Silver gelatin on
glass 23.5 x 29.5 cm Epigraphic Survey, Oriental Institute,
University of Chicago |
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Tomb of
Ramose. Ramose was vizier during the reign of Amenhotep III, and
perhaps for a time under his successor, the religious reformer Amenhotep
IV, who was to change his name to Akhenaton. Ramose's tomb shows a clear
transition from the artistic standards of the reign of Amenhotep III to
the yet more mannered art of the Amarna period, and its carved walls are
widely and justly admired for the exquisite beauty of their reliefs. The
scene pictured here, in the more restrained and elegant style that
predates the Amarna period, depicts two close relations of Ramose--the
Overseer of the Horses of the Lord of the Two Lands, the Royal Messenger
in All Countries, May, and his wife, Werel. Particularly noteworthy is the
contrast between the gem-like cutting of the wig curls and the uncarved
swelling of the orbs of the eyes, which are highlighted only in black
paint.
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