MES 16.42 Art in Egypt
Mummies, pyramids, curses and death, these are some of the images and associations that one conjures up with the mention of ancient Egypt today. Ancient Egyptian civilization is an endlessly fascinating field for intellectual inquiry and debate, the subject of spectacular museum displays, as well as a source of inspiration for various reenactments in literature and film. The modern attraction for Egypt has its origins in Napoleon’s invasion of the country in 1798, and later, and more profoundly, in the 1922 discovery of the tomb of king Tutankhamen in the Valley of the Kings. However, already in the ancient world, the Greeks and Romans expressed fascination for the monuments and the civilization of Egypt, primarily as they experienced its material culture through travel and other cultural exchanges. In this course we will study key works of art and architecture in ancient Egypt as well as explore some important instances in the subsequent reception of Egyptian monuments, history, and mythology.
Cross Listed Courses
ARTH 10.03