Artwork

Egypt and Nubia, Volume III: Cairo from the Gate of Citzenib, Looking towards the Desert of Suez

Egypt and Nubia, Volume III: Cairo from the Gate of Citzenib, Looking towards the Desert of Suez is a print by the Romanticist artist Louis Haghe. It dates from 1849 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.

About this work

Overview

The lithographic print, created in 1849, presents a view from the gate of Citzenib toward the desert beyond Suez, capturing the western fringe of Cairo. The composition balances a distant city skyline with a foreground populated by a prominent white domed building, smaller structures, and figures, conveying the bustling atmosphere of an urban gateway.

Subject & Meaning

The scene illustrates Cairo’s transition from its fortified entrance to the surrounding desert, highlighting the interplay between built environment and open landscape. The gathering of people and a lone horseman suggest everyday movement, while the architectural focus underscores the city’s role as a cultural and commercial hub at the edge of the Sahara.

Technique & Style

Executed in lithography with watercolor touches, the work employs a muted palette of earth tones, contrasting deep shadows with bright highlights to model forms. The detailed rendering of architectural elements reflects the precision typical of early Victorian travel prints, while the atmospheric treatment of light and space hints at Romantic sensibilities toward exotic locales.

History & Provenance

The print was produced by Louis Haghe, a Belgian‑born British lithographer who co‑founded the influential Day & Haghe firm in London around 1830. Part of a larger series documenting Egyptian and Nubian scenery, this image was issued in the third volume of the series, aimed at European audiences fascinated by Middle Eastern travel during the mid‑nineteenth century.