Artwork
Drawing of a door, John Frederick Lewis house in Cairo
Drawing of a door, John Frederick Lewis house in Cairo is a drawing by the Romanticist artist James William Wild. It dates from 1844 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
Overview
This 1844 drawing by James William Wild is one of 47 works documenting the interior of John Frederick Lewis's Cairo residence. It focuses on a specific architectural detail within the house.
Subject & Meaning
The drawing depicts a simple door with a decorative window above, set beside a plain column. The subject's simplicity belies its purpose: meticulously recording domestic Egyptian architecture of the time.
Technique & Style
Wild's attention to detail is evident in the rendered hinges, window grid, and geometric patterns in the window frame. Handwritten notes at the top suggest a practical, observational approach.
History & Provenance
Created in 1844 as part of a larger set of 47 drawings, this work's provenance is tied to Wild's documentation efforts in Cairo, though current ownership details are not specified here.
Context
Such drawings were commonly used to preserve pre-modernization architectural records. Similar works can be found at the Victoria and Albert Museum, highlighting a broader practice of 19th-century architectural documentation.
Artist & collection
Artist
James William Wild drew what he saw: the carved wooden doors of John Frederick Lewis’s Cairo home and the patterned walls inside.
