These two prints depicting ancient Egyptian temples and people reproduce paintings by Edouard Bertin, who traveled to Egypt in the early 1850s. They were published in popular French art journals and reflect the demand for affordable images of Egyptian ruins and ancient sites. Other works on view in this gallery similarly reflect the tradition of depicting landmarks and ruins. Ancient Egypt inspired the work of many 19th-century European artists. This interest was largely due to the French military invasion of Egypt in 1798 and the subsequent British and French archaeological expeditions in that country. Many participants of these expeditions, claiming a colonial right of ownership, plundered Egyptian archaeological sites and dispersed the looted artifacts throughout Europe. This proliferation resulted in an explosion of interest in ancient Egyptian culture in Europe and the United States. See new works by Jackie Milad in the nearby exhibition Histories Collide for a contemporary perspective on dispersed Egyptian heritage.