Lee Wright Antiques and Interiors

Description

A set of four framed etchings depicting scenes and artefacts from Napoleon's scientific voyage to Egypt.
General Bonaparte left for Egypt at the end of spring in 1798, taking with him 50,000 men and eight hundred horses. This force included 160 scientists, engineers and artists whose task it was to study everything there was to find out about Egypt.

The engravings where probably made by Nicolas Conté who was an ingenious inventor who designed an engraving machine that allowed the 'Description de l'Eygpt' to be printed. He was noted for his exceptional manual dexterity. “He had all of the sciences in his head and all of the arts in his hand,” according to a saying often attributed to Napoleon Bonaparte.

1. Statues and fragments of black granite and red granite found in the tombs of the kings to the west. They are lids of vases found in the underground vaults.

2. North view of the temple for the labourers.

3. Relief sculptures on the wall in the south gallery of the palace.

4. A view of the palace at Thebes.

Excellent pieces of history!