Who painted Egypt and Nubia, Volume II: Karnak?

Egypt and Nubia, Volume II: Karnak was painted by Louis Haghe in 1847.

Where can I see Egypt and Nubia, Volume II: Karnak?

Egypt and Nubia, Volume II: Karnak is held by Cleveland Museum of Art.

What movement is Egypt and Nubia, Volume II: Karnak?

Egypt and Nubia, Volume II: Karnak is associated with Romanticism.

Artwork

Egypt and Nubia, Volume II: Karnak

Louis Haghe , 1847

Egypt and Nubia, Volume II: Karnak is a print by the Romanticist artist Louis Haghe. It dates from 1847 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Accession no.: 2012.167
Credit line: Bequest of John Bonebrake

About this work

Overview

Louis Haghe’s 1847 lithograph, titled Egypt and Nubia, Volume II: Karnak, presents a panoramic view of the Karnak temple complex set within a desert landscape.

Louis Haghe’s 1847 lithograph, titled Egypt and Nubia, Volume II: Karnak, presents a panoramic view of the Karnak temple complex set within a desert landscape. The image captures the monumental stone structure amid scattered ruins, palm trees, and a shallow pool, with a hazy sky and distant hills framing the scene. The composition emphasizes the scale of the temple against its surrounding environment.

Subject & Meaning

The print records the archaeological site of Karnak, reflecting the 19th‑century European drive to document ancient Egyptian monuments. By situating the temple among modest human figures and natural elements, the work conveys both the grandeur of the ancient structure and its integration into a living, albeit remote, landscape.

Technique & Style

Executed in fine, precise lithographic lines, Haghe renders stone textures and sand with meticulous detail, creating a quiet yet richly rendered surface. The controlled line work and balanced tonal contrasts give the scene a measured clarity typical of early Victorian printmaking, while the overall composition retains a subtle sense of depth and atmosphere.

History & Provenance

Created by the London firm Day & Haghe, the lithograph emerged from a partnership between Louis Haghe, who settled in England in 1823 after training as a watercolourist and lithographer, and William Day. Their studio quickly became a leading early Victorian lithographic operation, producing works that catered to the period’s fascination with Egyptology.