Pyramids of Geezeh by David Roberts

Pyramids of Geezeh by David Roberts

C. 1856

Hand Colored Lithograph

The scene offers a sweeping view across the Giza Plateau, featuring the Pyramid of Khafre on the left and the larger Pyramid of Khufu on the right. The Great Sphinx emerges in the middle distance, while portions of the funerary complex associated with Menkaure are visible nearby. In the foreground, several Arab figures gather on a rocky promontory, their presence providing a sense of scale as they rest and admire the timeless spectacle of Egypt's most iconic monuments.

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