Artwork
Brickmakers, Tomb of Rekhmire
Brickmakers, Tomb of Rekhmire is an unspecified painting by Nina M. Davies. It dates from 1490 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The painting "Brickmakers" from the Tomb of Rekhmire offers a glimpse into daily life and labor in ancient Egypt.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The work portrays a figure identified as a brickmaker, engaged in the act of laying or shaping bricks, a task essential to construction in New Kingdom Egypt.
The work portrays a figure identified as a brickmaker, engaged in the act of laying or shaping bricks, a task essential to construction in New Kingdom Egypt. The depiction emphasizes manual labor and the materiality of brick, linking the figure to the practical production of architectural elements. Within the funerary context of the Tomb of Rekhmire, such imagery may symbolize the deceased’s involvement in economic activities and his ability to provide or sustain through work in the afterlife. The painting thus merges realistic representation with symbolic affirmation of the tomb owner’s earthly occupations.
History & Provenance
The work is a facsimile painting of the brickmaking scene from the Tomb of Rekhmire, the original dating to circa 1490 BCE in the Theban necropolis. It was executed by Nina M. Davies, also recorded as Nina de Garis Davies, and is now held in the Metropolitan Museum of Art under accession number 30.4.77. The painted facsimile serves as a record of the brickmaking processes depicted within the tomb.
The provenance traces directly from the artist’s creation to its entry into the museum’s collection, with no further ownership transfers, exhibitions, or loans recorded in the available sources.
Overview
The painting "Brickmakers" from the Tomb of Rekhmire offers a glimpse into daily life and labor in ancient Egypt. It illustrates the essential process of brick production, a fundamental activity for construction in the Nile Valley. This scene, originally part of a larger decorative program within a high-ranking official's tomb, captures the coordinated effort of workers engaged in a vital industry, reflecting the societal organization of the period.
Technique & Style
The artwork employs an earthy palette of reds, browns, and pale yellows, accented by subtle blues and greens in the background. The figures exhibit a characteristic ancient Egyptian style, with bodies rendered as stiff and angular forms rather than naturalistic representations. Their postures appear symbolic, akin to hieroglyphs, contributing to an overall sense of ordered activity within the busy composition.
Artist & collection
Artist
The Egyptologists Nina M. Davies (6 January 1881 – 21 April 1965) and Norman de Garis Davies (1865–5 November 1941) were a married couple of illustrators and copyists who worked in the early and mid-twentieth century…
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Facsimile painting from the tomb of Rekhmire