De Young: Ramses the Great and the Gold of the Pharaohs

A sneak peak into the latest exhibit at the de Young museum

Casey Walters|January 23, 2023

2 MIN READ

The Ramses the Great and the Gold of the Pharaohs exhibit was an impressive collection of Egyptian artwork and digital reenactments. Here are four eye-catching art pieces and artifacts from the exhibit!

Ramses the Great is depicted preparing to execute enemies of Egypt. Under his reign, Egypt experienced security and stability. Ramses facilitated one of the first peace treaties of his time, between Egypt and the Hittites.

An iconic statue of young Ramses with idealized features. Many of these sculptures were either found on buildings or in his tomb. During his rule, Ramses commanded a massive army of 100,000 men.

Sphinxes are symbols of royalty in Egyptian culture, and this sculpture shows the association of Ramses with power, devotion and strength. Ramses had over 200 wives and concubines and 100 children. He lived somewhere from 90-96 years and reigned for 66 of those years, after his father’s death.

Ramses carved his cartouche everywhere, claiming buildings regardless of whether or not he actually owned or built these buildings. His construction campaign was driven by the work of forced laborers and prisoners of war from his many battles. Many of the battles fought under Ramses the Great are described by Egyptian art as successes and wins, but research suggests that this may not be the case.