Graphite and watercolour on paper
Tate Collection
Works with images
General Collection
Collection
<a href="https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/william-james-muller-391" aria-label="More by William James Müller" data-gtm-name="header_link_artist" data-gtm-destination="page--artist">William James Müller</a>
Street in a Near Eastern Town
Presented by Lady Weston as part of the Sir Joseph Weston Gift 1908
adults
animals: mammals
architecture
camel
dress: nations/regions
features
group
groups
man
Middle East
people
society
street
tower
townscapes / man-made features
woman
<p>Müller was one of the first British artists to go to Egypt, travelling there in 1838–9. He wrote that ‘of all the spots I had ever seen for the artist’ this sort of street scene ‘would prove the most fertile for his pencil’.</p><p>The Islamic world had long fascinated Western audiences, though they had generally been satisfied with recycled fantasies. Müller’s sketch represents a new, eye-witness approach. By the late 1830s biblical archaeology, and an escalation of European diplomatic and military activity in the area, fuelled demand for more convincing documentary images of the Middle East.</p><p><em>Gallery label, September 2004</em></p>
paper unique graphite watercolour
26 May 2003 – 8 December 2003
2003-12-08
26 May 2003
2003-05-26
Tate Britain (London, UK)
http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/
2003-05-26
British Watercolours: Turner and his Contemporaries around 1840
Collection based display
Street in a Near Eastern Town
support: 247 × 145 mm
Presented by Lady Weston as part of the Sir Joseph Weston Gift 1908
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<span class="text0">Müller was one of the first British artists  to go      to Egypt, travelling there in 1838–9. He wrote that ‘of all the      spots I had ever </span><span class="text14">seen for the artist’      this sort of street scene ‘would prove the most fertile for his      <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/g/graphite" title="Glossary definition for 'Graphite'"><span>pencil</span></a>’.</span><span class="text0">
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<div class="pbodytext">
<span class="text0">The Islamic world had long fascinated </span><span class="text13">Western audiences, though they had generally been satisfied      with recycled fantasies. Müller’s sketch represents  a new,      eye-witness approach. By the  late 1830s biblical archaeology, and  an      escalation of European diplomatic  and military activity in the area,      fuelled </span><span class="text0">demand for more convincing documentary      images of the Middle East. </span>
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2004-09-10T00:00:00
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adults animals: mammals architecture camel dress: nations/regions features group groups man Middle East people society street tower townscapes / man-made features woman