Art of the Pharaohs
Discovery Day
4 June 2024
Nefertari wife of Ramesses II, tomb fresco Column II, E Face
The remarkable civilisation of Ancient Egypt lasted an extraordinary 3000 years. In order to explore some of the more fascinating periods of ancient Egyptian art, our Speaker Lucia Gahlin will focus on the reigns of three pharaohs who are remembered for being in some way extraordinary.
We will begin with Hatshepsut, remarkable for being a female pharaoh. An examination of the ideology and iconography of Egyptian kingship will explain why she was often represented as a strong bare-chested man.
We will go on to explore the intriguing art of the pharaoh Akhenaten who made such changes to the traditional art and polytheistic religion that he was referred to as a criminal after his death.
And we will end the day by wondering at the colossal art of Ramesses II who reigned for more than 60 years and had statues of himself set up the length of Egypt.
Lucia Gahlin is an Egyptologist who has worked extensively in museums and on excavations in Egypt. These days she mostly lectures, but in addition leads tours to Egypt.
She is a former Honorary Research Associate at University College London’s Institute of Archaeology, and Lecturer in Egyptology at several UK universities. She works at the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology in London. She is a former Director of the Bloomsbury Summer School at UCL, Chair of the Friends of the Petrie Museum, and Trustee of the Egypt Exploration Society. Publications include Egypt: gods, myths and religion.
Lucia Gahlin