Artwork

Egypt and Nubia: Volume II - No. 38, Grand Entrances to the Temple of Luxor

Egypt and Nubia: Volume II - No. 38, Grand Entrances to the Temple of Luxor is a print by the Romanticist artist Louis Haghe. It dates from 1838 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. Created in 1838, this lithographic print portrays the massive gateway of the Luxor Temple in Egypt.

About this work

Overview

Created in 1838, this lithographic print portrays the massive gateway of the Luxor Temple in Egypt. A towering stone façade, centered by a tall obelisk, dominates a desert setting under a pale, cloud‑streaked sky. Scattered figures on camels and horses animate the scene, emphasizing the monument’s scale and the surrounding landscape.

Subject & Meaning

The image records the ceremonial entrance to one of ancient Egypt’s most significant religious complexes. By including travelers and livestock, the composition juxtaposes the timeless grandeur of the stone architecture with the everyday activity of 19th‑century visitors, hinting at the temple’s continued relevance as a cultural landmark.

Technique & Style

Executed by lithographer Louis Haghe, the work combines fine line work with delicate washes that simulate watercolor effects, a hallmark of his practice. The contrast of light and shadow renders the stone’s texture and depth, while the muted palette reflects the Romantic fascination with exotic locales and atmospheric ambience.

History & Provenance

Louis Haghe (1806–1885), born in Tournai and trained in watercolor, settled in London in 1823. In the 1830s he co‑founded the influential lithographic firm Day & Haghe, which supplied many of the era’s illustrated travel volumes. This print appears as plate No. 38 in the second volume of the series "Egypt and Nubia," produced for a British audience interested in antiquarian travel.

Context

The image belongs to a broader Victorian project of documenting ancient sites through illustrated publications. Such works catered to a growing public appetite for Egyptology and fed the Romantic imagination, presenting distant monuments as both scholarly subjects and sources of visual wonder.