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Image of a King
 Do you have a camera at your house? Do you use it to take pictures of your family and friends? In what ways could you make a portrait of someone without using a camera? Many ancient civilizations like the Egyptians carved images of people in stone.
Take a look at this wall panel. Can you guess who is pictured here? This is an image of Nectanebo II carved by an ancient Egyptian artist on a piece of limestone. Nectanebo II was king of Egypt from 360–343 BCE.
How do we know that this is an image of a king? Look closer. What does the figure wear on his head? He wears a distinctly shaped crown with a cobra on the front that only Egyptian kings and queens and some of the gods wore. In ancient times, the shape of the crown was a symbol of the king’s rule over Egyptian territory. A cobra is a type of snake that was considered to be the protector of Egyptian kings.
How do we know this image represents Nectanebo II? Do you see the shapes to the right of the figure’s head? Each oval is called a cartouche and they identify the image. The Egyptians established a form of writing using sounds and symbols called hieroglyphs. Inside each cartouche are the hieroglyphs for Nectanebo’s name. The hieroglyphs ensured that Nectanebo’s identity was remembered after his death.
If cameras were never invented, how would you choose to record an image of yourself? Would you carve your portrait in stone like the ancient Egyptians or would you choose a different material? In what way would you record your name?
You can see this wall panel in the Egyptian art galleries on the second level of the Ahmanson Building at LACMA.
Search Collections Online for other Egyptian artworks.
Image above:
Relief with Portrait and Cartouches of Nectanebo II,Egypt, 30th Dynasty, reign of Nectanebo II (circa 360–343 BCE), limestone, 25 1/4 in., M.71.73.41, the Phil Berg Collection, photo © 2004 Museum Associates/LACMA.
Text prepared by the Education Department, LACMA, for the “Kids’ Reading Room” (Los Angeles Times, June 24, 2003).
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Welcome to Artwork of the Month! Visit this page every month to explore a new treasure from LACMA's extensive collections.
Artwork of the Month is intended for children but can also be a fun resource for students, teachers, and families who want to learn more about artworks in LACMA's permanent collection and special exhibitions.
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