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Karnak. G[ran]d Temple. Salle Hypostyle. Extérieur Est

Pascal Sebah

Artwork Details

Karnak. G[ran]d Temple. Salle Hypostyle. Extérieur Est
circa 1880
Pascal Sebah
albumen print on paper
14 in x 16 15/16 in (35.56 cm x 43.02 cm)
Transfer from the Kelsey Museum of Archaeology
1980/1.207

Description

Subject Matter:

In this photograph of the great hypostyle hall, part of the temple complex dedicated to Amun at Karnak, massive stone columns form a horizontal band across the middle register of the image. In front of these columns, the remnant of a stone wall with pictorial relief carvings and hieroglyphics obscures our view of the interior of the hall. Raking natural sunlight illuminates the left-hand edges of the columns, making it possible, though somewhat difficult, to see relief carvings on the surfaces of the columns as well. Crisscrossing horizontal and vertical lines turn the composition into a veritable grid, which is interrupted by the diagonal formed by a singular leaning column on the right-hand side of the image.   

Physical Description:

A large hypostyle hall in a state of ruin stands amid rocky and sandy terrain. 

Usage Rights:

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