A global research team from the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), Sorbonne University and Université Grenoble Alpes, together with the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities Of Antiquities and the Université Liège, a comprehensive research project has revealed the artistic license found in two ancient Egyptian funerary murals dating to 1400 BC and 1200 BC respectively, as evidenced by newly discovered details invisible to the naked eye.
Portrait of Ramses II from the tomb of Nactamon (c. 1200 BC). The tiara, necklace and royal scepter were retouched during the painting process. Source: LAMS-MAFTO, CNRS
Their research results were recently published in the journal PLOSONE.
There is no word for "art" in the ancient Egyptian language. Ancient Egyptian civilization is often thought of as being very formal in its creative expressions, and the work accomplished by its funerary chapel painters was no exception.
However, an interdisciplinary international research team led by Philippe Martinez and Philippe Walter, researchers at the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), has revealed its painting techniques and practices, the faint traces of which have long eluded discovery. While studying the portrait of Ramses II in the tomb of Nactamon and the paintings in the tomb of Menna - as well as paintings in hundreds of other noble tombs in Luxor - they discovered traces of retouching in the painting's production.
For example, the headdress, necklace and scepter in the portrait of Ramses II have been significantly modified, although not visible to the naked eye. In a worship scene depicted in the tomb of Menna, the position and color of one arm have been modified. The pigments used to represent the skin tones were different from those originally used, resulting in subtle changes to the portrait, the purpose of which remains uncertain to this day. Thus, these painters or "drawers-writers" - could take the initiative to add their personal touch to traditional patterns at the request of the individuals who commissioned their creations, or as the artist's own vision of the work changed.
Scientists rely on novel portable tools for non-destructive in situ chemical analysis and imaging to make discoveries. Changed by time and physical and chemical changes, the colors in these paintings have lost their original appearance. But the chemical analysis performed by the scientists, along with their three-dimensional digital reconstruction of the works using photogrammetry and macro photography, should be able to restore their original tones and change our perception of these masterpieces, which we often see as static works of art.
The research team’s research shows that pharaonic art and the conditions under which it was produced were certainly more dynamic and complex than once thought. The scientists' next task will be to analyze other paintings, looking for new signs of the craftsmanship and intellectual identity of the ancient Egyptian draftsmen-writers.