Lot 692
Vintage Views of Ancient Egypt, by Antonio Beato. Egypt, c. 1880's. A lot of 5 sepia-toned albumen prints, each mounted on black-faced board, each with a somewhat later paper label at bottom. These ancient contact prints are carefully composed, handsomely crafted, and filled with an immense wealth of detail. In this group are such notable monuments as: A god and hieroglyph encrusted wall at Karnak, detailing the genealogy of Ramses the Great; a similar wall of a shrine at Denderah depicting Cleopatra in her traditional Egyptian form; a row of ram-headed sphinxes at Karnak; the massive pillars from the hypostyle temple at Philae, with differing papyrus and lotiform capitals; and lastly, the fabulous obelisk of Ramses the Great at Luxor. Most of the photos signed "A Beato" on the negative. Photos generally very fine. All are old deaccessions from a northern California public library. Image size: c. 10-1/4 x 8-1/8". These are choice archives of sites that are now quite often much altered, damaged, or even lost. Lot of 5 pieces. Often selling for $50-150 each, Beato's Egyptian photos are much sought after by cogniscenti and collectors. Worthy of spirited bidding.
Estimated Value $175 - 300.
Antonio Beato (c. 1810 - c. 1930) and his brother, Felicio, were among the more notable scenic photographers of exotic and foreign vistas during the nineteenth century. Felicio, perhaps the more famous of the two, made a considerable name for himself with his albums and photo essays of Japan at the end of the Shogun era, and with extensive, sometimes controversial coverage of India. Antonio (or, Antoine), meanwhile, stayed in Egypt and ran a flourishing business taking pictures of the antiquities there.
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| Realized $259 |
