Remains of the Temple of Medamout, at Thebes. 1846 - 1849

David Roberts made this print of the remains of the Temple of Medamout at Thebes. Roberts was one of several European artists who travelled to the Near East in the 19th century, documenting ancient sites for a European audience keen to learn about the region. This image creates meaning through visual codes and historical associations. It depicts the ruins of an ancient Egyptian temple. In the 19th century, Egypt was of interest to Europeans as an ancient civilisation that was now under the control of the Ottoman Empire. This print shows European figures dwarfed by the scale of the Egyptian architecture. The temple's weathered columns evoke themes of time, loss and imperial decline. By depicting these ruins, Roberts invites viewers to reflect on the transience of empires and the mutability of power. To understand artworks like this better, historians can consult travel writing, colonial archives and histories of archaeology. The meaning of art is always contingent on social and institutional context.