Temple of Hathor on the Philae island. From the journey to Egypt

Temple of Hathor on Philae Island shows another monument at Philae — the temple dedicated to Hathor, goddess of love and music, which stands within the larger Isis temple complex. Ciągliński visited Philae during the final years before the first Aswan Dam (completed 1902) began to flood the island seasonally, making each visit increasingly urgent. His documentation of Philae's temples captures a site in its last years of relatively intact preservation. The warm Egyptian light and the ancient stone gave his Post-Impressionist palette an unusual luminous quality.

The temple's columns and facade are rendered with broad, warm strokes that capture the quality of Egyptian stone in intense sunlight. Shadow passages are deep and cool. Ciągliński maintains the essential architectural geometry while treating the surface as a painterly experience.