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Lot Essay
THE ISLAND OF PHILAE, SACRED TO THE GODDESS ISIS, IS SITUATED JUST ABOVE ASWAN ON THE NILE. IN THE MIDDLE OF THE 19TH CENTURY IT WAS ONE OF THE MOST UNSPOILT OF EGYPTIAN HISTORIC SITES, AND ITS LEGENDARY BEAUTY DREW COUNTLESS VISITORS, AMONG THEM MANY ARTISTS. EDWARD LEAR, IN A LETTER TO HIS SISTER IN 1854, WROTE OF PHILAE: 'IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO DESCRIBE THE PLACE TO YOU, ANY FURTHER THAN SAYING IT IS MORE LIKE A REAL FAIRY-ISLAND THAN ANYTHING ELSE I CAN COMPARE IT TO'.
IN THE PRESENT WORK WERNER MASTERFULLY CAPTURES THE CLARITY OF LIGHT FLOODING THE PROPYLAEUM, OR VESTIBULE, OF THE TEMPLE. HE CONTRASTS THE QUOTIDIAN BUSINESS OF THE FOREGROUND FIGURES WITH THE GILDED MAJESTY OF THE TEMPLE WALLS AND THEIR ELOQUENT TESTIMONY TO CIVILISATIONS PAST, INSCRIBED, AS THEY ARE, WITH THE PRAYERS TO ISIS OF COUNTLESS PILGRIMS. SPANNING THE GAP BETWEEN METICULOUS, RELISHED DETAIL AND SURFACE DESIGN, HE ACHIEVES IN THE JUXTAPOSTION OF THE SUN-BURNT OCHRE OF THE STONE AND THE RICH AZURE OF THE SKY A PICTURE OF THE PUREST - ALMOST ABSTRACT - BEAUTY.
IN THE PRESENT WORK WERNER MASTERFULLY CAPTURES THE CLARITY OF LIGHT FLOODING THE PROPYLAEUM, OR VESTIBULE, OF THE TEMPLE. HE CONTRASTS THE QUOTIDIAN BUSINESS OF THE FOREGROUND FIGURES WITH THE GILDED MAJESTY OF THE TEMPLE WALLS AND THEIR ELOQUENT TESTIMONY TO CIVILISATIONS PAST, INSCRIBED, AS THEY ARE, WITH THE PRAYERS TO ISIS OF COUNTLESS PILGRIMS. SPANNING THE GAP BETWEEN METICULOUS, RELISHED DETAIL AND SURFACE DESIGN, HE ACHIEVES IN THE JUXTAPOSTION OF THE SUN-BURNT OCHRE OF THE STONE AND THE RICH AZURE OF THE SKY A PICTURE OF THE PUREST - ALMOST ABSTRACT - BEAUTY.