Classification(s)
- Miscellaneous
The Royal Scribe of Idu
Date1925
MakerMade by
Joseph Lindon Smith
(American, 1863 - 1950)
MediumOil on canvas
Dimensions97 x 74 cm
Label TextIn the early 1900s, Boston artist Joseph Lindon Smith (1863-1950) created detailed paintings of ancient Egyptian sites, which were crucial for documenting discoveries long before color photography was in common use. Smith often worked with the Harvard University-Boston Museum of Fine Arts Expedition (HU-MFA), led by George A. Reisner, a student of Harvard professor David Gordon Lyon. The expedition, active from 1905 to 1947, uncovered the small tomb chapel of Idu near the Great Pyramid at Giza in January 1925. This painting, created shortly after the tomb's discovery, shows Idu's statue emerging from a "false door" to the Netherworld, with hieroglyphs detailing his name, job titles, and some offering spells.
DescriptionPainting, signed by the artist, of the “false door” and statue from the tomb of Idu (Egypt [Giza, tomb of Idu, G 7102], Dynasty 6, 2338-2170 BCE).Supplemental Information
Object number2024.1.1
Collections
- Egypt
Exhibitions
On View
On view
