Expedition Napoleon artists Denon And Dutertre 1800 Drawings

 Denon was the first artist to discover and draw the temples and ruins at Thebes, Esna, Edfu, and Philae. Until that time, most of the known Egyptian antiquities were pyramids and scattered pieces of sculptures and stelae. It was when the brigade reached Dendera, just across from Qena, that Denon realized what might be in store. He came through the gate and got a view of the portico, and was enthralled.

“I felt that I was in the sanctuary of the arts and sciences…Never did the labour of man show me the human race in such a splendid point of view. In the ruins of Tentyra [the Roman word for Dendera] the Egyptians appeared to me giants.”

He had to move on after less than a day, but he did have time to discover a circular zodiac on the ceiling of a small chapel on the roof of the temple. Drawing it, however, would have to wait

wait.