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Cleopatras Needle as it now Stands on the Site of the Old Town at Alexandria in Egypt

Joseph Pitt Warton

1807

watercolor

From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum

Orientalism Romanticism Early 19th Century

Dominant colour

Cleopatras Needle as it now Stands on the Site of the Old Town at Alexandria in Egypt is a 1807 watercolor by Joseph Pitt Warton, a Orientalism work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.

Who painted this?: Joseph Pitt Warton
When & what style?: 1807 · Orientalism
Where can I see it?: Victoria and Albert Museum

About this work

This drawing shows a tall, narrow stone obelisk standing alone in a flat, open space. The obelisk is covered in carved pictures and symbols—some look like birds, others like people or objects. The sky above is pale, and the ground below looks like sand or water, with no other landmarks in sight. The artist wrote the title at the top, calling it "Cleopatras Needle," which suggests this is an obelisk linked to ancient Egypt. The watercolor style is simple but precise, focusing on the shape and details of the stone. If you like this kind of historical drawing, check out the Victoria and Albert Museum to see more works like it.

The story of this work

Overview

The watercolour depicts Cleopatra's Needle in Alexandria, Egypt, before its relocation to New York, where it once stood alongside the obelisk now in London. Painted by Lieutenant Joseph Pitt Warton in 1807, the work captures the monument in its original urban setting near the old town. The obelisk, an ancient Egyptian artifact, later became one of three known as Cleopatra's Needles, with the others moved to London and New York. The drawing was purchased from W.T. Spencer in August 1967 for £8, according to Rodney Searight's records.

Read the full account in the museum source.