Medint [sic] Abou [Medinet Habu], Thebes. Dec. 8th, 1838. 1846 - 1849

Curator: Looking at this artwork, one can really feel transported back in time, don’t you think? Editor: Indeed. It has a somewhat melancholic feel, vast and lonely. Is it a photograph? Curator: It’s actually a watercolor illustration by David Roberts, created between 1846 and 1849, titled "Medint Abou [Medinet Habu], Thebes. Dec. 8th, 1838." Editor: Watercolor. Fascinating. Considering the context, what kind of pigments do you imagine were used to achieve these muted, earthy tones? Curator: The romantic style blends really beautifully here. He aimed to present the architecture within the landscape. It's as much a cultural document as an aesthetic piece, showing us how Europeans viewed Ancient Egyptian sites. Editor: Romanticizing is an appropriate word. These colors create a subdued palette reflecting available pigments. Think of the conditions: sourcing, grinding, and mixing right there on location. That affects the feel, more immediate. The laborers' work merges with Roberts' labor here. Curator: True. Think about how such scenes became potent images that circulated across Europe, stirring imagination and justifying imperial interests under the guise of documenting cultural heritage. Editor: Just look at the layered washes, the textured surface where he applied the washes and strokes. He understood materials’ qualities. Every application echoes not only the subject, but the materiality that forms a lens through which ancient history can be rendered accessible, saleable. Curator: In truth, these artistic interpretations reinforced Western cultural superiority—though at the expense of diminishing and exploiting local artistic contributions and the indigenous populations. Editor: Ultimately, it is compelling, precisely because of how this materiality captures and also obscures those historical forces present on this Theban plain in 1838. A romantic encounter with production itself!