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Queen Nefertari being led by Isis

New Kingdom, Ramesside
ca. 1290–1224 BCE
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 132
Nefertari was the main wife of pharaoh Ramesses II and her tomb with its vivid wall paintings is one of the most beautiful tombs in Egypt. This watercolor copy depicts the queen (left) being led by the goddess Isis (right). Noteworthy is that Nefertari’s husband, Ramesses II, is absent in these scenes, indicating the queen's high status that allowed her to directly interact with the deities without him; such depictions would not be possible for non-royal individuals.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Queen Nefertari being led by Isis
  • Artist: Charles K. Wilkinson
  • Period: New Kingdom, Ramesside
  • Dynasty: Dynasty 19
  • Reign: reign of Ramesses II
  • Date: ca. 1290–1224 BCE
  • Geography: Original from Egypt, Upper Egypt, Thebes, Valley of the Queens (Biban el-Malikat), Tomb of Nefertari (QV 66)
  • Medium: Tempera on paper
  • Dimensions: facsimile: h. 70 cm (27 9/16 in); w. 46 cm (18 1/8 in)
    scale approximately 1:3
    framed: h. 74 cm (291/8 in); w. 49.5 cm (19 1/2 in)
  • Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1930
  • Object Number: 30.4.142
  • Curatorial Department: Egyptian Art

More Artwork

More Artwork
Offerings of a Chariot and Horse, Tomb of Userhat, Charles K. Wilkinson, Tempera on paper
Offerings of a Chariot and Horse, Tomb of Userhat
Charles K. Wilkinson
1922; original ca. 1427–1396 BCE
Queen Nefertari Playing Senet, Nina de Garis Davies, Tempera on paper
Queen Nefertari Playing Senet
Nina de Garis Davies
original ca. 1290–1224 BCE
Facsimiles of the Dome Painting of the Chapel of Exodus, Bagawat Necropolis, Kharga Oasis, Charles K. Wilkinson, Tempera on paper, Coptic
Facsimiles of the Dome Painting of the Chapel of Exodus, Bagawat Necropolis, Kharga Oasis
Charles K. Wilkinson
325–375
Userhat Kneeling Before Osiris and the Goddess of the West, Tomb of Userhat, Norman de Garis Davies, Tempera on paper
Userhat Kneeling Before Osiris and the Goddess of the West, Tomb of Userhat
Norman de Garis Davies
1909–1910; original ca. 1299–1290 BCE
Ceiling Pattern, Tomb of Qenamun, Charles K. Wilkinson, Tempera on Paper
Ceiling Pattern, Tomb of Qenamun
Charles K. Wilkinson
ca. 1479–1396 BCE

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