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P. 253
owned Artists and Civilizational Landmarks of Egypt:
An important aspect about this Bust of Khedive Isma’il, bronze, 43 cm high, by
exhibition is that it shows some works of Charles Cordier
art produced by accomplished Western
artists, giving more significance to The French Sculptor Charles Cordier
these works that surpass the traditional
classification of the memorials honoring
specific rulers on official occasions in
certain reigns. One of these foremost
artists is the French sculptor Charles
Cordier (1905-1827), whose bust of
Khedive Isma’il is displayed in the
exhibition.
Cordier is one of the leading French
sculptors of the nineteenth century in
France, and one of the most acclaimed
ethnographic artists, which explains
his many statues representing figures
of different Eastern races, especially
Africans and Arabs.
According to the official website of
Musée d’Orsay (The Orsay Museum)
in France, Cordier spent two full years
in Egypt, between 1866 and 1868, to
undertake art missions officially assigned
by the French government(1), which
means that the bust was probably created
in this period. It is worth mentioning
that one of the original marble replicas
of this bust is currently at Saray Al-Iqama
(The Residence Building) in the Palace of
Prince Muhammad Ali Tawfiq in Manial(2).
One of Egypt’s well-known landmarks
that still houses some of Cordier’s works is
the Palace of Baron Empain, also known
as the Baron Palace, in Cairo. It was
founded by the Belgian Baron Édouard
Louis Joseph Empain (1929-1852) to be
(1) See the link: http://www.musee-orsay.fr/en/events/exhibitions/in-the-musee-dorsay/exhibitions-in-the-
musee-dorsay-more/article/charles-cordier-1827-1905-sculpteur-lautre-et-lailleurs-4210.html?print=1
(2) Mongy, Yasser: Rediscovering the Sculptures of the Palace of Baron Empain, Zakerat Misr (Memory of
Egypt) magazine, issue no. 35, the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, October 2018.
253
An important aspect about this Bust of Khedive Isma’il, bronze, 43 cm high, by
exhibition is that it shows some works of Charles Cordier
art produced by accomplished Western
artists, giving more significance to The French Sculptor Charles Cordier
these works that surpass the traditional
classification of the memorials honoring
specific rulers on official occasions in
certain reigns. One of these foremost
artists is the French sculptor Charles
Cordier (1905-1827), whose bust of
Khedive Isma’il is displayed in the
exhibition.
Cordier is one of the leading French
sculptors of the nineteenth century in
France, and one of the most acclaimed
ethnographic artists, which explains
his many statues representing figures
of different Eastern races, especially
Africans and Arabs.
According to the official website of
Musée d’Orsay (The Orsay Museum)
in France, Cordier spent two full years
in Egypt, between 1866 and 1868, to
undertake art missions officially assigned
by the French government(1), which
means that the bust was probably created
in this period. It is worth mentioning
that one of the original marble replicas
of this bust is currently at Saray Al-Iqama
(The Residence Building) in the Palace of
Prince Muhammad Ali Tawfiq in Manial(2).
One of Egypt’s well-known landmarks
that still houses some of Cordier’s works is
the Palace of Baron Empain, also known
as the Baron Palace, in Cairo. It was
founded by the Belgian Baron Édouard
Louis Joseph Empain (1929-1852) to be
(1) See the link: http://www.musee-orsay.fr/en/events/exhibitions/in-the-musee-dorsay/exhibitions-in-the-
musee-dorsay-more/article/charles-cordier-1827-1905-sculpteur-lautre-et-lailleurs-4210.html?print=1
(2) Mongy, Yasser: Rediscovering the Sculptures of the Palace of Baron Empain, Zakerat Misr (Memory of
Egypt) magazine, issue no. 35, the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, October 2018.
253
