Voyage dans la Basse et Haute Egypte : Planche 112. (La Fête dans le Harem, Portraits).<br /><br />

Original print folio untrimmed extracted Travellers in Lower and Upper Egypt Vivant Denon. Board composed of two prints and described by the author: No.1 Day in the interior of the harem. In moments of favor husband, master, lord, brought in ALMES to delight the woman who became pregnant or who gave him a son; it lying between the legs of her husband presented with sherbet, while smoke and executed voluptuous dances: the ALMES alternately dance, sing, and play instruments. Figures on the left are slaves who hold refreshments: on the front, a black woman plays on small timpani more forward again is a profumatoire: right, a candelabra to the custom of the country; the instrument that plays the last character on the right is a small drum clay, on which more or less hits hard with the fingers, which is a very favorable effect on air movement; those who dance are most often hand castanets, which are shaped like small cymbals the diameter of a shield (see section ALMES, Volume I, page 153). No.2 All these heads are those of sheikhs Kournou, I designed during the last visit I made to Thebes (voy. Journal, Volume II, page 311). Partial light exposure, a small discrete angular track, otherwise good condition. Published for the first time in two volumes, an atlas of engravings, Didot, in 1802, the 'Journey to the Lower and Upper Egypt proved so successful that it was translated in 1803 into English and German, and a few years later in Dutch and Italian, among others. Almost all boards are designed by Denon, who also engraved himself a few, including portraits of the inhabitants of Egypt, who still kept the freshness of sketches taken on the spot (our 104-111 ). Two dozen writers have also collaborated on the creation of which Baltard, Galen, Reville and other etchings. Dominique Vivant, Baron Denon says Vivant Denon, born in Givry January 4, 1747 and died in Paris April 27, 1825, is a writer, author, diplomat and French administrator. At the invitation of Bonaparte, he joined the expedition to Egypt in shipping from May 14, 1798 on the frigate "La Juno." Protected by French troops, he had the opportunity to travel the country in all directions in order to gather the material that was the basis for his artistic work and the most important literary. It supports in particular General Desaix in Upper Egypt, which he refers to numerous sketches, ink wash and other drawings in pen, black chalk, or chalk. He draws constantly, usually on his knee, standing or on horseback, and sometimes even under enemy fire. After a journey of 13 months during which he draws thousands of drawings, Vivant Denon returned to France with Bonaparte, and became the first artist to publish the story of the expedition. The 141 boards that accompany his diary retrace its entire journey from the coast of Corsica to the pharaonic monuments of Upper Egypt. Bonaparte then appointed Director General of the Central Museum of the Republic, which became the Napoleon Museum and the Royal Louvre and arts administrator. In 1805, Vivant Denon revival project of the Vendome column, which had been suspended in 1803 then organizes expeditions across Europe to raise imperial works of art which are plundered to be carried away to the Louvre. In 1814, Louis XVIII confirmed as head of the Louvre, one wing of which still bears his name today. It is considered a great precursor of museology, art history and Egyptology.