DAVID ROBERTS, R.A. | Front Elevation of the Great Temple of Aboo-Simbel [Abu Simbel], Nubia

Possibly by descent to Henry Sanford Bicknell (1818-1880), the artist's son-in-law
Possibly sale: Christie's, London, 21 May 1881, lot 123 (different measurements cited)
H. Lancaster
Sale: Christie's, London, 3 July 1962, lot 204
Colnaghi, London (purchased at the above sale)
Sir Bruce Ingram (1877-1963)
His executor's sale: Sotheby's, London, 9 December 1964, lot 336
The Fine Art Society, London (purchased at the above sale)
Purchased from the above by the present owner

Lithographed:

by Louis Haghe for The Holy Land, Syria, Idumea, Egypt and Nubia, London 1849, vol. II, pl. 44 (with the above title) & 1856, vol. V, frontispiece 

London, The Fine Art Society, North African Traveller Casablanca to Cairo, 1974, no. 86

The paper has survived in good condition in this work, having only slightly darkened with time. The watercolour pigments are strong. There is a scratch to the surface of the sheet that runs roughly diagonally from left to right. This is most obvious near the crown of the left hand figure. The sheet is laid down
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Roberts reached Abu Simbel on the 8 November 1838. He noted in his journal 'By daybreak I was in the celebrated temple... which has often been described. There are four colossal figures in a sitting posture carved on the face of the rock. This is said to be the oldest of the Egyptian temples. If so, in what a labyrinth does it involve the history of these stupendous edifices! The beauty of the workmanship and colossal dimensions are not surpassed even by those at Thebes' The temple of Rameses II, rediscovered for the West by Jacob Christoph Burckhardt in March 1813, was at the time of Roberts's visit almost completely obscured by sand. It was excavated by Giovanni Belzoni in 1817 but had to be cleared on several occasions during the nineteenth century. In 1964, when the rising waters of Lake Nasser threatened to submerge the temple, the entire complex was moved to higher ground.



We are very grateful to Briony Llewellyn for her help when cataloguing this lot.