John Beasley Greene

The Sphinx

c. 1853
salted paper print from waxed paper negative

SEE IT IN PERSON

Not currently on view

In the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland · as of July 2026

View at clevelandart.orgPlan a visit ↗

Discussion

FROM THE CLEVELAND MUSEUM OF ART’S CATALOG

The son of a wealthy banker, Greene was an American but born and raised in Paris. At a young age, he became an avid archaeologist focusing on the Middle East. Before embarking on his first trip to Egypt in 1853 at age 19, he learned photography so he could accurately document excavations, discoveries, and inscriptions, but he also used the relatively new medium to produce elegant landscapes such as the view of Thebes nearby. Greene, who was involved in excavations of the Great Sphinx, died in Cairo in 1856, possibly of tuberculosis.

Source ↗

Be the first to share your thoughts.

Sign in to join the discussion.

Community guidelines

More by John Beasley Greene

[Waterfall, Constantine][Waterfall, Constantine]Untitled (Still life with a statuette of the Venus de Milo)Untitled (Still life with a statuette of the Venus de Milo)Etude de Palmiers, Bords du Nil, KalabschiEtude de Palmiers, Bords du Nil, Kalabschi[Bank of the Rhumel, near Constantine, Algeria][Bank of the Rhumel, near Constantine, Algeria][Constantine, Algeria][Constantine, Algeria][Antiquities in the Museum at Cherchell, Algeria][Antiquities in the Museum at Cherchell, Algeria][Excavations near the Sphinx][Excavations near the Sphinx][Island of Philae][Island of Philae]

More like this

Le Sphynx vu de Face, Egypte Moyenne, plate 11 from the album "Egypte, Nubie, Palestine et Syrie" (1852)Maxime Du Camp — Le Sphynx vu de Face, Egypte Moyenne, plateTête du SphynxWilhelm Hammerschmidt — Tête du SphynxPyramides et le SphinxFélix Bonfils — Pyramides et le SphinxPyramide de Chéphren, Egypte Moyenne, plate 10 from the album "Egypte, Nubie, Palestine et Syrie" (1852)Maxime Du Camp — Pyramide de Chéphren, Egypte Moyenne, platePyramides de GizèhGustave Le Gray — Pyramides de GizèhThe Pyramids of El Geezeh, from the SouthwestFrancis Frith — The Pyramids of El Geezeh, from the SouthwesDjîzeh (Nécropole de Memphis), Sphinx et PyramidesFélix Teynard|Imprimerie Photographique de H. de Fonteny et Pyramides de GizèhGustave Le Gray — Pyramides de GizèhThe Sphynx and Great Pyramid, GeezehFrancis Frith — The Sphynx and Great Pyramid, GeezehThe Sphynx and the Great Pyramid, GeezehFrancis Frith — The Sphynx and the Great Pyramid, GeezehThe Pyramids of DahshoorFrancis Frith — The Pyramids of DahshoorDjîzeh (Nécropole de Memphis), Pyramide de ChéphrenFélix Teynard|Imprimerie Photographique de H. de Fonteny et