Coming Down a Steep place

Executed in watercolour, Perry employs a range of washes to convey texture: darker, stippled strokes define the craggy ground, while lighter, fluid layers suggest the flowing robes and camel silhouettes. The handling of light and shadow hints at chiaroscuro principles, giving the hill a sense of depth and the figures a dynamic presence.

Created as part of a series of twenty‑seven watercolours documenting the Nile Expedition, the piece reflects contemporary visual reports, notably illustrations that appeared in The Graphic in 1885. It resides among other campaign depictions by artists such as Count Gleichen and O. Norie, forming a cohesive record of the British military effort in Egypt.

The Nile Expedition was a response to the Mahdist uprising in Sudan, and British forces advanced through Egypt’s desert interior. Perry’s depiction aligns with the period’s interest in visual journalism, where artists produced on‑the‑ground sketches that were later refined for publication and public consumption.