Where can I see Egypt and Nubia, Volume III: Bazaar of the Coppersmiths, Cairo?

Egypt and Nubia, Volume III: Bazaar of the Coppersmiths, Cairo is held by Cleveland Museum of Art.

What movement is Egypt and Nubia, Volume III: Bazaar of the Coppersmiths, Cairo?

Egypt and Nubia, Volume III: Bazaar of the Coppersmiths, Cairo is associated with Romanticism.

Artwork

Egypt and Nubia, Volume III: Bazaar of the Coppersmiths, Cairo

Egypt and Nubia, Volume III: Bazaar of the Coppersmiths, Cairo is a print by the Romanticist artist Louis Haghe. It dates from 1848 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Accession no.: 2012.190
Credit line: Bequest of John Bonebrake

About this work

Overview

Louis Haghe’s 1848 lithograph, titled Egypt and Nubia, Volume III: Bazaar of the Coppersmiths, Cairo, records a crowded market street in the Egyptian capital. Rendered in muted earth tones, the image captures vendors, shoppers in long robes, and the architectural rhythm of arches, balconies and a distant tower, conveying the everyday bustle of mid‑nineteenth‑century Cairo.

Subject & Meaning

The scene focuses on a lively commercial hub where merchants display copper wares and textiles, while locals gather around stalls and sit on the ground. By emphasizing the interaction of figures and the intricate layout of the market, the work offers a visual study of urban social life and trade practices in Egypt during the early Victorian era.

Technique & Style

Executed as a lithograph, the print reflects Haghe’s training in both watercolour and lithography, allowing fine line work and subtle tonal variation. Small details, such as the delicate rendering of hands, woven mats, and hanging cloth, demonstrate the artist’s meticulous approach, while the overall composition balances architectural depth with a crowded foreground.

History & Provenance

Haghe, a Belgian‑born British lithographer, co‑founded the London firm Day & Haghe, a leading publisher of illustrated works in the 1840s. This print formed part of a larger illustrated volume documenting Egypt and Nubia, produced for a European audience interested in the region’s geography and culture. The work now resides in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.