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Louis Jean Desprez

Tomb with Sphinxes and an Owl

1779–84
Etching and aquatint in brown on cream laid paper
33.8 × 48.6 cm (13.3 × 19.1 in)

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In the collection of Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago · as of July 2026

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FROM THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO’S CATALOG

This invention of an imaginary Egyptian tomb by the French artist, architect, and stage designer Louis-Jean Desprez was one of a set of four aquatints on the theme that he designed while living in Rome. It combines a sense of theatrical drama with references to Egyptian antiquities, which enjoyed a vogue at the time. The print’s bizarre fantasy (made horrific by the exposed corpse in the open tomb), enhanced by dramatic contrasts of light and shadow, makes it a document of some importance among the early manifestations in art of pre-romantic sensibilities.

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