Description de l’Égypte (Description of Egypt) Pl. 20, View of a Colossus at the Entrance of Hypostyle Hall

Documented during Napoleon’s 1789 military campaign in Egypt, Description de l’Égypte (Description of Egypt) Pl. 20, View of a Colossus at the Entrance of Hypostyle Hall captures notable aspects of Ancient Egyptian art and culture as perceived by the French contingents.

Printed with archival pigments on rag watercolor paper, this modern facsimile print captures the allure of the original engraving with vivid color and astonishing detail. Enrich your collection with this significant and historic work of art!

About the Descriptions of Egypt

In his ambition to expand French borders, Napoleon Bonaparte traced the conquest routes of Alexander the Great and in 1798 led a military campaign to Egypt. Though the endeavor was not a military success, the expedition was fruitful in its contributions to art and science through the production of Description De L’ Egypte. This publication, comprised of over 800 engravings, was vital in introducing Egyptology to Europe. As a result, for over a century after the initial campaign, Europeans and Americans were transfixed by the allure of Egypt.

The Oppenheimer Editions publication of Description De L’ Egypte is uniquely produced from the original engravings in The Field Museum’s Mary W. Runnells Rare Book Room collection. The prints are exact replicas and faithfully reproduce the incredible detail for which the original prints are famous. This museum-authorized edition is limited to only 500 of each print.

About Oppenheimer Editions

Established in 1999, our publishing company Oppenheimer Editions was developed in order to produce modern facsimiles of historic works of art. Marrying cutting-edge digital printing technologies with canonical works of art, Oppenheimer Editions has partnered with prestigious museums to make their holdings accessible to the public as fine art prints. Works from the New-York Historical Society’s unrivaled collections of John James Audubon’s watercolors and the Hudson River School paintings are examples of art that otherwise would be unobtainable.

Among the institutional collections we have partnered with are the American Museum of Natural History, the Field Museum, and the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew. Our Oppenheimer Editions prints are not mere reproductions. Rather, they are limited-edition fine art prints made with the finest quality archival pigments on rag watercolor paper and executed to exacting standards.

For more information about the Description de l’Égypte (Description of Egypt) Pl. 20, View of a Colossus at the Entrance of Hypostyle Hall, email us at [email protected] or check out our article on Napoleon’s Egyptian Campaign.