Original lithograph by David Roberts (Scottish, 1796-1864) and Louis Haghe (Belgian, 1806-1885), titled “Portico of the Temple of Kalabshi (Kalabsha),” published in London, 1847. Signed in plate lower right and titled lower left. Beautiful and remarkably well-preserved, the Temple of Kalabsha is the largest free-standing temple in Lower Nubia. It was built during the reign of Augustus (30 BC-14 AD), the first Roman emperor. Primarily dedicated to the Nubian God Mandulis, the Gods Isis and her husband Osiris were worshipped here too. Multiple cultures have left their mark on the temple of Kalabsha, from its dedication to a Nubian God to its inscriptions in Meroitic and Greek. The slender columns and their wide spacing hint at influence from Graeco-Roman tradition. There are several crosses carved onto its walls, signaling the beginning of Christianity in the region when the sanctuary was used as a church. [https://egymonuments.gov.eg/monuments/kalabsha-temple/]. Considered one of the great architectural artists of his time, David Roberts was born in Stockbridge near Edinburgh and at the age of 10, apprenticed to Gavin Buego, a house painter. Following his apprenticeship, Roberts did faux stonework and paneling at Scone Palace and Abercairney Abbey. In 1818, Roberts worked as an assistant scene painter in theaters in Edinburgh, Glasgow, and the Drury Lane Theater in London. Throughout the 1820s, he exhibited at the Society of British Artists and the Royal Academy. By 1830, Roberts was firmly established as a topographical artist. He then was able to give up his theatre work and travel, touring the continent, Scotland and Spain. In 1839, he departed for Alexandria and spent the remaining part of the year in Cairo, visiting numerous tombs and other sites. The following year he crossed the desert to get to the Holy Land by way of Suez, Mount Sinai, Petra, and Gaza. He went on to Jerusalem, spending several months visiting key biblical sites, and returned to England at the end of 1839. Roberts’ works were published in London as lithographs by Louis Haghe (1806-1885), himself a lithographer and watercolor artist, in 41 parts over seven years, 1842-1849. This became one of Haghe's most ambitious and successful projects and confirmed Roberts as one of Great Britain’s greatest architectural and landscape artists. Provenance: Phyllis Lucas Gallery, NYC. [Sight: 14 3/4" H x 20 1/2" W; Mat: 20" H x 26 1/2" W].