Temple of Ramesses II, Abu Simbel

c. 1860s

Antonio Beato

(British, c. 1825–1903)

Culture

England, 19th century

Medium

albumen print from wet collodion negative

Measurements

Image: 26.1 x 38.4 cm (10 1/4 x 15 1/8 in.); Matted: 45.7 x 55.9 cm (18 x 22 in.)

Credit Line

John L. Severance Fund 1992.307

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Location

Not on view

Description

Throughout the 1800s and into the 1900s, prints, paintings, and photographs, like Louis Haghe’s Egypt and Nubia series, brought back by artists who voyaged to Egypt, inspired American and European artists, architects, and designers to emulate ancient Egyptian motifs and styles. Egyptomania blossomed through the 1800s and can be seen in architecture around cities like Washington, DC, and in the interiors of aristocratic homes, as well as in funerary monuments, such as in Lake View Cemetery in Cleveland, Ohio. Looking back at these creations provides an interesting historical groundwork for debating who has the right to interpret Egyptian motifs and styles.