Vue des deux colosses de l'Aménophéum, à Thèbes

Art Historical Context

In the mid-19th century, writer and pioneering photographer Maxime Du Camp captured one of the earliest photographic records of ancient Egypt during his 1849–50 expedition with Gustave Flaubert *Vue des deux coloss de l'Aménophéum, à Thèbes* depicts the towering Colossi of Memnonmassive seated statues of Pharaoh Amenhotep III guarding his temple mortuary complex near Luxor (ancient Thebes). These 60-foot granite guardians, weathered by millennia, symbolized pharaonic power and have inspired travelers since antiquity. Printed as a salted paper print from a paper negative, this work exemplifies the calotype process invented by William Henry Fox Talbot. The technique produced soft, textured images with subtle tonal gradations, ideal for capturing the monumental scale and intricate details of stone carvings under Egypt's harsh light. At just 6 1/8 × 7 7/8 inches, the intimate print belies the colossal subject's grandeur, inviting viewers to ponder lost civilizations. Du Camp's photographs, later published in his 1852 album *Egypte, Nubie, Palestine et Syrie*, revolutionized archaeological documentation, bridging art and science. Housed in The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Gilman Collection, this piece highlights photography's role in preserving cultural heritage for global audiences.

About the Artist

Maxime Du Camp · 1822–present

Maxime Du Camp (1822–1894) was a pioneering French photographer and writer whose adventurous spirit and technical innovation bridged literature and visual art during the mid-19th century. Born in Paris on February 8, 1822, to a prosperous family—his father a successful surgeon—Du Camp received a solid bourgeois education at the Collège Bourbon (now Lycée Condorcet), where he cultivated interests i...