Image of Gallery in South Kensington
Request to view at the Prints & Drawings Study Room, level D , Case SCX, Shelf 5

Egyptian Village Scene

Watercolour
1869 (painted)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Egyptian men and women are seen here in a town or village on the Nile. In the shade of an overhanging tree a market stall displays its wares, including paper lanterns and bread. At the stall behind, sugar cane is for sale. In the background is a mosque with a white minaret, though not distinctive enough to establish the scene's locality. Pilleau had visited Egypt in the winter of 1842-43 with Lieutenant Colonel George Everest (after whom Mount Everest was named) and two other companions, on their way home from India. On his return to England he published a set of twelve coloured lithographs, Sketches in Egypt (1845), which, like the better-known publications of Wilkie, Roberts and Owen Jones in the same decade, fuelled popular interest in Egypt and the Holy Land. The success of his work may have encouraged him to give up his army career in order to devote his time to painting and travelling. He visited Egypt again in 1863 and 1868-69, and exhibited, at several London institutions, scenes of rural and urban life in this and other countries.


Object details

Category
Object type
TitleEgyptian Village Scene (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Water- and bodycolour over pencil, heightened with white, on blue/grey paper
Brief description
Watercolour, Egyptian Village Scene. 1869. Henry Pilleau RI (1813-1899)
Physical description
Watercolour drawing
Dimensions
  • Height: 25.2cm
  • Width: 35.3cm
Styles
Marks and inscriptions
Signed with monogram HP and dated 1869.
Credit line
Purchased with the assistance of the National Heritage Memorial Fund, Art Fund, Shell International and the Friends of the V&A
Object history
According to Rodney Searight: - `Bt fr M. Strange, April 1970, £2'.
Subjects depicted
Place depicted
Summary
Egyptian men and women are seen here in a town or village on the Nile. In the shade of an overhanging tree a market stall displays its wares, including paper lanterns and bread. At the stall behind, sugar cane is for sale. In the background is a mosque with a white minaret, though not distinctive enough to establish the scene's locality. Pilleau had visited Egypt in the winter of 1842-43 with Lieutenant Colonel George Everest (after whom Mount Everest was named) and two other companions, on their way home from India. On his return to England he published a set of twelve coloured lithographs, Sketches in Egypt (1845), which, like the better-known publications of Wilkie, Roberts and Owen Jones in the same decade, fuelled popular interest in Egypt and the Holy Land. The success of his work may have encouraged him to give up his army career in order to devote his time to painting and travelling. He visited Egypt again in 1863 and 1868-69, and exhibited, at several London institutions, scenes of rural and urban life in this and other countries.
Bibliographic reference
Conner, Patrick (ed). The Inspiration of Egypt : its influence on British artists, travellers, and designers, 1700-1900 . Brighton Borough Council, Brighton, 1983
Collection
Accession number
SD.807

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Record createdMarch 23, 2008
Record URL
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