Sir Oswald Walters Brierly (1817-1894), Karnak 1869, watercolour and bodycolour over pencil

In Karnak, Brierly used watercolour and bodycolour over pencil to gain subtle tonal gradation from the light of the sky to the dark shadows in the foreground. The vivid colours used also convey a feeling of heat from the sun and cool in the shade.

A recent discovery shows that a drawing on the reverse of this watercolour depicts an unfinished view of Karnak (discovered when the watercolour was being prepared for exhibition).