48. Château d’Alep
Medium
Lithograph
Dimensions
Sheet: 22 3/8 × 15 5/8 in. (56.9 × 39.7 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Photographs
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Joyce F. Menschel Photography Library Fund, 2017
Accession Number
2017.66.10
Art Historical Context
Joseph-Philibert Girault de Prangey’s 1843 lithograph “48. Château d’Alep” captures the imposing silhouette of Aleppo’s medieval citadel, a fortress that has long stood as a symbol of Syrian history and resilience. Created during the artist’s extensive travels through the Middle East, the print reflects the nineteenth-century European fascination with ancient architecture and distant cultures, offering viewers a detailed view of the citadel’s massive stone walls and towers. As a lithograph, the work belongs to a medium prized for its ability to reproduce fine architectural detail at a time wh...
About the Artist
Joseph-Philibert Girault de Prangey · 1804–1892
Joseph-Philibert Girault de Prangey (1804–1892), born in Langres, France, as the sole surviving child of Claude Joseph Girault and Barbe Philiberte Rosine Piétrequin, inherited the lordships of Genevrières and Prangey, adopting his full surname in 1825. After studies at Langres college and in Paris, where he earned baccalauréats in letters (1826) and law (1828), he pursued artistic training under ...