Egyptian sketches : extracted from the portfolio of an ingenious young artist, attached to the Institut National at Cairo, which was found on board a tartane intercepted on its voyage to Marseilles / Js. Gillray fect.

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James Gillray
1756-1815
Egyptian sketches : extracted from the portfolio of an ingenious young artist, attached to the Institut National at Cairo, which was found on board a tartane intercepted on its voyage to Marseilles / Js. Gillray fect.
London : Publish'd March 12th 1799 by H Humphrey No 27 St James s Street, [1799]
Bequest of Gordon N. Ray, 1987.
1986.453
Published: 
London : Publish'd March 12th 1799 by H. Humphrey No 27 St James s Street, [1799]
Provenance: 
From the library of Gordon N. Ray.
Notes: 

Frontispiece to a set of six additional etchings on the Expedition to Egypt; the text continues: The Situations in which the Artist occasionally represents his Countrymen are a sufficient proof of an Impartiality and Fidelity, which cannot be too much commended; - indeed, we must suspect that his view of the flagitious absurdities of his Countrymen in Egypt, is nearly similar to ours, and that he took this method of pourtraying them, under the seal of confidence to his Correspondent at Paris.

Summary: 

Print shows two sphinxes flanking the central cartouche framing the text of the frontispiece. They wear cocked hats with tricolour cockades, and have rapacious claws. Behind the inscription is a pyramid up which climbs an ape dressed as a French officer holding up a large bonnet-rouge (such as was then carried on the masts of French men-of-war) in order to place it on the apex. In his sash is a blood-stained dagger. A nude man, symbolizing Folly, wearing a fool's cap, clutches his coat-tail, holding up a cap and bells, the cap on an ass's head. Large clouds, and a line of desert with pyramids on the horizon, form a background.

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