Artwork
Ramesses III and Prince Amenherkhepeshef before Hathor
Ramesses III and Prince Amenherkhepeshef before Hathor is an unspecified painting by Nina M. Davies. It dates from 1931 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Created around 1931 by British Egyptologist Nina M.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The inclusion of Hathor signifies the goddess's role as a protector of queens and children, as well as a deity associated with the afterlife and rebirth.
The artwork depicts Pharaoh Ramesses III and his son, Prince Amenherkhepeshef, standing in a devotional posture before the goddess Hathor. As a facsimile of the scene located in the prince's tomb (QV 55), the composition illustrates a royal religious ritual where the king and heir seek divine favor. The inclusion of Hathor signifies the goddess's role as a protector of queens and children, as well as a deity associated with the afterlife and rebirth.
Hieroglyphic inscriptions within the scene likely accompany the figures to identify them and record their prayers or offerings. The representation emphasizes the continuity of royal lineage and the divine legitimacy of the pharaoh's rule through the intercession of the goddess, capturing a moment of sacred interaction between the mortal royal family and the divine realm.
Technique & Style
The work is a painted facsimile created by Nina M. Davies, replicating the original scenes found in the tomb of Prince Amenherkhepeshef (QV 55). As a reproduction, the medium consists of paint applied to a support designed to mimic the ancient Egyptian wall surfaces of the Valley of the Queens. The stylistic approach adheres to traditional New Kingdom conventions, depicting King Ramesses III and the prince standing before the goddess Hathor alongside hieroglyphic inscriptions.
The handling of the figures maintains the canonical proportions and profile views characteristic of the period's formal art. The Metropolitan Museum of Art houses this specific facsimile, which serves as a precise record of the tomb's decoration, preserving the visual details of the king, prince, and deity as they appear in the original archaeological context.
History & Provenance
The painting titled Ramesses III and Prince Amenherkhepeshef before Hathor is a modern facsimile of an ancient Theban scene, created by Nina M. Davies for the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It reproduces the composition found in the tomb of Prince Amenherkhepeshef (QV 55) and depicts the king Ramesses III and the prince before the goddess Hathor. The work entered the museum’s collection as part of the accession 33.8.7 and remains in the museum’s Egyptian galleries. Its creation was part of early‑20th‑century efforts to document Egyptian tomb art through precise copies.
The painting is held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, where it is inventoried as 33.8.7. It was produced by Nina de Garis Davies as a facsimile of the original tomb scene in QV 55, depicting Ramesses III and Prince Amenherkhepeshef before the goddess Hathor. The work has not been recorded in major travelling exhibitions according to available sources.
Overview
Created around 1931 by British Egyptologist Nina M. Davies, Ramesses III and Prince Amenherkhepeshef before Hathor is a painted reproduction of an ancient Egyptian wall scene. It depicts Pharaoh Ramesses III and his son, Prince Amenherkhepeshef, standing in the presence of the goddess Hathor. This work served as a scholarly record, capturing the details of an original ancient artwork for documentation and study. It is now part of The Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection.
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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