The vision of ancient egypt exhibition taking place at the Sainsbury Center in Norwich, UK starting next week (September 3 - January 1, 2023) reveals how ancient Egyptian arts have inspired centuries of creativity. From media from furniture design such as William Holman Hunt's Egyptian Chair (1857) to contemporary works such as Chris Ofili's painting of Cleopatra (1992).
A selection of ancient Egyptian artifacts from the Sainsbury Center collections will also be on display, including an ornate Egyptian vase from the second Negada dynasty (circa 3600-3000 BC) and stone reliefs depicting female heads dating from the mid-13th century and the exhibition coincides with the centenary. The second to decipher the Rosetta Stone by Jean-François Champollion and the centenary of Howard Carter's discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb.
Ancient Egypt provided endless inspiration to artists and designers, both ancient and contemporary, and from this point of view, Benjamin Henson and Anna Ferrari, the curators of the exhibition, trace this cultural phenomenon and its relations to politics and power, according to the past.
For many observers, the influence on Egyptian art began to coincide with the twenties of the last century, when the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb and the story of the boy king sparked interest that touched all aspects of popular culture and fashion. The story, however, extends much further back into history. It extends from antiquity, when the Romans plundered antiquities to Italy, incorporating the Egyptian gods into their own and creating a new method of 'Egyptization'; to Cleopatra Theater by Shakespeare and "Ozymandias" by Chile; Until recent decades when artists such as David Hockney and Chris Ofili continued to reintroduce Egyptian images and themes.
Egypt was considered the origin of wisdom and law and the pioneer of classical civilizations. Therefore, the great European powers of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries considered themselves the first to seize the legacy of Egypt. It is no coincidence that the artistic uses of ancient Egyptian images flourished at the same time that these forces attempted to take physical control of Egypt, especially during the French campaign.
Likewise archaeological finds shipped to European museums in the Victorian era that inspired artists and designers, were only possible because of the continuing European colonial influence in Egypt Visions of Ancient Egypt, the Sainsbury Center's groundbreaking new exhibition, explores this enduring legacy and exposes prevailing artistic fantasies In Europe about ancient Egypt for the first time.
Sun, Aug. 28, 2022
