{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O148370"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O148370/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2008BV6590/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2008BV6590/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2008BV6590","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AT7393","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O148370/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O148370","accessionNumber":"SD.873","objectType":"Watercolour","titles":[{"title":"Grand Cairo","type":"assigned by artist"}],"summaryDescription":"This view was reproduced as a lithograph by Louis Haghe in Roberts's Egypt & Nubia (1846-49; VoI. III) with the incorrect title, Cairo from the Gate of Citizenib, looking towards the Desert of Suez. The viewpoint is not in fact from Citizenib (modern Sayidah Zaynab) as Roberts thought, but from Tel Zaynum to the south of Cairo. The main monuments in the foreground are, from left to right, the tombs of Fatimah Khatun and of Sultan Khalil (still extant), an unidentified and now destroyed mosque or tomb, and, on the far right, the mosque of Sayidah Nafisah (since rebuilt). In the right background is the Citadel and on the left the Madrasah of Sultan Hassan. The high viewpoint, looking down on the varied contours of the domes and minarets of the city, and the delicate pink glow with which they are suffused, make this one of Roberts's most striking Eastern watercolours. \r\nRoberts's images of the Near East are widely known now, as in his own time, through the series of lithographs published between 1842 and 1849 as The Holy Land, Syria, Idumea, Arabia, Egypt & Nubia. Each of the 247 lithographs was after a watercolour by Roberts that was worked up from sketches made during his tour of the Near East in 1838-39. He was among the earliest of many professional and independent European artists to visit the area in search of new and exotic pictorial material and when he left he knew that he carried 'one of the richest folios that ever left the East'. This claim was justified by the huge success not only of his publication but also of the numerous oils with oriental subjects that he painted as a result of his trip.","physicalDescription":"Watercolour drawing","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Roberts, David (RA)","id":"A8785"},"association":{"text":"painter (artist)","id":"AAT25136"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"watercolour","id":"x33202"}],"techniques":[{"text":"watercolour drawing","id":"x37878"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Water- and bodycolour over pencil","categories":[{"text":"Paintings","id":"THES48917"},{"text":"Scotland","id":"THES262877"},{"text":"Historic Cairo","id":"THES273264"}],"styles":[{"text":"British School","id":"x30967"},{"text":"Orientalism","id":"x31272"}],"collectionCode":{"text":"PDP","id":"THES48595"},"images":["2008BV6590","2006AT7393"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"LVLD","id":"THES49658"},"free":"","case":"SCX","shelf":"3","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"watercolour","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Egypt","id":"x29512"},"association":{"text":"painted","id":"x30138"},"note":""},{"place":{"text":"Cairo","id":"x28776"},"association":{"text":"painted","id":"x30138"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1839","earliest":"1839-01-01","latest":"1839-12-31"},"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":"31.8","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"48","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"Inscribed with title and dated Jany 27th 1839., and very faintly Gate of Citizenib [... rest illegible]","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":""}],"objectHistory":"According to Rodney Searight: - `Bt Fine Art Society, June 1959, £52 10/-[shillings] '.","historicalContext":"Reproduced as Egypt and Nubia, 1846-49, Vol.III, [Pl.26], (1856 edn. Vol.VI, Pl.238), lithograph by Louis Haghe titled Cairo from the Gate of Citzenib, looking towards the Desert of Suez . The location Citizenib (Sayidah Zaynab) given by Roberts on the watercolour and transmitted to the title of the lithograph is incorrect.  The viewpoint is in fact from Tel Zaynhum to the south.  The main monuments in the foreground are from left to right the tombs of Fatimah Khatun and of Sultan Khalil (still standing), an unidentified and now destroyed mosque or tomb, and on the far right the mosque of Sayidah Nafisah (since rebuilt).  In the right background is the Citadel and on the left the Madrasah of Sultan Hassan. Roberts returned to Cairo from his Nile trip on 21 December 1838 and left for Sinai and Petra on 7 February 1839; see Ballantine pp.103-14.","briefDescription":"Watercolour, `Grand Cairo', 1839 by David Roberts RA","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"Searight, Rodney and Scarce, Jennifer M., <i>A Middle Eastern journey : artists on their travels from the collection of Rodney Searight,</i> Talbot Rice Art Centre, 1980","id":"AUTH351213"},"details":"","free":""},{"reference":{"text":"Searight, Rodney. <i>The Middle East : watercolours and drawings by British and foreign artists and travellers, 1750-1900, from the collection of Rodney Searight, Esq.</i> London, 1971","id":"AUTH351220"},"details":"","free":""},{"reference":{"text":"Conner, Patrick (ed). The Inspiration of Egypt : its influence on British artists, travellers, and designers, 1700-1900 . Brighton Borough Council, Brighton, 1983","id":"AUTH351232"},"details":"","free":""},{"reference":{"text":"Guiterman, Helen & Llewellyn, Helen <i>David Roberts</i>, Oxford : Phaidon Press and Barbican Art Gallery, 1986","id":"AUTH354734"},"details":"no.142","free":""},{"reference":{"text":"Aslet, Clive, Elkan, Jenny, et al. <i>Great Cities in the 19th Century</i>. London : Fine Art Society, 1985","id":"AUTH354735"},"details":"no.17","free":""}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[{"text":"Egypt","id":"x29512"},{"text":"Cairo","id":"x28776"},{"text":"Sayida Nafisah","id":"x42149"}],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"Fortifications","id":"AAT6888"},{"text":"Mosques","id":"AAT7544"},{"text":"Tombs","id":"AAT5926"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["SD.873"],"accessionNumberNum":"873","accessionNumberPrefix":"SD","accessionYear":null,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-18","recordCreationDate":"2008-03-27","availableToBook":false}}