Egypt and Nubia: Volume II - No. 14, Karnak

The image focuses on the imposing entrance to Karnak, one of the most significant religious sites of ancient Egypt. By highlighting the play of light across the stone and including human figures, Haghe conveys both the grandeur of the monument and its continued relevance as a place of human activity.

Executed in colour lithography, the work demonstrates Haghe’s skill in rendering atmospheric effects through careful gradations of tone. The use of colour distinguishes illuminated surfaces from shadowed areas, a hallmark of his approach to translating on‑site observations into printable form.

Born in Tournai in 1806, Hagge moved to England in 1823 and became a leading figure in British lithography, co‑founding the Day & Haghe firm in the 1830s. After traveling to Egypt during that decade, he produced a series of prints that circulated widely, offering European audiences visual access to Egyptian monuments.

The lithograph belongs to a broader Victorian fascination with Egyptology, a period when travelers and scholars sought to document and disseminate knowledge of ancient sites. Haghe’s prints contributed to the visual corpus that informed both academic study and popular imagination of Egypt in the 19th century.