Piramides Aegypti (The Pyramids of Egypt)
Medium
engraving on laid paper
Dimensions
sheet: 22.3 x 26.5 cm (8 3/4 x 10 7/16 in.) cut within platemark
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of the Estate of Leo Steinberg
Accession Number
2011.139.95
Art Historical Context
Created in 1572 by engraver Philip Galle after a design by Dutch artist Maerten van Heemskerck, *Piramides Aegypti* captures the enduring fascination with ancient monuments during the Renaissance. Van Heemskerck, known for his detailed studies of classical ruins and antiquities, provided the original drawing that Galle translated into this precise engraving on laid paper. The work belongs to a tradition of reproductive prints that brought images of distant wonders to European audiences who might never travel to Egypt. Measuring just over 22 by 26 centimeters, the engraving reflects the period...