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David Roberts (1796–1864)
View of Karnak, Egypt
Watercolor, point of brush, and some gouache, over pencil, on light brown wove paper
12 13/16 x 19 1/16 in. (325 x 485 mm)
Signed at lower left, in pen and black ink, David Roberts R.A. 1838
Purchased on the Fellows Fund; 1977.25
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Made in 1838, this drawing is a study for the lithograph General View of Karnak Looking Towards Baban-el-Molook, executed by Louis Haghe and published in volume 6, Egypt and Nubia (1849). Roberts's Holy Land was the first to present extensive pictorial views of these areas. The artist's subtle handling of watercolor and delicate white heightening effectively capture the grand yet solitary atmosphere of the ruins of the temple.

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