Achille-Constant-Théodore-Émile Prisse d'Avennes (27 January 1807,

Avesnes-sur-Helpe Avesnes-sur-Helpe (; vls, Avenne aan de Helpe) is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the Nord department. It is situated 14 km from the Belgian border, and 18 km south of Maubeuge, the ne ...

– 16 February 1879,

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

) was a French archaeologist, Egyptologist, architect and writer.

Biography

Prisse d'Avennes was born in Avesnes-sur-Helpe, France, on 27 January 1807, to a

noble family Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. The characterist ...

of French origin. After the early death of his father in 1814, on the guidance of his grandfather he enrolled at college a year later to train for a career within the legal profession. Prisse d'Avennes decided to become an archaeologist in 1836 after a period teaching at the infantry school in

Damietta Damietta ( arz, دمياط ' ; cop, ⲧⲁⲙⲓⲁϯ, Tamiati) is a port city and the capital of the Damietta Governorate in Egypt, a former bishopric and present multiple Catholic titular see. It is located at the Damietta branch, an easte ...

Life in Egypt

In 1827 when he reached Egypt, he was hired by the viceroy of Egypt,

Muhammad Ali Pasha Muhammad Ali Pasha al-Mas'ud ibn Agha, also known as Muhammad Ali of Egypt and the Sudan ( sq, Mehmet Ali Pasha, ar, محمد علي باشا, ; ota, محمد علی پاشا المسعود بن آغا; ; 4 March 1769 – 2 August 1849), was ...

, as a civil engineer. He spent many years living as an Egyptian, adopting the name Idriss-effendi, learning to speak Arabic and practicing Islam. He stated that adopting Egyptian culture resulted in a greater understanding of Egyptian society and people.

Oriental Album

A Muslim lady reclining in her harem by a smoking hooka

In 1848, he contributed 30 lithograph images depicting the people living on the Nile Valley to a costume book titled ''Oriental Album'' written by James Augustus St. John who was a British author and traveler.

Selected bibliography

* Arabic Art: monuments after Cairo from the 7th century to the end of the 18th century (1869-1877)(with Schmidt,C
NY public library archive
retrieved GMT12:56 25.9.11 * Arabic Decoration (1885) * Atlas of Egyptian Art, with an introduction by Maarten J. Raven, captions by Olaf E. Kaper (reedition AUC Press 2000)
retrieved GMT19:16 24.9.11 * Egyptian monuments, bas-reliefs, paintings, sculptures (1842
NY public library archive
retrieved GMT12:51.25.9.11

retrieved 13:07GMT 24/09/2011 * [https://openlibrary.org/works/OL11678681W/Histoire_de_l'art_égyptien_d'après_les_monuments Histoire de l'art égyptien d'après les monuments depuis les temps les plus reculés jusqu'à la domination romaine par Prisse d'Avennes; ouvrage publié sous les auspices du Ministère de l'instruction publique, des cultes et des beaux-arts. Texte par P. Marchandon de La Faye ... (d'après les notes de l'auteur) Published 1878]
Histoire de l'art egyptien : d'après les monuments
retrieved 12:25 24/09/11
page.393 of text
retrieved (approx') GMT13:45 24/09/11 * http://archive.aramcoworld.com/issue/199006/prisse-a.portrait.htm

References

External links