The Statues of the Plain, Thebes

1858

Francis Frith

Associated Names
Francis Frith

Artist, British, 1822 - 1898

The image shows the Colossi of Memnon, two massive seated statues of Pharaoh Amenhotep III, made of light-colored sandstone. The statues are eroded but retain faint details like hieroglyphs. People nearby appear small in comparison, highlighting the statues' grandiosity. The statues are in an open area with barren hills in the background.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    albumen silver print

  • Credit Line

    Patrons' Permanent Fund

  • Dimensions

    image/sheet: 36.8 × 47.3 cm (14 1/2 × 18 5/8 in.)
    mount: 53.8 × 73.8 cm (21 3/16 × 29 1/16 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1995.36.84

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

David and Mary Robinson, Sausalito, CA; NGA purchase, 1995.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

1986

  • 19th Century Photographs from the Collection of Mary and David Robinson, Achenbach Foundation for Graphic Arts, California Palace of the Legion of Honor, San Francisco, 1986.

1995

  • The First Century of Photography: New Acquisitions, National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1995.

Bibliography

1976

  • Lloyd, Valerie. Photography: The First Eighty Years. Exh. cat. P. & D. Colnaghi & Co. Ltd., London, 1976: 170.

1993

  • Excursions Along the Nile: The Photographic Discovery of Ancient Egypt. Exh. cat. Santa Barbara Museum of Art. Santa Barbara, California, 1993, pl.43.

Inscriptions

on mount, lower center printed in black ink: THE STATUES OF THE PLAIN. / Thebes

Wikidata ID

Q64147630

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