Colossal Statues in the Plain of Thebes by David Roberts

Colossal Statues in the Plain of Thebes by David Roberts

C. 1856

Lithograph

This nineteenth-century lithograph, titled Colossal Statues in the Plain of Thebes, during the Inundation of the Nile, was created by the Scottish artist David Roberts. It depicts the Colossi of Memnon, two massive quartzite statues of Pharaoh Amenhotep III dating to the fourteenth century BCE, standing on the west bank of the Nile near ancient Thebes. The scene captures the statues partially submerged during the annual Nile inundation, emphasizing both their monumental scale and their enduring presence within the Egyptian landscape. The Colossi were among the most famous monuments of the ancient world because one of the statues was reputed to "sing" at dawn, producing mysterious sounds that attracted travelers and pilgrims for centuries and made the site one of antiquity's earliest tourist destinations.

The Holy Land, Syria, Idumea, Arabia, Egypt & Nubia is regarded as one of the most important illustrated travel publications of the nineteenth century. Based on sketches Roberts completed during an eleven-month journey through Egypt and the Middle East between 1838 and 1839, the series introduced many Western audiences to the region's temples, landscapes, and historic monuments with an unprecedented level of accuracy and detail. Roberts was among the first Western artists granted access to several sacred mosques and restricted sites, allowing him to record subjects rarely seen by European viewers. His drawings, later transformed into masterful lithographs by Louis Haghe, helped fuel nineteenth-century European fascination with Egypt and the Near East and played a significant role in shaping the visual culture of Orientalist art. Today, the series remains one of the most influential pictorial records of the region produced during the age of exploration and travel.

Dimensions: H 8 x 11 1/4 W

Condition: Some foxing