Southern Portion of the Rock-cut Temple of Hathor, Abu Simbel
1850
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1850
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
You see a carved stone temple front with tall columns and a quiet courtyard. Figures in ancient dress are painted or carved into the stone walls. The sun hits part of the building, leaving other areas in shadow. Maxime Du Camp took this image during a trip to Egypt in 1849. He was one of the first people to use photography to record old monuments. He traveled with the writer Gustave Flaubert, and together they studied the ruins and writing on the walls. His photos helped Western scholars learn more about these sites. Look next at france, 19th century.
