In 1827, a brilliant young French engineer and draftsman arrived in Alexandria at the start of a long and fruitful love affair with Egypt and its art, both ancient and contemporary. Emile Prisse d’Avennes (1807–79) spent a total of nineteen years in Egypt, traveling throughout the country to collect the stunning images that he later published in Paris in two collections, Atlas de l’histoire de l’art egyptien and L’ Art arabe. It is the illustrations from the latter that make up this volume. Prisse’s masterly renderings of Cairo’s mosques and their decorations more than retain their impact today: they still have the power to amaze and delight, while at the same time carrying valuable historical and artistic information for specialists studying Islamic art and architecture. As Professor George Scanlon says in his Introduction to the volume: “For those passionate about the Islamic legacy of Egypt―may they admire and stand grateful.”

Islamic Art in Cairo: From the 7th to the 18th Centuries

Arts & Photography

Prisse d’Avennes, E.

History & Criticism

The American University in Cairo Press

This enchanted tour of Egyptian art by one of its early explorers is one of the most beautiful modern works on ancient Egyptian art. Prisse d’Avennes’ monumental work, first published in Paris over a ten-year period between 1868 and 1878, includes the only surviving record of many lost artifacts. ‘‘None of Prisse’s contemporaries had the skill or endurance to bring such an endeavor to such a brilliant end. He was far ahead of his time in his awareness of the vulnerability of the monuments and the need to protect them and to record them. His were the first reliable drawings of Egyptian architecture and ornaments and the first plans and sections of constructions newly excavated. He returned to Paris [in 1860] with a rich harvest of 300 drawings, 400 meters of squeezes, and 150 photographs.’’ ― Maarten J. Raven, Curator of the Egyptian Department, the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden, Leiden. Now reissued in a handy new hardbound reference format.

Atlas of Egyptian Art

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Books by Prisse d’Avennes, E.

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Prisse d’Avennes, E.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Islamic Art in Cairo: From the 7th to the 18th Centuries

Atlas of Egyptian Art