Mosquée de Cordoue and La Giralda et l'Alcazar de Séville

Art Historical Context

Welcome to the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department, where we showcase *Mosquée de Cordoue and Giralda et l'Alcazar de Séville a stunning 1837 volume of color lithographs (22¼ × 16¾ × 1⅜ in.). Created by pioneering traveler and artist Joseph-Philibert Gir de Prangey, lithographic contributions from talents like Adolphe Jeaniste Bayot, Léon-Auguste Asselineau and others, this book captures the majestic Islamic architecture of Spain's Andalusia. Girault de Prangey's on-site sketches of the iconic Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba—originally built in the 8th century—and Seville's Giralda tower alongside the Alcázar palace bring these Moorish wonders vividly to life. Produced during the height of European Romantic fascination with the "Orient," these prints represent an early triumph of color lithography, a technique that allowed for intricate, hand-colored details far surpassing earlier black-and-white reproductions. Girault de Prangey, who journeyed through Spain and the Middle East in the 1830s, documented these sites just as photography was emerging—his work bridged traditional drawing with modern visual documentation. Acquired through the Harris Brisbane Dick Fund in 1944, this volume highlights 19th-century cultural exchange, preserving the splendor of Al-Andalus for global audiences. A testament to artistry and exploration, it invites you to marvel at the interplay of arches, tiles, and minarets that defined Islamic Spain's golden age.

About the Artist

Joseph-Philibert Girault de Prangey|Adolphe Jean Baptiste Bayot|Léon-Auguste Asselineau|Louis-Phillipe Auguste Bichebois|Frédéric Villeneuve|Alexandre-Jules Monthelier|Veith et Hauser|Marie-Alexandre Adophe|Benard et Frey|Fromentin & Cie. · 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 ...