Views in Egypt (plates)
1801
Medium
Book with forty aquatints, with hand-coloring, in black on ivory wove paper
Dimensions
Book, closed: 47.3 × 33.5 × 2.2 cm (18 5/8 × 13 1/4 × 7/8 in.); Book, open: 47.3 × 67.5 × 4.5 cm (18 5/8 × 26 5/8 × 1 13/16 in.)
Classification
book
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
38378
Art Historical Context
Luigi Mayer’s *Views in Egypt* (1801) is a splendid example of early nineteenth-century travel that brought the wonders of ancient Egypt to European audiences. The volume contains forty hand-colored aquatints printed in black on ivory wove paper, a medium prized for its ability to capture the subtle tones and luminous effects of watercolor while allowing wide distribution through print. Mayer, an Italian artist working for the British ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, carefully recorded temples, tombs, and Nile landscapes with both topographic accuracy and romantic atmosphere. Published in th...