VISUAL ARTS + MUSEUMS

The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston presents a MFAH Lecture -  God-Kings in Ancient Egypt, Thursday, Dec 29 and Friday, Dec 30: 1:30 PM in the Caroline Wiess Law Building. Presented by Dr. Robert Ritner, professor of Egyptology at The Oriental Institute, Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, Program on the Ancient Mediterranean World in the Department of Classics, and in the College, The University of Chicago.

The tomb of Tutankhamun, the golden boy, mesmerizes modern audiences with its tantalizing glimpse into one of the world’s oldest and most long-lasting civilizations. More than a king or pope, a pharaoh in ancient Egypt was not only the religious leader of his country, but also a half-human, half-divine representative of deity on earth, charged with pleasing the gods, maintaining the social order, and creating economic stability. In return, the gods granted the pharaoh the right to rule and assumed the pharaoh into their pantheon upon his death.

Tutankhamun inherited an Egypt reeling from a religious revolution instigated by his father, Akenhaton. His first job was to create order. Dr. Robert Ritner explains how the critical religious dimension of the title “pharaoh” is evidenced throughout the works in the exhibition Tutankhamun: The Golden King and the Great Pharaohs.

This lecture is open to the public and free with general museum admission. Seating is limited. A reception to meet the speaker follows each program.

Pictured: Canopic Coffinette from Tutankhamun's Tomb (detail), 18th dynasty, gold, carnelian, and colored glass. © Sandro Vannini.