Henry Bacon
Temple of Isis, View of Philae (verso)
1902

Name: Temple of Isis, View of Philae (verso)
Brand: Henry Bacon
Price: 3500 USD
Availability: InStock

About the Item

Temple of Isis Philae (verso) Dpouoble sided watercolor, 1902 Signed on front lower left: "Henry Bacon" and dated 1902 Note: The Temple of Isis is located on the Island of Philae at the first Cataract of the Nile River. It has been a major religious site of the Egyptians, Greeks and Romans. The Temple of Isis is a Roman temple dedicated to the Egyptian goddess Isis. Isis was a goddess in Ancient Egyptian religious beliefs, whose worship spread throughout the Greco-Roman world. She was worshipped as the ideal mother, wife, the matron of nature and magic. Provenance: Estate of the Artist The Artist's Sister in Law By decent Note: Bacon exhibited at the salon from 1868 through to 1896 with genre works which had found favor with the American market. He also worked as a journalist sending reports of events in Paris to the Boston Daily Evening Transcript. In 1897, he travelled to Egypt for the first time and began regularly spending Winters there. At that time, he switched from oils to watercolors which he believed was the optimal medium to capture the transparent light of the Middle East. (Courtesy of Wikipedia) Temple of Isis (recto) Built during the reign of Ptolemy II (Egypt’s Greco-Roman Period), the Temple of Isis at Philae is dedicated to Isis, Osiris, and Horus. The temple walls contain scenes from Egyptian mythology of Isis bringing Osiris back to life, giving birth to Horus, and mummifying Osiris after his death. The temple was in danger of being submerged forever with the construction of the new Aswan dam (1960-1970), which flooded the area. Fortunately, the Egyptian government and UNESCO worked together to pump the area dry and relocate the entire temple, stone by stone (50,000 stones!), to a nearby island called Agilka, where it stands today. Philae (verso) An island was located near the First Cataract of the Upper Nile. It was flooded by the fist or Lowe Aswan Dam of 1902. It was further submerged by the new Aswan Dam of 1960-1970. The ancient Egyptian name of the smaller island meant "boundary". As their southern frontier, the pharaohs of Egypt kept there a strong garrison, and it was also a barracks for Greek and Roman soldiers in their turn.

Creator:

Henry Bacon (1832 - 1912, American)

Creation Year:

1902

Dimensions:

Height: 13 in (33.02 cm)Width: 18 in (45.72 cm)

Medium:

Watercolor

Movement & Style:

American Impressionist

Period:

1900-1909