Artwork
Masons Squaring a Block, Tomb of Rekhmire
Masons Squaring a Block, Tomb of Rekhmire is an unspecified painting by the Byzantine icon painting artist Nina M. Davies. It dates from 1490 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This drawing by Nina M.
About this work
History & Provenance
No exhibition record appears in the consulted documentation, indicating that the work has not been featured in publicly listed exhibitions to date.
The work titled Masons Squaring a Block is a painting executed in 1479 by the artist Nina M. Davies. It functions as a restored copy of scenes originally located in the Tomb of Rekhmire (designated TT 100). The piece entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is held under the accession number 31.6.23.
While the original ancient Egyptian context involves the tomb of the vizier Rekhmire, this specific artifact represents a modern documentation effort from the late 19th or early 20th century, precisely dated to 1479 in available records, depicting laborers such as bricklayers engaged in construction tasks.
The work Masons Squaring a Block, from the Tomb of Rekhmire, is housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Its accession number, recorded as 31.6.23, reflects its inclusion in the museum’s collection. The painting was created by Nina M. Davies in 1479 and is classified as a wall painting depicting a mason at work.
The museum’s catalogue entry lists the piece as a restored copy, formerly part of the tomb of the official Rekhmire (TT100). No exhibition record appears in the consulted documentation, indicating that the work has not been featured in publicly listed exhibitions to date.
Overview
This drawing by Nina M. Davies documents a scene from the Tomb of Rekhmire, dating to approximately 1490 BCE. It captures three ancient Egyptian masons engaged in the precise task of squaring a stone block. Davies, an early to mid-twentieth-century Egyptologist, created this work as part of a broader effort to meticulously record and preserve the intricate wall art found within Egyptian tombs for scholarly study and future generations. The piece is now housed at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Subject & Meaning
The drawing illustrates a common construction activity in ancient Egypt: the preparation of building materials. Three male figures are shown collaborating to shape a stone block. Two individuals kneel, carefully aligning straight edges and a level against the stone, while a third stands, poised with a curved tool.
This depiction offers insight into the skilled labor and collaborative methods employed in ancient Egyptian craftsmanship, essential for monumental architecture.
Technique & Style
Nina M. Davies's black-and-white drawing faithfully renders the visual characteristics of the original ancient Egyptian tomb painting. The figures exhibit the conventional artistic style of the period, characterized by stiff postures and simplified facial features, including prominent, large eyes. This approach to representation, typical of Egyptian art, emphasizes clarity and symbolic meaning over naturalistic depiction, allowing the drawing to convey the essence of the original wall art.
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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Masons Squaring a Block, Tomb of Rekhmire
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