Artwork

Egypt and Nubia, Volume III: Bullack, Cairo

Egypt and Nubia, Volume III: Bullack, Cairo, by Louis Haghe, 1846
Egypt and Nubia, Volume III: Bullack, Cairo, by Louis Haghe, 1846

Egypt and Nubia, Volume III: Bullack, Cairo is a print by the Romanticist artist Louis Haghe. It dates from 1846 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.

About this work

Overview

Created circa 1846, this lithographic print by Louis Haghe portrays a bustling street in Cairo. Central to the composition is a prominent building crowned with a tall, intricately carved tower and dome, flanked by stone structures with balconies and windows. Pedestrians, horses and carts animate the scene, while the muted palette of browns and grays conveys a sense of historic urban life.

Subject & Meaning

The image documents a typical Cairo thoroughfare, emphasizing the coexistence of monumental architecture and everyday activity. By foregrounding the towering central edifice, the work highlights the city's architectural heritage, while the surrounding figures suggest the rhythm of daily commerce and travel in mid‑nineteenth‑century Egypt.

Technique & Style

Executed as a lithograph, the print showcases Haghe’s precise line work and attention to surface texture. Fine hatching renders stone façades and decorative motifs, while layered washes of muted tones produce depth without vivid coloration. The overall approach aligns with the detailed, observational style favored by early Victorian lithographers documenting foreign locales.

History & Provenance

Louis Hagge, a Belgian‑born artist who established the London lithographic firm Day & Haghe, produced this piece as part of the multi‑volume series "Egypt and Nubia." The series aimed to record Egyptian and Nubian landscapes and architecture for a European audience. The print remains a representative example of mid‑19th‑century visual travel literature.

Artist & collection

Portrait of Louis Haghe

Artist

Louis Haghe

Louis Haghe (17 March 1806 – 9 March 1885) was a lithographer and watercolourist from the Netherlands and then the United Kingdom.

This work is in the public domain (CC0). Image source: Cleveland Museum of Art open access. Spotted an error in this record? Tell us.