A watercolour of Cleopatra's Needle on the Embankment, one of Wyllie's many studies of the Thames and the surrounding riverside. At the base of the needle is one of the two large bronze sphinxes that sit either side, seen here from the rear. The sphinxes are Victorian versions of the Egyptian originals. The obelisk was built for Tuthmosis III and is carved with hieroglyphics praising him and commemorating his festival. The obelisk was brought to London with the aid of sponsorship from Erasmus Wilson and was erected by John Dixon in 1878. It is one of a pair, the other being in Central Park, New York. See also PAF0735.