1860
watercolor
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
Cleopatra's Needle, Alexandria, Egypt is a 1860 watercolor by John Shae Perring, a Impressionism work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
This sketch shows a tall, narrow stone obelisk covered in carved symbols. Behind it, a small building with a flat roof sits on a patch of dry ground. A person stands near the base of the obelisk, looking tiny next to its height. The obelisk’s carvings are detailed but faded, hinting at old age. The artist focused on the contrast between the monument’s grand size and the simple, worn surroundings. Look up the Victoria and Albert Museum next to see more works like this.
The artwork is a watercolour drawing depicting Cleopatra's Needle in Alexandria, Egypt, created in 1860. The date may reflect a second visit by the artist, John Shae Perring, who had previously returned from Egypt in 1840. The inscription on the mount suggests possible uncertainty regarding its authorship.
Read the full account in the museum source.
John Shae Perring was a British engineer, anthropologist and Egyptologist, most notable for his work excavating and documenting Egyptian pyramids.
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