Artwork

Mosque of Sultan Hassan at Cairo

Mosque of Sultan Hassan at Cairo, by Unknown, 1830
Mosque of Sultan Hassan at Cairo, by Unknown, 1830

Mosque of Sultan Hassan at Cairo is a drawing by the Romanticist artist Unknown. It dates from 1830 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.

About this work

Overview

This drawing depicts the Mosque of Sultan Hassan in Cairo, created around 1830 as part of a series of sketches for an illustration in a book on Egypt.

Subject & Meaning

The drawing shows the mosque's imposing stone structure with a large dome and minarets, surrounded by people in the foreground, capturing a moment of everyday life near this significant architectural landmark.

Technique & Style

The artist rendered the intricate designs on the mosque's walls and towers with great detail, employing a style characteristic of the Romanticism movement, which valued emotion and beauty.

History & Provenance

The drawing was adapted from plates in the *Description de l'Égypte*, a work based on observations from the French military expedition to Egypt, and was used in Michael Russell's 1831 book *View of Ancient and Modern Egypt*.

Artist & collection

Artist

Unknown

entity whose identity is not known