Egyptomania

From the smallest piece of gold jewelry to colossal statues of kings, Egypt’s treasures have inspired the work of painters, sculptors, decorative artists, interior designers, and architects throughout the Western world. In Egyptomania: Egypt in Western Art, 1730-1930, the arrangement of a dazzling assortment of masterworks by western artists side by side with artifacts from ancient Egypt celebrates our perennial fascination with all things Egyptian.

This volume traces waves of Egyptian influence which swept Europe and North America from the first modern use of Egyptian themes in a painting by Poussin in 1647 to Baccarat perfume bottles shaped like Ramses inspired by the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun in 1922. Egyptian imagery is presented in a spectacular collection of artwork spanning the Baroque to Art Deco, from ceramics by Wedgwood to jewelry by Cartier, murals by Piranesi, architectural designs by Zix , paintings by Tiepolo, furniture by Hope, and many more.

In all, 350 objects are rendered beautifully in 206 color and 630 black and white illustrations. They come from international museums, private lenders such as the House of Cartier, and collections from the Fontainebleau, Versailles, Malmaison, and Buckingham Palace.


In-depth essays by leading art historians from Paris, Vienna, and Ottawa give detailed histories of each object and artist. An extensive introduction by the editors provides a comprehensive overview of Egyptomania— the artistic legacy of cultural revivals which began in the days of the Roman Empire. Their analysis shows how Egyptomania has been spurred by military conquests, scientific developments, archaeological findings, museum exhibitions, and other events which periodically rekindle our obsession with the beauties, mysteries, and images of ancient Egypt.