Artwork

Egypt and Nubia, Volume II: Temple of Isis on the Roof of the Great Temple of Dendera

Egypt and Nubia, Volume II: Temple of Isis on the Roof of the Great Temple of Dendera is a print by the Romanticist artist Louis Haghe. It dates from 1848 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.

About this work

The background has distant mountains and a cloudy sky, while the ground is rocky and uneven.

This sketch shows a small temple on a rooftop, with two tall columns and a flat roof. In front of it, a person sits on a low wall, looking toward the structure. The background has distant mountains and a cloudy sky, while the ground is rocky and uneven.

The temple’s name, *Isis*, is written at the bottom of the image. This print was made in 1848 by an artist who traveled to Egypt to draw ruins.

Look up The Cleveland Museum of Art to see where this sketch is kept.

Overview

Louis Haghe’s 1848 lithograph, part of the second volume of *Egypt and Nubia*, records the Temple of Isis situated on the roof of the Great Temple at Dendera. The image presents a modest, roof‑top sanctuary framed by two slender columns, a flat roof, and a rocky foreground that recedes toward distant, cloud‑dotted mountains.

Subject & Meaning

The drawing focuses on the small shrine dedicated to the goddess Isis, emphasizing its elevated position within the larger Dendera complex. A solitary figure seated on a low wall gazes toward the temple, suggesting a contemplative engagement with the ancient structure.

Technique & Style

Executed in lithography, the work combines precise architectural line work with delicate washes reminiscent of Haghe’s watercolor training. The contrast between the stark stone forms and the atmospheric sky reflects the artist’s interest in both structural detail and landscape ambience.

History & Provenance

Created after Haghe’s travel to Egypt, the print was published in 1848 as part of a series documenting Egyptian and Nubian monuments. The lithograph entered the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it is currently held.

Context

The image belongs to a broader 19th‑century European fascination with antiquities, a period when artists and scholars produced extensive visual records of Egyptian sites. Haghe’s work contributed to the dissemination of knowledge about Dendera’s temple architecture among Western audiences.