Object Image

Queen Nefertari being led by Isis

Nefertari was the main wife of pharaoh Ramses 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, Ramses 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.

Credit: Rogers Fund, 1930...

c. 1279-1213 B.C.
Facsimile by charles k. wilkinson

tempera on paper
27.6in
30.4.142
Image and text © Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2020

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The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Permanent collection