Dallas Museum of Art Bulletin, Fall 1984 Page: 1
29 p. : ill. ; 26 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Egyptian Bust of Seti I
Acquired in Honor of Betty Marcus
The cover of the Bulletin features dramatically the back
view of a superb Egyptian bust the Museum recently
purchased in honor of Betty Marcus. Supported by the
Art Museum League Fund, General Acquisitions Fund, and
a gift from Melba D. Whatlex; this acquisition represents a
major step forward in the Museum's collection of ancient
art. It joins other key objects such as the 4th century B.C.
Figure ofa Young Man and the 2nd century Roman
Figure of a Woman, but is the first monumental Egyptian
work to enter the collection and the first Egyptian sculp-
ture carved in the round. Through its physicial impact,
historical importance, and general aesthetic refinement,
the Egyptian bust takes its place as one of the Museum'
truly outstanding holdings and can stand forever as a
visible symbol of gratitude for the many years of excep-
tional service and wisdom that Betty Marcus has devoted
to the Museum and its programs.
Egyptian pharaohs, elevated to the status of gods,
shared equal importance with the religious pantheon in
Egyptian iconography In our bust, the depicted mortal-
cum-god is Seti I, monarch during the 19th Dynasty; as
confirmed by the cartouche carved deeply into the pillar
at the back. Father of the famous Rameses I1 and ruler
during a crucial period of political expansion and artistic
renaissance, Seti I took power about 1303 B.C. and
reigned for twelve years. Despite its brevity; however, his
reign has been described as "one of the most brilliant in
New Kingdom history"; it was marked by military victo-
ries in Palestine and Syria, numerous important building
campaigns, and a general resurgence in the visual arts
evidenced, for example, by the outstanding carved reliefs
in Setik temple at Abvdos and the beautiful sculptural
decorations in his tomb at the Valley of the Kings.
Harking back to earlier periods in its dignified, classical
style, our portrait shows Seti as a noble and aloof ruler,
secure in his power and confident of a venerated pres-
tige. Although the elegance and naturalism prized in 18th
I)vnastv art has been supplanted by a cooler, more for-
malized approach, there remains a sensitivity of modeling
in the soft curves of the face and a pliant naturalism in
the shoulders and chest that convey a sense of life and
humanity under the royal demeanor. Part of the historical
importance of this work lies in the fact that it is the best
preserved of the few large and three dimensional por-
traits of Seti I still in existence.The king is shown wearing the traditional
nemLes-headcloth, a headband bearing a damaged uraeus
held by a thin strap under the neck, and the false royal
heard (also damaged). The geometric masses and linear
patterning of the headcloth play effectively against the
softly modeled curves of face and shoulders, a stylistic
feature which reaches its height on the back of the object,
where the beautiful fan-like pattern of headcloth and
braid, the broad sweep of the shoulders and back, and
the solid mass of the pillar form an exciting interplay of
volumes, surface and texture. It is largely due to this
strong treatment of masses that the bust, while well under
life size, projects such a powerful sense of scale and
presence. Although totally satisfying as a fragment, we are
unusually fortunate in being able, at least tentatively; to
reconstruct the scupture' full form. What is thought to be
the bottom half of the statue exists in a private collection
in Italy; and it is hoped that one da\; if only temporarily;
this outstanding image of royal authority could again be
reassembled in its totality.
Dr. Steven A. Nash
Deputy Director/Chief Curator
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Dallas Museum of Art. Dallas Museum of Art Bulletin, Fall 1984, periodical, Autumn 1984; Dallas, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth224909/m1/3/: accessed May 6, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Dallas Museum of Art.