96 Dominique Vivant Denon (1747–1825) – Le Vieux Caire & Le Mékias / Old Cairo & El-Mekias – Engraving (1809)

This finely detailed copperplate engraving presents two views from the Nile Valley. The upper image shows the historic urban architecture of Le Vieux Caire (Old Cairo), with its traditional buildings, palms, and distant mosques. The lower image depicts Le Mékias, a tranquil riverside scene populated with camels and shaded by large acacia trees, suggesting a caravan rest station or rural outpost. These compositions combine documentary observation with compositional elegance, offering a rare glimpse into Egypt’s architectural and social landscape at the turn of the 19th century.

The print originates from Voyage dans la Basse et la Haute Égypte pendant les campagnes du général Bonaparte by Dominique Vivant Denon, a pioneering visual record of Napoleon’s Egyptian expedition. Denon, invited personally by Bonaparte, traveled extensively along the Nile in 1798–1799, documenting temples, cities, and daily life. His engravings were among the first European depictions of Egyptian sites and played a foundational role in the birth of modern Egyptology.

The work was published by Samuel Bagster in London, c. 1809.

Artist or Maker:

Dominique Vivant Denon

Dimensions:

48 cm x 30 cm

Medium:

Engraving

Date:

1809

Condition Report:

This work is in good condition overall. There may be a few minor imperfections or fox or mottled marks to be expected with age. Please review the images carefully for condition details, and feel free to contact us with any questions or for a comprehensive condition report