Karnak (Thèbes), Grande Porte du Sud Vue du Point C
1851–52, printed 1853–54
Medium
Salted paper print from paper negative
Dimensions
24.0 x 30.3 cm. (9 7/16 x 11 15/16 in.)
Classification
Photographs
Department
Photographs
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Lila Acheson Wallace Gift, 1976
Accession Number
1976.607.45
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the mid-19th century, photography emerged as a powerful tool for documenting the world's wonders, French photographer Félix Teynard the majestic ruins of ancient Egypt during his expedition from 1851–52. This salted paper print, titled *Karnak (Thèbes), Grande Porte du Vue du Point C*, the imposing Great Southern Gate of theak Temple complex in Thebes (modern Luxor). Printed in 1853–54 by Imprimerie Photographique de H de Fonteny et Cie, the image precisely frames the gate's towering pylons adorned with intricate hieroglyphs, evoking the grandeur of pharaonic architecture amid weathered sto...
About the Artist
Félix Teynard|Imprimerie Photographique de H. de Fonteny et Cie · 1817–1892
**Félix Teynard (1817–1892)** was a pioneering French photographer whose work captured the ancient wonders of Egypt and Nubia with unprecedented precision and artistry. Born on January 14, 1817, in Saint-Flour, he trained as a civil engineer in Grenoble, a hub of Egyptology that likely sparked his fascination with ancient architecture. Little is documented about his early life or formal photograph...