Dendera [Dandara]. Dec. 1838. 1846 - 1849

David Roberts made this watercolour painting, Dendera, in December 1838. It depicts the ancient Egyptian temple complex in Dendera, and highlights the surge of European interest in Egypt and its ancient monuments during the 19th century. Roberts uses a muted palette to depict the temple ruins, contrasting the grandeur of the architecture with the small figures of contemporary Egyptians, accentuating the scale of the site. This aestheticization of ancient ruins was popular in European art, feeding into narratives of imperial exploration and discovery. The painting was created during a time of increasing colonial presence in Egypt, particularly by the British and French. Roberts’s work reflects and reinforces the orientalist perspectives of the time, where the East was often seen as a place of mystery, antiquity, and exoticism. To understand this artwork, we need to consider sources such as travel narratives, colonial documents, and the visual culture of 19th-century Europe. This allows us to better understand not only the artwork itself but also the social and political context in which it was created and viewed.