{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O148249"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O148249/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2008BV6530/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2008BV6530/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2008BV6530","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O148249/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O148249","accessionNumber":"SD.853","objectType":"Watercolour","titles":[{"title":"J.W.P.'s Kanja moored beside the East bank of the Nile at Luxor","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"Artist, writer, linguist, archaeologist, traveller and engineer, Prisse d'Avennes was one of those extremely active, versatile and highly skilled characters that the nineteenth century often seemed to produce. He was employed by the ruler of Egypt, Muhammad Ali to assist in the modernisation of the army and of irrigation systems, but resigned 1836. Some disagreement and his impatience of authority soon induced him to work for himself. He became famous amongst European travellers in Egypt for his knowledge of  Egyptian antiquities, and his skill in copying important inscriptions and reliefs.  In 1843-4 he also secretly removed and shipped to France the King List from the Temple of Amun, Karnak, forestalling a Prussian expedition that also wanted it,  and in 1845 received the Légion d'Honneur.  Prisse published various books, providing hundreds of illustrations drawn by himself, on the subject of Egyptology, including Les Monuments Egyptiens, Paris, 1847,  and on Islamic culture, notably L'Art Arabe…published in parts 1869-77. Prisse is alleged by his son Emile Prisse d'Avennes to have travelled as a Muslim in Arabia and Abyssinia, when exploring Upper and Lower Egypt.\r\n\r\nIn order to finance himself in the late 1830s and early 1840s, Prisse accompanied travellers down the Nile, often illustrating the journey for his patrons. This watercolour had inscribed on the mount My Boat on the Nile  J.W.P.  By Prise [sic]. The view is from the shore at Luxor looking across the Nile to Gabal Qurnat on the west bank.  The Colossi of Memnon can just be discerned between the Palm trees. We do not yet know who the traveller J.W.P. was, who had hired the kanja or Nile boat, a favourite way to travel to the antiquities in Upper Egypt. The inscription in English and the red ensign flying at the stern would indicate a British traveller. This kind of picture seems to have become formulaic for Prisse, as similar pictures of kanjas with different flags are known.","physicalDescription":"Watercolour drawing","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Prisse d'Avennes, Achille-Constant-Théodore-Emile","id":"A19339"},"association":{"text":"painter (artist)","id":"AAT25136"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"watercolour","id":"x33202"}],"techniques":[{"text":"watercolour drawing","id":"x37878"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Watercolour, formerly laid down on card","categories":[{"text":"Paintings","id":"THES48917"}],"styles":[{"text":"French School","id":"x31263"},{"text":"Orientalism","id":"x31272"}],"collectionCode":{"text":"PDP","id":"THES48595"},"images":["2008BV6530"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"LVLD","id":"THES49658"},"free":"","case":"SCX","shelf":"6","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"watercolour","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Egypt","id":"x29512"},"association":{"text":"painted","id":"x30138"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"ca. 1838-1843","earliest":"1833-01-01","latest":"1843-12-31"},"association":{"text":"painted","id":"x30138"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Purchased with the assistance of the National Heritage Memorial Fund, Art Fund, Shell International and the Friends of the V&A","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"25.1","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"33.7","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"Inscribed on the back of old mount My Boat on the Nile  J.W.P.  By Prise.","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":""},{"content":"J WHATMAN 1839[?]","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"card watermarked"}],"objectHistory":"According to Rodney Searight: - `Drummond, May '77, £125'. [Covent Garden Gallery, London, Summer Exhibition, 1977 (5).]","historicalContext":"`J.W.P.', whose hired Kanjah flies a Red Ensign at its stern, was probably an English traveller.  The view is from the shore at Luxor looking across the Nile to Gazirat Saad (island) and Gabal Qurnat (the hill behind) on the west bank.  The Colossi of Memnon can just be discerned between the Palm trees. A version of this scene was included in a folio of watercolours done for Sir Charles Malcolm (1782-1851), a naval officer, promoted rear admiral in 1837, whose visit to the Nile may have been part of his journey via the Overland Route from Bombay to England, c.1838: see Sotheby's, 2 November 1988 (232) and DNB. Cf. Dahabieh on the Nile, exhibited Covent Garden Gallery, London, June 1977 (4), possibly J.W.P.'s canja under sail. See also, E. Prisse and J.A. St. John, Oriental Album, 1848, p.3, Kanja, Nile Pleasure Boat, wood engraving.","briefDescription":"Watercolour, J.W.P.'s Kanja moored beside the East bank of the Nile at Luxor, about 1838-1843. Achille-Constant-Théodore-Emile Prisse d'Avennes","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[{"text":"Egypt","id":"x29512"},{"text":"Nile","id":"x41314"},{"text":"Luxor","id":"x40874"}],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"Dahabiyyahs","id":"x41350"},{"text":"Kanjah","id":"x41850"},{"text":"Travellers","id":"AAT25879"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["SD.853"],"accessionNumberNum":"853","accessionNumberPrefix":"SD","accessionYear":null,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-18","recordCreationDate":"2008-03-26","availableToBook":false}}