Tomb with Sphinxes and an Owl

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.