Technique: Etching on Paper

Inscription: At the lower part signed in the printing plate: "J. M. Moreau le Jne inv. et del. / l'an 2 de la R. / A C Giraud le Jne aquaforti".

Date: 1794

Description: In 1791, Histoire générale et particulière des religions et du culte de tous les peuples du monde, tant anciens que modernes by François Henri Stanislas de L'Aulnaye was published. It was an extremely ambitious project of describing ancient religious cultures and deriving Christianity from these origins. A total of 12 volumes were to be published, but this plan seems to have failed early on, for more than the first volume never appeared. An anonymous reviewer of the Jeaner Allgemeine Literatur-Zeitung announced as early as 1796 that "it seems to him that this whole plan, which is so broadly conceived, is aimed at nothing more than money-making and bag-snatching [...]". (No. 398, 24. 12. 1796, p. 728) Nevertheless, the high-quality illustrations stood out, among which a procession in honour of the goddess Isis is of particular interest in connection with this print. It shares the same format as our illustration and also seems to be a scene from the cult of Isis. Since the present sheet is a proof before further elaboration and inscription, it is not clear whether Giraud created it for a planned continuation of the Histoire. The date 1794 suggests that he did.

Keywords: Antiquity, reception of antiquity, faith, religion, landscape, mythology, Egypt, 18th century, Classicism, Mythology, France,