Artwork
Pyramids and Sphinx - Sun setting
Pyramids and Sphinx - Sun setting 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
Pyramids and Sphinx - Sun setting is a drawing circa 1830, originally created for illustration purposes in Michael Russell’s 1831 publication *View of Ancient and Modern Egypt*. It is one of seven sketches based on earlier French engravings.
Subject & Meaning
The drawing depicts a serene desert landscape at sunset, featuring three pyramids in the background, the Sphinx by a river in the foreground, alongside workers and animals engaged in laborious activities, conveying a sense of tranquil industriousness.
Technique & Style
The artwork employs thin, repeated lines, characteristic of the cross-hatching technique popular during the period, to achieve textured shadows and dimensional forms, lending the scene depth and visual interest.
History & Provenance
Initially attributed to Joseph Schranz, this drawing is actually adapted from an engraving (Volume V, Plate 8) in the *Description de l'Égypte* (1809–22), with the original engraving credited to Branston.
Context
Created for *View of Ancient and Modern Egypt*, it reflects early 19th-century European interest in Egyptian antiquities, facilitated by sources like *Description de l'Égypte*, a seminal work from Napoleon’s Egyptian expedition.
Artist & collection
Domestic Scene
Giacomo and Cardinal Marco, investing Andrea, Abbot of San Zeno, with his Benefice
The Nymph of Fontainebleau
Portrait of a Woman
Madonna and Child with Saints in the Enclosed Garden
Venus and Minerva
Family Group of Four on Sofa
Wall painting from Room H of the Villa of P. Fannius Synistor at Boscoreale
