"The Entrance to the Citadel of Cairo", Roberts, David

David Roberts, R.A. (1796-1864) was one of the first Europeans to depict the Middle East. Considered a dangerous and barbaric land, it was not until the Napoleonic invasion of Egypt after 1798 that any serious study had been done into the Pharoic culture. Sir Richard Burton's infamous penetration of Mecca did not occur until 1858, twenty years after Roberts painted the wonders of the Moslem world and the Holy Land. The sketchbooks from Roberts' journeys were one of the most popular publications of its time, allowing Victorian Europeans a peek into the exotic world from the comfort of their parlors.

This attractive lithograph depicts several ancient structures, including the citadel, the tomb of Fatima Khatun, and the Al-Sayeda Nafeesah Mosque. Produced in the tinted lithograph process and finished by hand with watercolor. Published by F.G. Moon in London, with the full sheet measuring 24 x 17".

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Condition: A

Full contemporary color, printed on heavy paper with light toning and soiling along sheet edges, as well as some tiny chips and tears along the sheet edges. A 1" tear at bottom has been archivally repaired.