Sculpted Portraits from Ancient Egypt at the Getty Villa

 

Statue of Hemnetjerhornebkhaset
Egyptian, Dynasty 26, 664–526 BCE
Black granite
British Museum, London, EA29478
Image © The Trustees of the British Museum.
All rights reserved
VEX.2023.2.19

 
 

Sculpted Portraits from Ancient Egypt

January 24, 2024 – January 25, 2027

 

This exhibition features sculpture from a time of intense artistic revival and renewal in ancient Egypt: the Twenty-Sixth Dynasty (664-526 BCE), also known as the Saite Dynasty after its capital city of Sais in the Nile Delta. Egyptian artists of this period made striking portrait statues of officials associated with the court and priesthood, sculpted reliefs, figurines, and sarcophagi (stone coffins). Depictions of individuals made for temples allowed subjects to eternally worship the gods and receive blessings, while others were placed in tombs, functioning as vessels that could temporarily house the deceased’s spirit. Explore these exceptional artworks at the Getty Villa.

The works in this exhibition are on special loan from the British Museum, London.

This exhibition is presented in English and Spanish. Esta exhibición se presenta en inglés y en español.

 
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Exhibition Preview

 

Statue of Nakhthorheb
Egyptian, Dynasty 26, about 590 BCE
Quartzite
British Museum, London, EA1646
Image © The Trustees of the British Museum.
All rights reserved
VEX.2023.2.7

Statue of Nakhthorheb
Egyptian, Dynasty 26, about 590 BCE
Quartzite
British Museum, London, EA1646
Image © The Trustees of the British Museum.
All rights reserved
VEX.2023.2.7

Statue of Nakhthorheb
Egyptian, Dynasty 26, about 590 BCE
Quartzite
British Museum, London, EA1646
Image © The Trustees of the British Museum.
All rights reserved
VEX.2023.2.7

Head of an Official
Egyptian, Dynasty 26, about 570–526 BCE
Quartzite
British Museum, London, EA37883
Image © The Trustees of the British Museum.
All rights reserved
VEX.2023.2.15

Statue of an Official
Egyptian, Dynasty 26, 664–526 BCE
Basalt
British Museum, London, EA37903
Image © The Trustees of the British Museum.
All rights reserved
VEX.2023.2.17

Statuette of a Woman
Egyptian, Dynasty 26, 664–526 BCE
Wood
British Museum, London, EA32734
Image © The Trustees of the British Museum.
All rights reserved
VEX.2023.2.14

Statue of Henat
Egyptian, Dynasty 26, 664–526 BCE
Basalt
British Museum, London, EA134
Image © The Trustees of the British Museum.
All rights reserved
VEX.2023.2.6

Statue of Hemnetjerhornebkhaset
Egyptian, Dynasty 26, 664–526 BCE
Black granite
British Museum, London, EA29478
Image © The Trustees of the British Museum.
All rights reserved
VEX.2023.2.19

Head of an Official
Egyptian, Dynasty 26, 664–595 BCE
Granite
British Museum, London, EA67969
Image © The Trustees of the British Museum.
All rights reserved
VEX.2023.2.20

Statue of a Royal Treasurer
Egyptian, Dynasty 26, reign of Psamtek II,
595–589 BCE
Basalt
British Museum, London, EA37891
Image © The Trustees of the British Museum.
All rights reserved
VEX.2023.2.16

Ushabtis of Pakhaas
Egyptian, Dynasty 26, 664–526 BCE
Faience
British Museum, London, EA34186
Image © The Trustees of the British Museum.
All rights reserved
VEX.2023.2.13

Sarcophagus of Nesisut (Base)
Egyptian, Dynasty 27, about 500 bce
Granite
British Museum, London, EA30
Image © The Trustees of the British Museum.
All rights reserved
VEX.2023.2.1.b

Stele of Panes
Egyptian, Dynasty 26, 664–526 BCE
Sycamore fig wood, plaster, gilding, and paint
British Museum, London, EA8504
VEX.2023.2.5
Image © The Trustees of the British Museum.
All rights reserved
VEX.2023.2.5

Statue of Hemnetjerhornebkhaset
Egyptian, Dynasty 26, 664–526 BCE
Black granite
British Museum, London, EA29478
Image © The Trustees of the British Museum.
All rights reserved
VEX.2023.2.19

Statue of Hemnetjerhornebkhaset
Egyptian, Dynasty 26, 664–526 BCE
Black granite
British Museum, London, EA29478
Image © The Trustees of the British Museum.
All rights reserved
VEX.2023.2.19

Stele of Ankhefenmut
Egyptian, Dynasty 26, 664–526 BCE
Limestone
British Museum, London, EA74892
Image © The Trustees of the British Museum.
All rights reserved
VEX.2023.2.3

Sarcophagus of Nesisut (Lid)
Egyptian, Dynasty 27, about 500 BCE
Granite
British Museum, London, EA30
Image © The Trustees of the British Museum.
All rights reserved
VEX.2023.2.1.a

Sarcophagus of Nesisut (Lid)
Egyptian, Dynasty 27, about 500 BCE
Granite
British Museum, London, EA30
Image © The Trustees of the British Museum.
All rights reserved
VEX.2023.2.1.a

 
News 16Editorial TeamArt of the Ancestors, Steven G. Alpert, Asian Art, Island Southeast Asian Art, Oceanic Art, Asiatica, Ethnographica, Ethnographic Art, Art Collection, Fine Art, Primitive Art, Indonesian Art, Tribal Art, Eyes of the Ancestors, Dr. Reimar Schefold