Treasures of Egypt and Nubia: Drawings from the French-Tuscan Expedition of 1828 Led by Jean-Francois Champollion and Ippolito Rosellini

252 pp. The first half of the 19th century was a great era for Egyptology. It had started with Bonaparte's Egyptian campaign. But in 1825, twenty-five year old Ippolito Rosellini, a theology graduate and an expert in oriental languages, visited Florence where he met Champollion, who thanks to the Rosetta Stone, had just succeeded in deciphering hieroglyphic writing. This was to be a turning point in Rosellin's life as he had not only found a mentor, but, above all, a friend. Through painters' skill and the stunning vigor of pigments used, every one of the plates feature in Egypt and Nubia brings the treasures of an exceptional civilization to life in vivid color.--jacket