Special Collections

Within the Ranney collection in Special Collections lies a large folio volume with the spine title Denon’s Egypt. The book is a later (1825) English edition depicting exploration first carried out by Vivant Denon during Napoleon’s invasion and occupation of Egypt in 1798. Denon was Napoleon’s artistic advisor, and part of a group assembled by Napoleon called the Commission of the Sciences and Arts. His job was to explore, describe, and sketch the antiquities of Egypt. Denon accomplished his task so well that he has been called the founder of modern Egyptology, and his work eventually inspired the massive Description de l’Egypt, one of the lasting contributions from Napoleon’s Commission.

The 1825 edition of Denon’s work is actually entitled Egypt Delineated, and it contains selections from the series of engraving Denon commissioned after he returned from Egypt. He reported his findings in the two-volume set Travels in Upper and Lower Egypt, a copy of which resides in Special Collections. The two works viewed together provide a fascinating glimpse into a unique historical moment, when imperial ambition, military force, scientific curiosity, and artistic achievement co-existed and interacted. Below are some of the highlights from Denon’s book, which can be clicked on for a high-resolution view. The books can always be accessed in person in our reading room or used for class presentations in our classroom.