70. Mosquée Naçeriyeh, au Kaire; M. el Bordéni

Art Historical Context

Created in 1843 by French artist Joseph-Philibert Girault de Prangey, this striking lithograph depicts the Mosque of al-Nasir Muhammad (often called the Nasiriyeh Mosque) in Cairo, along with the adjacent structure known as al-Bordaini. Girault de Prangey was among the earliest European artists to travel extensively through the Middle East, documenting Islamic architecture with both drawings and the brand-new medium of photography. This print captures the elegant minaret and courtyard details with careful precision, reflecting the growing 19th-century European fascination with Egyptian monuments. As a lithograph, the work belongs to a period when printmaking allowed wider audiences to encounter distant architectural wonders. Though now housed in the Metropolitan Museum’s Photographs department, the sheet demonstrates how early photographic pioneers like Girault de Prangey often translated their observations into reproducible prints. The large format invites viewers to appreciate both the monument’s intricate stonework and the artist’s patient observation during his groundbreaking travels.

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 ...