Of art and the passage of history
I've been looking the history and architecture at the Pyramids recently. They bemuse me. For over 3800 years, they were the tallest structures in the world. They are the only remaining Wonder of the Ancient World. Their very construction is still staggering to conceive.
One of my favorite parts about the long history of the Pyramids is the battle which Napoleon fought near them during his unsuccessful campaign in Egypt. This strikes me as a bizarre juxtaposition of two monuments in history (thought characterizing Napoleon as a monument might be overstating something about his character). I am not alone in this, apparently; there is quite a bit of art concerning the topic.
Bonaparte Before the Sphinx, Jean-Léon Gérôme, 1867-1868
Die Schlacht bei den Pyramiden, Francois-Louis-Joseph Watteau, 1798-1799
Battle of the Pyramids, July 21, 1798, Antoine-Jean Gros, 1810
Battle of the Pyramids, Wojciech Kossak, 1896
Even Kubrick wanted to do a project about Napoleon, in which he reputedly would have filmed in Giza.
take a look at the lawman beating up the wrong guy
One of my favorite parts about the long history of the Pyramids is the battle which Napoleon fought near them during his unsuccessful campaign in Egypt. This strikes me as a bizarre juxtaposition of two monuments in history (thought characterizing Napoleon as a monument might be overstating something about his character). I am not alone in this, apparently; there is quite a bit of art concerning the topic.
Bonaparte Before the Sphinx, Jean-Léon Gérôme, 1867-1868
Die Schlacht bei den Pyramiden, Francois-Louis-Joseph Watteau, 1798-1799
Battle of the Pyramids, July 21, 1798, Antoine-Jean Gros, 1810
Battle of the Pyramids, Wojciech Kossak, 1896
Even Kubrick wanted to do a project about Napoleon, in which he reputedly would have filmed in Giza.
take a look at the lawman beating up the wrong guy