Eternal Egypt: Masterworks of Ancient Art from the British Museum

Description

Edited by exhibition curator Edna Russmann with a contribution from Harry James, this catalogue covers a new and previously under-exploited aspect of Egyptian history. No ancient civilization has a larger and more varied artistic legacy than Egypt, yet exhibitions have traditionally emphasized its importance as historical document rather than as extraordinary artistic expression. The catalogue features the unique and innovative aspects of art from each period, as well as its characteristic styles, forms, and genre, including painting, hieroglyphic writing, jewelry, and statuary. Edna Russmann’s wide-ranging and authoritative introductory essays cover archaism, portraiture and stylistic innovation in Egyptian art, while Harry James’ history of The British Museum collection of Egyptian antiquities provides an insight into how these exquisite artworks came together. Each individual piece in the exhibition is given a separate explanatory entry in the catalogue. This book should be valuable for anyone interested in the art history of ancient Egypt.