Egyptian Revival
Egyptian Revival architectural style uses shapes that echo the curves of grass and lotuses.
What Is Egyptian Revival?
It was during this time, Egyptian Revival architecture in America gained popularity as seen in government buildings, cemeteries, theatres, religious temples, and residences. Impressive examples of Egyptian Revival are the Egyptian Building at Virginia Commonwealth University, and Benjamin Henry Latrobe’s original Library of Congress and Washington Monument.
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Egyptian Revival Characteristics
EGYPTIAN REVIVAL STYLE MOULDINGS
Egyptian Revival molding profiles are very basic shapes. They are derived from the battered shapes of earthen and stone piles and the curved shapes of grass and lotus flowers. The style is dominated by massing that gently tapers upwards, topped with coves and ovolos like the grass and lotus flowers of the Nile river delta. The style is inspired by the Egyptian monuments of the pharaohs.
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History of Egyptian Revival
The close of the eighteenth century ushered in a new era of European interest in the civilization of ancient Egypt, laying the foundation for the Egyptian Revival movement. Knowledge of Egypt had long survived through classical writings and scattered antiquities, yet public enthusiasm expanded dramatically following Napoleon Bonaparte’s Egyptian Campaign of 1798 to 1801. Accompanying the military expedition was the Commission des Sciences et des Arts, a distinguished assembly of artists, architects, engineers, historians, and scientists charged with documenting Egypt’s extraordinary architectural and archaeological heritage. Their extensive research was published in the Description de l’Égypte, first issued in 1809 and expanded in subsequent volumes over the following decades. Filled with detailed engravings and scholarly observations of temples, pyramids, obelisks, tombs, sphinxes, and hieroglyphic inscriptions, the publication introduced Europe’s architects and designers to ancient Egyptian civilization with an unprecedented level of accuracy.
Throughout the nineteenth century, continued archaeological discoveries and advancing Egyptological scholarship sustained the movement’s popularity across Europe and the United States. Jean François Champollion’s decipherment of hieroglyphs in 1822 transformed the study of ancient Egypt, while expanding international travel and scientific excavations revealed an ever growing understanding of its history and culture. Interest surged once again following the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 and reached extraordinary heights after Howard Carter’s discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun in 1922, inspiring a final wave of Egyptian Revival architecture and design during the early twentieth century. By bridging archaeological discovery with architectural expression, Egyptian Revival transformed ancient Egypt from a civilization once shrouded in mystery into one that could be studied, understood, and reimagined with unprecedented historical accuracy.
