Egypt - Temple at Esneh,; David Roberts - Upper Egypt - 1821-1850

**Original lithograph after David Roberts, depicting the interior of the Temple at Esneh (Esna), Upper Egypt. The drawing was executed during Roberts’ celebrated Egyptian expedition on 25 November 1838 and later lithographed by Louis Haghe and published in London by F.G. Moon, 20 Threadneedle Street, on 1 August 1846.**

The composition presents the magnificent hypostyle hall of the Temple of Esna, renowned for its monumental lotus-bud columns richly carved with hieroglyphic inscriptions. Roberts masterfully captured the dramatic interplay of light and shadow within the ancient sanctuary, animating the scene with local Egyptian figures that provide both scale and a sense of everyday life among the ruins. The Temple of Esna is one of the finest surviving examples of Graeco-Roman temple architecture in Egypt and remains one of the most evocative subjects from Roberts’ Egyptian travels.

This lithograph forms part of the celebrated series **Egypt and Nubia: From Drawings Made on the Spot by David Roberts, R.A.**, widely regarded as one of the greatest nineteenth-century illustrated travel publications and among the most sought-after Orientalist print series of the Victorian era.

**Medium:** Original lithograph on wove paper
**Date of publication:** 1846
**Publisher:** F.G. Moon, London
**Image:** 32 × 47 cm
**Sheet:** 43 × 61 cm

**Condition:** Very good antique condition considering its age. Light age toning and minor handling wear are present, together with a few small holes and slight marginal imperfections consistent with age and use. The photographs form an integral part of the description and should be examined carefully.