`Entrance to Petra at the Pass of El Syk, Waadi Moosa'
1818
watercolor
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
1818
watercolor
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
Dominant colour
`Entrance to Petra at the Pass of El Syk, Waadi Moosa' is a 1818 watercolor by Charles Hamilton Smith, a British Romanticism work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
This watercolor shows a rocky canyon with a narrow path leading to a distant archway. The cliffs on either side are rough and layered, while a few small trees and bushes grow near the bottom. A faint waterfall or stream trickles down the right side, and the sky above is pale and soft. The artist used light washes to show depth, making the far archway look mysterious. The title says this is the entrance to Petra, an ancient city carved into stone. Look up Romanticism next to see how this style often focused on nature’s grandeur.
The watercolour *Entrance to Petra at the Pass of El Syk, Waadi Moosa* by Charles Hamilton Smith is part of a volume titled *VIEWS. SYRIA, ARABIA, PERSIA*, containing 105 drawings on 100 sheets with crimson morocco half-binding. The scene likely derives from a printed source rather than direct observation, as no evidence confirms Smith’s travel to the region. The work is held among his extensive private library holdings, with related drawings preserved in the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Searight Archive.
Read the full account in the museum source.
Charles Hamilton Smith painted the landscapes and ruins he saw while traveling, using fine brushes and watercolors.
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