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The Bitter Lakes, Suez Canal

Watercolour
1869 (painted)
Artist/Maker
Simpson, William (painter (artist))
Place of origin
Egypt (painted)

Watercolour drawing

Object details

Category
Paintings
Object type
Watercolour
TitleThe Bitter Lakes, Suez Canal (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques
Watercolour over pencil, heightened with white, stuck down on card
Watercolour
Watercolour Drawing
Brief description
Watercolour, `The Bitter Lakes, Suez Canal', 1869, by William Simpson RI FRGS
Physical description
Watercolour drawing
Dimensions
  • Sheet height: 26.7cm
  • Width: 43.6cm
Styles
British School
Orientalism
Marks and inscriptions
Inscribed with title, signed and dated Wm. Simpson. 1869.; inscriptions in margins cut away
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. Appleby Bros., Ltd., Nov. 1965, £26.5[shillings]'
Historical context
Reproduced in the Illustrated London News 5 March 1870, p.245: [see SP.331]. The view depicts the Lakes from the northern end, at the entrance to the Suez Canal; for a description, see p.254. Simpson attended the ceremonies for the opening of the Suez Canal in November 1869 and several of his reports and illustrations appeared in the December issues of the ILN. In January/February earlier that year he had visited the work in progress on the Canal and sent material to the ILN which appeared in their March and April issues. See also G. Eyre-Todd, ed., The Autobiography of William Simpson, 1903, p.206
Subjects depicted
Dredgers (Watercraft)
Steamships
Lighthouses
Places depicted
Egypt
Suez Canal
Bitter Lakes
Al-Ismailiyah (Governorate)
Bibliographic references
  • Searight, Rodney and Scarce, Jennifer M., A Middle Eastern journey : artists on their travels from the collection of Rodney Searight, Talbot Rice Art Centre, 1980
  • Searight, Rodney. The Middle East : watercolours and drawings by British and foreign artists and travellers, 1750-1900, from the collection of Rodney Searight, Esq. London, 1971
  • Conner, Patrick (ed). The Inspiration of Egypt : its influence on British artists, travellers, and designers, 1700-1900 . Brighton Borough Council, Brighton, 1983
Collection
Prints, Drawings & Paintings Collection
Accession number
SD.969

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Record createdApril 3, 2008
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O152100/the-bitter-lakes-suez-canal-watercolour-simpson-william/
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