Accession Number1980/1.210
TitleUntitled
Artist(s)Pascal SebahArtist NationalityTurkish (culture or style)Object Creation Datecirca 1880Medium & Supportalbumen print on paperDimensions 14 in x 18 7/8 in (35.56 cm x 47.94 cm);18 3/16 in x 22 3/16 in (46.2 cm x 56.36 cm)
Credit LineTransfer from the Kelsey Museum of ArchaeologySubject matterFlat, open desert and a bright, cloudless sky provide the mis-en-scène for this enigmatic, if not ominous, photograph. Life and death are here contrasted, as the stripped skeleton of a camel sprawls across the lower foreground of the image, signaling the perils of desert travel. These remains provide a warning for the living travelers who pass by in the background. Two distinct groups of figures on camelback, a pair on the left and a group of four on the right, have come to a halt at the same instant for reasons which are left ambiguous in the image.
Physical DescriptionThe skeleton of a camel lies in the foreground of this photograph, while scattered groupings of figures on camelback dot the desert landscape in the background.
Primary Object ClassificationPhotographCollection AreaPhotographyRightsIf you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit
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Keywords
Camelus dromedarius (species)
Egypt
camels
deserts
men (male humans)
natural landscapes
sand dunes
skeletons (animal components)
travel photography