PHILAE PETIT TEMPLE, circa 1865 - Lot 229

PHILAE PETIT TEMPLE, circa 1865 Albumen print, titled, numbered on mount Dimensions: 22 x 28.2 cm (mounted 43.3 x 60 cm) Freckles Note: Photograph of the small temple at Philae, a major site on the Nile in ancient Egypt, dedicated to the goddess Isis. This image was part of the great 19th-century photographic campaigns devoted to the Orient and ancient monuments, against a backdrop of growing scientific and archaeological interest. The albumen print, the dominant process of the period, is distinguished by its fine rendering and nuanced tonalities. The large-format montage, bearing a title and numbering, suggests a structured distribution, possibly as part of an editorial set or series dedicated to Egyptian sites. This type of print testifies to the fascination with the Orient in the 19th century, and is a precious document for the history of photography and archaeology.