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Edfoo

Maria Harriett Mathias

1857

watercolor

From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum

Biedermeier Impressionism Realism Early 19th Century Architectural

Dominant colour

Edfoo is a 1857 watercolor by Maria Harriett Mathias, a Biedermeier work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.

Who painted this?: Maria Harriett Mathias
When & what style?: 1857 · Biedermeier
Where can I see it?: Victoria and Albert Museum

About this work

This sketch shows a row of ancient stone ruins with tall, carved columns and crumbling walls. In front, three people walk or sit on the sandy ground—one in blue, two in light robes. The ruins have hieroglyphs and faded carvings on the walls, and the sky above is a pale blue wash. The artist focused on how light hits the worn stones, making some parts look bright and others shadowy. This was a common way to show depth in early sketches. Next, check out Victoria and Albert Museum to see more of this artist’s work.

The story of this work

Overview

A watercolour drawing titled *Edfoo* by Maria Harriet Mathias (née Rawstorne), created in 1857 during her travels in Egypt. The work depicts a scene in Alexandria, begun on February 25, 1857, as noted in her diary, showing the entrance to a hall supported by columns. The drawing was likely part of an album containing her watercolours from a tour of Egypt, the Levant, and Italy, along with botanical studies, some of which were sold at Christie’s in 1978. The piece was later acquired by The Fine Art Society before entering the collection of the Royal Geographical Society.

Read the full account in the museum source.

About the artist

Artist

Maria Harriett Mathias

Maria Harriet Mathias painted delicate watercolors of the Middle East in 1857. The five works in this set show views from Egypt and Lebanon—Edfoo’s temple walls, cedar groves, a boat trip near Asouan, the skyline of…

See the richer artist page