De la Mos[aique] de Palestrine - Egypt

Renaissance representation of classical ruins was a symbol of antiquity, enlightenment, and lost knowledge. Ruins spoke to the passage of time. The greatest subject for ruin artists was the overgrown and crumbling Classical Rome remains. Forum and the Colosseum, Pantheon, and the Appian Way. Initially, art representations of Rome were realistic, but soon the imagination of artists took flight. Roman ruins were scattered around the city, but frustrated artists began placing them in more pleasing arrangements. Capriccio was a style of imaginary scenes of buildings and ruins.

Egypt impressed the imagination of all European cultures for a very loan time. 19th century Egyptomania was as a result of Napoleon's Egyptian Campaign (1798–1801) and, as a result of the scientific study of ancient Egyptian remains and culture inspired by this campaign. Western interest in ancient Egyptian history has led to extensive archaeological expeditions and innumerable collections of these magnificent antiquities worldwide.