Egypt
Dorthea Arnold
The Metropolitam Museum of Art
Rizzoli International Publications, INC.
1999
New York
This lovely book was in conjunction with the exhibition,
"Egyptian Art in the Age of the Pyramids" at the Galeries Nationales du Grand Palais, Paris from April 6 to July12 1999; The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York from September 16 1999 to January 9 2000; The Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto from February 13 to May 22 2000.
The photographs by Bruce White are wonderful images of so many Old Kingdom objects I have never seen before and a few old favorites as well. I confess from the start that the art of this period really does it for me especially by when the book lets the large often full page images do the talking.
The book is nicely divided into individual dynasties of the Old Kingdom starting with the third dynasty with perhaps most remarkable is the doorjamb of King Djoser, Egyptian museum(JE 98951a,b). Though the faience tiles from Djoser's funerary apartments have a great simplicity in their beauty.
The crossing of the dynasties into dynasty four the reader is presented with so many brilliant pieces including the paste filled relief from the tomb of Itet at Meidum. Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, Copenhagen(AEIN 1133 A). The rare slab stela of Prince Wep-em-nefret from the Phoebe Apperson Hearst Museum of Anthropology, University of California at Berkeley (6-19825) is one of the great masterpieces of the about fifteen examples known to exist.
A beautiful juxtaposition of photographs in the book has the famous head of King Djedefre from the Louvre, Paris (E 12626) facing on the opposite page the small head of a king from the collection of Nanette B. Kelekian, New York complete with it's heavily corroded eye inlays.
The art of the dynasty V presented in the exhibition included the famous colossal head of King Userkaf, Egyptian museum, Cairo (JE 52501) but also noteworthy is the exquisite statue of Kai seated found by Auguste Mariette in 1850, The Louvre, Paris (N117 [=E 3024=A 106]).
I have always loved the limestone family statuettes of the old kingdom with plenty of examples included showing the wide variety of poses that occur within the convention. The book closes with a number of pieces of dynasty VI ending the art of the Old Kingdom with two pieces which employ the formula but fall short on execution.
This well written book is a visual joy and though I would have preferred a little more background on the works of art picked for the exhibition the pieces chosen made truly an extraordinary collection that will leave me looking through this book for years to come.
Note:
Here is a Charlie Rose interview with Dorothea Arnold and Philippe de Montebello on the exhibition October 29 1999.
- Egypt To The End Of The Old Kingdom
Cyril Aldred McGraw-Hill Company New York 1974 ISBN: 9780070009950 This short book is particularly for the young as it is easy to read and understand with good reliable information. Part of what makes this book accessible to all ages is a good assortment...
- Egyptian Treasures: From The Collections Of The Brooklyn Museum
Harry N. Abrams, Inc. New York 1978 ISBN 0-8109-2170-7 How I dislike over sized books this one though half a book shelf long is not thick and it's size is exploited beautifully with full page photographs by Seth Joel. Many beautiful objects...
- Tutankhamun: The Golden King And The Great Pharaohs
Dr. Zahi Hawass National Geographic Society 2008 ISBN 978 -1-4262-0264-3 This fairly large volume was written as an accompanying text to the travelling show "Tutankhamun: The Golden King and the great Pharaoh's" the volume has photographs from Sandro...
- Mfa Highlights: Arts Of Ancient Egypt
Rita Freed Lawrence M. Berman Denise M. Doxey Museum of Fine Arts Boston 2003 ISBN 0-87846-661-4 Recently my nine year old charge Natasha was on her way to Boston with her family so I urged her to visit the Museum of Fine...
- Ancient Egypt As Represented In The Museum Of Fine Arts, Boston
William Stevenson Smith, Ph. D. New York Graphic Society 1960 U.S.A. Library of Congress Card No. 60-13944 I am a huge fan of "The Giza Archives Project" and "The Boston Museum of Fine Arts" so that when I was in a used book store recently and found...
Egypt
When the Pyramids were Built
Dorthea Arnold
The Metropolitam Museum of Art
Rizzoli International Publications, INC.
1999
New York
This lovely book was in conjunction with the exhibition,
"Egyptian Art in the Age of the Pyramids" at the Galeries Nationales du Grand Palais, Paris from April 6 to July12 1999; The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York from September 16 1999 to January 9 2000; The Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto from February 13 to May 22 2000.
The photographs by Bruce White are wonderful images of so many Old Kingdom objects I have never seen before and a few old favorites as well. I confess from the start that the art of this period really does it for me especially by when the book lets the large often full page images do the talking.
The book is nicely divided into individual dynasties of the Old Kingdom starting with the third dynasty with perhaps most remarkable is the doorjamb of King Djoser, Egyptian museum(JE 98951a,b). Though the faience tiles from Djoser's funerary apartments have a great simplicity in their beauty.
The crossing of the dynasties into dynasty four the reader is presented with so many brilliant pieces including the paste filled relief from the tomb of Itet at Meidum. Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, Copenhagen(AEIN 1133 A). The rare slab stela of Prince Wep-em-nefret from the Phoebe Apperson Hearst Museum of Anthropology, University of California at Berkeley (6-19825) is one of the great masterpieces of the about fifteen examples known to exist.
A beautiful juxtaposition of photographs in the book has the famous head of King Djedefre from the Louvre, Paris (E 12626) facing on the opposite page the small head of a king from the collection of Nanette B. Kelekian, New York complete with it's heavily corroded eye inlays.
The art of the dynasty V presented in the exhibition included the famous colossal head of King Userkaf, Egyptian museum, Cairo (JE 52501) but also noteworthy is the exquisite statue of Kai seated found by Auguste Mariette in 1850, The Louvre, Paris (N117 [=E 3024=A 106]).
I have always loved the limestone family statuettes of the old kingdom with plenty of examples included showing the wide variety of poses that occur within the convention. The book closes with a number of pieces of dynasty VI ending the art of the Old Kingdom with two pieces which employ the formula but fall short on execution.
This well written book is a visual joy and though I would have preferred a little more background on the works of art picked for the exhibition the pieces chosen made truly an extraordinary collection that will leave me looking through this book for years to come.
Note:
Here is a Charlie Rose interview with Dorothea Arnold and Philippe de Montebello on the exhibition October 29 1999.
- Egypt To The End Of The Old Kingdom
Cyril Aldred McGraw-Hill Company New York 1974 ISBN: 9780070009950 This short book is particularly for the young as it is easy to read and understand with good reliable information. Part of what makes this book accessible to all ages is a good assortment...
- Egyptian Treasures: From The Collections Of The Brooklyn Museum
Harry N. Abrams, Inc. New York 1978 ISBN 0-8109-2170-7 How I dislike over sized books this one though half a book shelf long is not thick and it's size is exploited beautifully with full page photographs by Seth Joel. Many beautiful objects...
- Tutankhamun: The Golden King And The Great Pharaohs
Dr. Zahi Hawass National Geographic Society 2008 ISBN 978 -1-4262-0264-3 This fairly large volume was written as an accompanying text to the travelling show "Tutankhamun: The Golden King and the great Pharaoh's" the volume has photographs from Sandro...
- Mfa Highlights: Arts Of Ancient Egypt
Rita Freed Lawrence M. Berman Denise M. Doxey Museum of Fine Arts Boston 2003 ISBN 0-87846-661-4 Recently my nine year old charge Natasha was on her way to Boston with her family so I urged her to visit the Museum of Fine...
- Ancient Egypt As Represented In The Museum Of Fine Arts, Boston
William Stevenson Smith, Ph. D. New York Graphic Society 1960 U.S.A. Library of Congress Card No. 60-13944 I am a huge fan of "The Giza Archives Project" and "The Boston Museum of Fine Arts" so that when I was in a used book store recently and found...