Tomb with Sphinxes and an Owl

Prints and Drawings

1779–84

Louis Jean Desprez
French, 1743-1804

This invention of an imaginary Egyptian tomb by the French artist, architect, and stage designer Louis-Jean Desprez was one of a set of four aquatints on the theme that he designed while living in Rome. It combines a sense of theatrical drama with references to Egyptian antiquities, which enjoyed a vogue at the time.
The print’s bizarre fantasy (made horrific by the exposed corpse in the open tomb), enhanced by dramatic contrasts of light and shadow, makes it a document of some importance among the early manifestations in art of pre-romantic sensibilities.

Status: Currently Off View
Department: Prints and Drawings

Artist: Louis Jean Desprez
Title: Tomb with Sphinxes and an Owl
Place: France (Artist's nationality:)
Date Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.: 1779–1784
Medium: Etching and aquatint in brown on cream laid paper
Dimensions: 33.8 × 48.6 cm (13 5/16 × 19 3/16 in.)
Credit Line: The Amanda S. Johnson and Marion J. Livingston Fund
Reference Number: 2011.93
IIIF Manifest The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world. Learn more.: https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/209884/manifest.json

Fonds Français 29

Baudicour 3

Wöllin 28 ii/ii

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

Suggested Terms

Currently Off View

Date:

Artist:

About this artwork

Status

Department

Artist

Title

Place

Date Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

Medium

Dimensions

Credit Line

Reference Number

IIIF Manifest The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world. Learn more.

Extended information about this artwork

Catalogues Raisonnés

Share

Explore Further

Sign up for our enewsletter to receive updates.

Gallery actions

Image actions

Share

IIIF Manifest The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

Learn more.