Kiosk of Trajan, Island of Philae
Drawing
1823-1824 (drawn)
1823-1824 (drawn)
Artist/Maker | |
Place of origin |
Drawing
Object details
Category | |
Object type | |
Title | Kiosk of Trajan, Island of Philae (generic title) |
Materials and techniques | Pencil |
Brief description | Drawing, Kiosk of Trajan, Island of Philae, 1823-1824. Probably by Frederick Catherwood |
Physical description | Drawing |
Dimensions |
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Styles | |
Marks and inscriptions | Inscribed on the back Westcar |
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. from B. Weinreb Ltd., c.1966 in a portfolio' [with SD.1196-SD.1197] |
Historical context | These drawings were made during a journey on the Nile between Cairo and Wady Halfah from 1 December 1823 to 25 June 1824. Catherwood's companions were Henry Westcar, the initiator of the expedition, and two architects, Henry Parke (c.1792-1835) and J.J. Scoles (1798-1863): see RIBA Drawings, O-R, 1976 and Dawson & Uphill, 1972. Parke's measured and topographical drawings survive in the RIBA. Despite the weakness of several of these drawings, most share characteristics with other drawings by Catherwood (BL Add.MSS 29812-60). The combination of accurate perspective and hesitant line may be explained by his use of a camera lucida and rapidity of execution. However, since Westcar refers to his own use of this drawing aid in his diary of the expedition (see microfilm in Searight Archive of transcript in BL (Add.MS.52283) of MS in German Archaeological Institute, Cairo), the possibility that one or more drawings in this group (eg.the coloured sketch) are by him, should be considered. This expedition was one of the earliest undertaken by professional British architects with the intention to study in detail the ancient temples of Upper Egypt and Nubia. See also Charles Barry. |
Subjects depicted | |
Places depicted | |
Collection | |
Accession number | SD.223:25 |
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Record created | June 10, 2008 |
Record URL |
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