Napoleon the Great

See a French view of Egypt at Beaux Arts

Comments (0) By Noah W. Bailey Thursday, May 24 2007

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In his quest to conquer the Orient in the late 1700s, Napoleon Bonaparte led the French army into Egypt, hoping to wrest its valuable resources from the British and pave the way east. He took with him 160 of France's most notable scholars, artists and engravers in order to document the natural and historical record of the region, and though the French army eventually suffered a resounding defeat at the hands of the British, the scholars' work lived on in Description de L'Egypte, a collection of engravings, notes and diaries that captivated the Western world upon its publication in 1828. You can see 87 of these famous engravings right now at Beaux Arts Gallery, 1505 Hi Line Drive, meaning it's only taken the exhibition 300 years or so to make it to Dallas. We truly are a world class city, huh? It's the largest exhibit of its kind ever held in the Southwest, though, so suck on that Fort Worth, Austin, San Antonio, El Paso, Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Phoenix and Tucson. Call 214-741-5555 or visit beauxartsart.com.
May 12-July 14