is from the Royal Subscription Edition (1842-1849) with only 500 copies produced per depiction. Louis Haghe (the Belgian engraver and friend of Roberts) worked on all of the lithographs for this series.
David Roberts (1796-1864) was born outside of Edinburgh, Scotland. At age 10 he became a house painter’s apprentice. He continued painting houses and eventually theater scenes in Edinburgh and then in London. His friend, J. M. W. Turner, recognized his artistic talent and encouraged him to become a full-time artist.
In 1839 Roberts traveled to Egypt and then in 1840, through the Holy Land, concluding in Jerusalem. Upon his return to England, F. G. Moon agreed to publish lithographs created by Louis Haghe from Robert’s sketches and watercolors. This publication was highly acclaimed and very popular for its esthetic quality, its historical and topographical accuracy, and Robert’s dramatic depiction of his scenes. Queen Victoria and Charles Dickens were among the subscribers who collected his works. Roberts' and Haghe’s duotone lithographs, often colored, remain extremely sought-after today and have been rising steadily in value.
