Art and the Power of Placement Victoria Newhouse Tue Monacetut PressFist pubtshedin tha Unted Sites ef Areca in 2005 by The Mente Press, ne 1511 Brose, Nn Yok New Yor 10012 ‘Copyright © 2005 The Manacel ros. ‘Copy Convetins No pert hiebook nay bs reproduced eculzodin any arm oF by any aan ec ng ory ay infomation eorage pubis Inquires should be sent te Te Menace Press ne Nehouse otra ‘tenth power of pacemest/ VeanaNewhouse Includes bisogrphisa rttencos arin |.art-Exhibin techniques 2 Nuseumtchniues 2 Ste-apastioar 4 Restetios Lie Nea98049 20 rom ssn 2004020136 Designed by joro Ce./ Willan Lecelsane Less theres tod cations ister ram iftorgh Cover ike of Sanetirace fe. 190-180 BE Louw, Frantiece'Johann 1780), Tha Tribune of te deta (photograph © Rata Banc 2008)42 108 142 212 284 297 303 Acknowledgments Introduction The Complexities of Context How Place Affects Perception Art or Archaeology How Display Defines the Object Jackson Pollock How Installation Can Affect Modern Art Placing Art Notes Index Illustration CreditsArt or Archaeology | How Display Defines the Object i ‘Sigmund Freud's arrangements n the famous Berggasse apartmenthe occupied jenna clear defined his attitude toward the objects he collected with such passion fig. 97) The forest of Eayptian and other small ancient sculptures that invaded the H psychoanaiys'sc keooms reminded one of his friends not of “adoctor’s office but rather ofan archaeologist’ study" Freud himself declared thatthe Louwe's q Assyrian and Eqyptian collactions had for him *more historical than aesthetic value? And he compared his uneavering of layer upon layer of the human psyc archaeological excavation. Inthe eightoenth and rineteenth centuries, ancient Egypt was considered a primitive forerunnero¥ Greek and Roman art” Consequently Egyptian artifacts were presented in museums as archaeology, ined upin vitrines according to material and function The walls of Egyptian galleries were typically decorated with paintings and architectural details based on those foundin tombs and temples (fig.98). Gradually in the twertlath century another kind o display emerged: atk instal nymous white spaces ‘ypical of museums of Modern artand of commercial art galleries (ig. 89). 1} In contrast with the variety of indoor and outdoor contexts in which Greek and | Roman sculpture has been presented, Egyptian atts typically seen wits a museum. ‘Owing tothe ambiguous nature othe artifacts these can be museums of natural history, Jence, orfine arts. Whereverit might be, the Egyptian department is almost invariably the public's favorite, with special appeal for chien ior whom specific displays are yeimes mounted? One examplois Chicago's Field Museum, where vistors are insted toclamber through the reconstruction of a pyramid containing authenticabjects The ‘emphasis on easly understood information about anclen bus customs rather ther on appreciation of the ob themselves tt97, Shgmurd Froue'a study, Verna (1098) For anciant Egypt,as for other ancient cultures and for ethnographic collections generally display can actually dafine-he nature ofthe artifacts, When grouped together by material or type, and related to a particular environment, objects are soon as, ‘aeological evidence of a lost chlization, Maunted on individual pedestals ke Modem sculpture, and remaved from any kind af historical reference, the same obj : become fine art The exhibition "Egyptian Artin the Age ofthe Pyramids" originated in Paris in the spring af 1999 and traveled that falland eariyin 2000 to New York Cityand Toronto. In hof the three venues, different presentations of appraximately the seme objects, fined the objects as either artor archaeological finds, ‘tthe Grand Palais, Paris's rineteenth-century exhibition hall the curator Chiistiane Ziegler, who directs the Louvre's Egyptian Depariment, created an exotic stage set Vast dimiy lit spaces evoked the mystery of ancient tombs;a thin layer of sand lined the botiom of showeaces; color and decorative mlis alluded to the landscape and | architecture af ancient Eqystthe crowded grouping of objects recalled the disorder in which they were Jound, The mise-en-scéne thus relerted both to the objects original settings and tothe conditions of their d'scovery, defining them as archaeological Dorathea Arnold, Ziegler's counterpart at the Metropolitan Museum in New pled an altagather different approach. Historical allusions were irimized parse, noutral settings that made litte attempt change the basic haracter of the museum's galleries. Consequently, the objects ined as, imeleas works af art as they were at Toronta's Roysl Ontario Musoum, albeit with York, in fas sessions to popular taste regarding display. Curators, who normally avoid flamboyant gestures, which can soon appest58, Egyptian Caer, Bich Museu, Lend fe. 199). outmoded for permanent installations, often seize the op show o do just the opposite, Puling out all the stops, they create extravagant fantasy settings. For Egyptian Art? Ziegler did just that at the Grand Palais, where she was freed from the stict rules forbidding video and other exhibition techniques considered ‘incompatible with the ingrained Louvre style, Conversely, her counterparts in New York and Teronto operated more as they would have for a permanent instalation, Comparison of the different satings in the traveling exhibition, and ofthese. with the objects’ permanent instal ations, reveals the advantages enc! disadvan of the different approach: ‘The legacy of ancient Egypt presents several paradoxes. First of al, concealment ‘n tombs or in tro innermost precincts of temples was intrinsic to the artifacts for which today’s museums seek meximum exposure. Secand, the Egyptian language hada word forart as we conceive of ittoday. Nor was there award for eligion, or Fr piety or belief to which the culture's create enorgies were devoted. Figural representations ‘of gods, kings, and lesser mortals~were looked upon as lving incarnations of thelr Subjects. What mattered were the ritualsarang them feeding, clothing, applying ‘Cosmetics, and participating in processions—connected with te priest’ intilcanfaring cflfe on these figures and their subsequent maintenance as living entities. Similar ftuals prevalad for cusioms regarding the atterite, Theological principles or writings, although thoy did exist, were less significant unity of atemporary Secrecy was of paramount importance. For more than a thousand years 'BC), the kings of Egypt were buried deep under impenetrable pyramics served by nearby temples. The king's coffin was protected bya sarcophagus, whose ‘id was sealed, as was the door to the burial chamber In or near the mortuary temple (or chapel in which priests and a few select visitors worshiopes, was the serdaba room 168 ofthe deceased, which was also sealed” The extraordinary array of ob buried with the monarch fo serve hin in the lterlfe was intended for his twas in fact the search for ever greater secrecy that led, in the Now Kingdom100. False Door Perel of Rabolap fom hie tome shopal at Maicum (Foun Dyn), masta, 311 inches igh, wih hieogiyphe stop facing viewer's igh as dona the igur they enti) and other heroglone rapnceenting ofaringe and th cipirt 99, Eaytinn Museum, Munich (2004), 1070 BC, valley removed a enclosure walls, pylon barter fo the replacement of pyramids with roc he mortuary ternple.* ‘temples and the riches they contained was protected by massive and fortified gateways? Of the many priests who served charibers, and only on special ons did the populace penetrate the cuter courtyards and ceremonial halls, Generally the most sacred interiors of all temples were completely derk; only during rtuale dl torchlight reveal the brillant colors of relies, the bright hues ard shimmering {gold of sculpture, and the gilded surfaces of doors, shrines, and cult vessels, Because knowledge was power, its possession was promoted while is conten: fen for those pris intentionally obscure, and initiates were limited in what they were allowed te S60. To ensure tis exclusivity, aset of rules and practices known as decorum controled all the largest temples, few were allowed into the inner was kept secret. who knew how to read, texts ware made neans of visual representation The restrictions on whe could see the artifacts included another paradox. Even though they were visible—ifat alta onlya chosen few, statues, paintings, and reliefs fully juxtaposed with hieroglyphs that functioned in part as walllabels doin ‘contemporary museums, Hieroglyphs on the statues themselves might be compare with museum captions; they usually identified not the ertist but he figure reprasentod and, occasionally the action taking place."* Longer ‘wal texts" included requests fo fferings, hymns, and the deities’ pronouncements. The texts were essential to the ed composition of each scene and assumed the presence of aviewer even when fe concealed trom the lin sos that can be simultancously phonetic resenting nidea!” sounds~aniflogographic—stending literally ar metaphorically foran abject or Sculpture and painting were the hieroolych’slogographic,orideographic, component* \Whitten both vertically and horizontal, hieraglyphs were generaly designed to be read from right o left The primary orientation of hieroglyphs and figures in two-dimensionaleta, Templo of Rese il, Manas Habu Tventiath Dyna), showing eeeranis of jet of Sokcame iin Festiva spo of Ramses Il Madnet Hb, showing sates ot Min artwas to theright™ A series of hieroglyphs concluding wih the vanerated dead person's ame canend vith alerg tetiona wal painting, aselef.ora freestanding sculpture~that functions as the determinative of the name (fig. 100). These large representat 1's ight, and toward the phrase they com; hieroglyph usually face jn the same direction as the sculpture (see pages 119, 120), This integral relationship between Egyptian art and weting is ur anyother A major excaption tothe restrictions upon viewing sacred artwas the elaborate processions that marked Egypt's numerous religious festivals. For these popular events, attended by an exuberant population celebrating with abundent quantities of boor, sacred statues were removed from their shrinesin the temples’ inner sanctum and paraded around the temple through the city, and sometimes beyond, But even then, statues wore usually atleast parlly concealed within aportable shrine.* Although the extraardinary pomp af Egyptian processions anticipated aspects of Greek ceremonies scale repres (cee page 48), sculptural display was only rarely According to New Kingdom records, the monar during these festivti spectac ofthe former, ‘outings from the royal palac 40 perform rites in ono or twa temples wore olaborato ls in which the king, preceded by his bedyguards, was sometimes carried ‘on a pafanquin, or litter, and fallowed by members of the elit. During the f as forall cultrtuals, the king, often represented by priest, served as the intercessor ‘eaven and esrth.” The gods, embodied in their statues, also left the! permanent residences to vist other temples, in processions whose richness seems to have surpassed even the king's n-headed Soka, the funerary god of Meni moved on its own boat (held by a four-legged frame on alitten); the god was either concealed within a closed chapel or visible within an open chapel (b representing a sarcophagus)."|n a depiction of the procession in Rameses Its Medinet Habu temple in Thebes, Sokar is accompanied by other gods, hieden on thelr For the festivl of fa the deitys| respective litters, and by the king, a multude of priest, royal princes, courtiers, and | ignitaries (igs. 101, 102). Another wall sequence at Medinet Habu represents the Jaborate festival procession of Min, the ancient fertility god, visible to all while en | route (tig. 108). These New Kingdom raliefs most ikely orayed aspects of festival coremonies that had been in place for some time” | Even when a processional stalue was nat visible, tinteracted with the crowed as an i oracle, making affimative and negative movements in respanse to questions ade ‘it Festival processions wore a kind of performance a i cityitseifinto an artwork Hidden icons were likewise partof the Christian tradition throughout the Middle ‘Ages end the Renaissance, The famous image of the Savior was kept locked in a upboard of the Latoran’s Holy of Holes, the pope's private chapel, to which only an lite corps of the clergy had access, The icon, concealed in asilver case, was removed from its sanctuary just once ayear in order to vsita painting ofthe Virgin at Santa Maria Maggiore: Inthe 1400s at imprunets,a smell town six miles outside Florence, a sacred image of the Madonna produced such hysteria whon twas exposed in processions that the imege had to remain covered most ofthe time. The practice of concealing holy mages might be said to continuo in todays religious processions, as is evidentin the throngs that obscure the image oi Our Lady i the Rosary at Fatima in Portugal (fg, 104), 104, Prine at Fatma, Portal. #88). tilEGYPTIAN ART IN THE AGE OF THE PYRAMIDS The parallel between todays religious processions and those of an« Eqyptis surely not hich in the consciousness of madern Viewers. And yot only such a procession would recall the context in which the public originally had access to much ofthis art Given the Impracticaty oftha scenario, museums are faced with the same contlc: mystery and sensitivity to viewers that characterized the art of ancient Faypt “The different waysin which curators inPatis New York, and Terente chose to present the exhibition "Egyptian Ar greatlynfivenced the viewers’ perception and understanding ‘of what was being shown, Objects conveyed a different message not only in each of thei three temporary instalations but also with respect to their permanent installations, Jurtherattesting tothe power of placement ‘tthe Met, Qovathea Amok, curator in charge of the Egyptian Deparment, expisined her approach tothe aigpay of objects whose otfactveness dapenced originaly on thei Saing hiddan. We are modern peaple and this isa museum; we're not reconstructing! tated” Christiane Ziegler, atthe Grand Palais, sought,on the contrary, to re-create th atmosphere of Egypt withils distinctive colors andlight. She wanted background hues for objects thathad ite cole of thal caw notably those af white imestone whose original paint had largely disappeared Har use of the deep ochre and bright blue associated withthe Egyptian landscape influenced hor selection, as indeedit had Egyptian art In Paris ane! New York, the exhibition oecupied approximately the same amount of 9,000 square feet on two levelain the former, 22,000 on one level in the late), ge galeries contained a dense array of objects; at the Metropolitan for the most part, small areas gave more space tofewerabjects. Jean-Francois Bodin the architect who designed the Grand Palais installation, ste, in addition to color, dacarative motifs suggested by Ziegler, such as 2 papyrus ‘and pylon forms. Small sculptures stood on the glass covering sand= owcases, thus suggesiing an archaeological excavation” Such an allusion to the conditions af discovery had been us “Treasures of Tutankhamun’ exhibition atthe Metropolitan in 19178. Organized in com ihe fiftieth anniversary of Haward Carter's discovery ofthe famous bof *king Tut asitwas populaly known the blockbuster show featured the excavation itself simulating the tomb’s outer walls and juxtaposing objects wit fe-size enlargements ‘of photographs of them taker forthe Met by Harry Burton atthe ime aftheird scovery Rodin shared Ziegle’s approach to temporary exhisitions as theater—“must-see space ( but the space was epportioned aferently At the Grand Palais, forthe landmark events! thatattracta more sophisticated, local aucionce as well as one-time tourist groups, which constitute 70 percent the attendance forthe peimanent colection. As creations were unthinksbe to those in charge recenly as en fears ag contextual ro athe Lowa, doomed napproprate toa museumot parting and sca the taboo ageinel conjuring up aspects of cilizaion has been shatoredby the remarkable succoss of tho Loure'senorated =gyplian galleries (opened in 1897), ral of which were conceived as thematic, contetualdaplys. “The rest suring ptamice ware but ting te Ola Kingdam (2643-2180 AC) ahighpoint of Egyptian cule, and*Egypien Artin the Age of the Prarie” was thefEat comprehensive resentation of wok rom thisperodeerto ‘ake pace Algh investigation ofthe Gis Kingdom nas bean ongoing sircethemid-rineteanth cent inthe 1980s and 1800s accelerated research produced elutionay new dates for ha els noroyalarifacts. Obes preveusy thought a heve been made inte Sithns Dynasty («2328-2150 8.C) were redated tothe Fourth Dynasty (2575-24650), i ‘making clearer sheirlink with royal works ofthat period, The new dating of nonroyal bjocte made the Od Kingdom appear farmore verse ar steal thanhad been thought | in fac, itemerged as tha time when coavontions were being established that would govern Egyptian art for three milenaia” Ziegler’s prime intention for he Grand Palais ‘exhibition ast allow the public to dsoover the Old Kingdom asthe source of Egyptian artwith art fons other than the pyramids with whichitis commorlyassociated* ' ‘The principal theme of "Egyptian Ac? was the relationship between royal and nnon‘eyal objects the prime focus ofthe Pais instalation, Te highlight comparisans between the two categories of objecs,thase made forthe king were grouped atthe ‘ight side of each gallery those commissioned by high oticials at the left Wal label ‘were epttoarinimun, andinstesd th colors othe walls themselves powides a guide ochre fr royal bive for nonroyal | In New Yer, he Metropolitan Museums installation convayod adiferent message. Isolated cn spotit pedestals, the sare objects wre presented as high ain an abstract setting. nsiead cf the Grand Pates's bright-colorad walls, Arnold chose mostly gray | ‘orhet, the most neutral background colo: Vasiationsinonality, and occasionally diterent color, were used primariy to avais monotony. Altemating levels of amient lightn he Met’ galleries contrasted with tha overall darker Grand Palais loca where | halogen jt! ights placedin the visineslitsmal objects, The ambient ightingo most ofthe displays in New York was generally mora successtl then the Pais spotights, which were often girectly overhesd and thus cast shadows on the sculpture. As the Mets designers explained "We are prosonting the room as wellas the objects, and ight Is the oluethsthalesitogethert* ‘mold was tue to her werd about reconstucing:nsteadof re-creating Melfs tomb (as athe Pais and Toronto insiaations), she merely alluded to wth the strategic Placement of reliefs and wall paintings from the tomb, Context was merely hinted at tow portal anda gabled coridor ceiling refered to ancient Egyptian architecture; black wallsin one galery and dark brown in anathe, with spprocriately somber Fahtng, evoked tomb interiors. Recause royal and nonroyal objects were often presented sequential, in one galley after another rather than opposite each other, as they were in Paris, connections between the twokinds of objects were less obvious Although the Royal Ontarla Museurn(ROM) in Toronto is knowin fornaturalhistory ‘and archaeology rather than for ar senior curator, Kezyszto! Grays followed the Metropolitan's art-oriented eppreach, with come variations, To etrac the public, imagined by the museupis director as resistant the exhibition was designed withthe udience rather than th cbjects in ind: he curator wanted io evoke “a more romance Egypt han the Met's. Bright yellow and dark purple were selected forthe walls not because of ay relevance to Egypt but because the designers believed these warm tones would be appealing The most suprising of Grzyrsk's accommedations athe publi was theinsertion inio a comer of he Fifth Dynasty room of a mini-exhibition of vintage photographs: “Canasians on the Nil! The display.n a small cul-de-sac, ofmaterial that was completly alodds withthe rest of te show broke the narrative flo itwculdhave benefitedas ‘would the show itself thad been seen in an independent space. A sores ofrinely-degree tums each introduced a long vista of « major objact. This commen museum pracice isthe seme kindof subjective guidance’ that was usee for Word's Fair exhibits in the 1930s, Referred ta inmmuseum parlance as a‘weeriet the Configuration entices viewers, leacing them through a show, andestablisesa theme108. “Egyptian tia the Age othe Byram Grane Balas, Pare (1888): Two Stancing Sopas pani esiona, 85 a 86 inches high and Standing Nesa,osinted limestone, 30% inches hgh al Ted Dynes fer all the dsplaysin one area Photographs ofthe pyramids and quotes from pyramid texts introduced each section, together with explanations on bannors; wall labels v kept relatively brief (in Cans. they mustbe in French as well as Engh). Pyramid tent, inserited cn the walls of royal burial chambers ofthe later Od Kingdom, prove incantony spolls that are of spacial service to the dead king inhis voyage tothe celestial real, These otherworkily statements were anice counter the mundane banner texts Even without the thirty four objects loaned by Calro's Egyptian Musoum to Paris and New York and with the space allotted ta itcut almostin half (on twa levels, asin Paris), the Toronto show remained effective, Attendance, at 360,000, was the higrest of any exhibition in the museum's history Two Standing Sepas and the Standing Nesa, All Third Dynasty (c. 2649-2575 B.C.) The three li ainted-lmestone statues that graeted visitors to the exhibition in the Grand Palas are the oldest known examples a large Egypsian nonroyal sculpture (fig. 105). The representations of Sepa,a priest anc important government official, andhis companions, ike other statuary at this time, embody bath archaisms and innovations. The figures' rigidity their lack ofa clearly mocieled neck their oversized shoulders and thick legs would eventually be abandoned, But artistic rules already finmly established at this time explain the similarities among the three: their frontal, th. These, tagether withthe fact gerder-specific attire, formal pose, and ti idealism and impassiviy,embacied conventions tha! would remain In place forthe next three thousand years In the midst of the show's First room, Sepa stood on a low blue plinth; at his right \was a slightly larger version ofthe samme standing male figure: In turn at theic right, Nese, ‘comparable female statue, may have been Seps's wife" The three were protected by large, freestanding transparent visine The stunning trio of iconic figures, spotitin a darkened gallery, met eye to eyei 4 co i I 10cm ant At Prac Ret Ot Maem ( i | ih108, Roel Ontirk Museums Standing Saps near dsactio mates visitors entering profusion of abjects with which they shared this large space detracted from thelr Grand Palais exhibition, As dramaticas the statues were, the potentialimpact Allthioestatuas belong tothe Louvte,and onlyin Pars wore ty presontad together, hecause the larger Sepa and the Nesa were considared too fragile to travel. In New York, Sepa vas lifted off the floor and placed on a higher plinth before awall (ig. 106). Viewers sawthe sculpture standing alone against this neutral background -with no competing displays in their fleld of vision. n comparison with the Grand Palais 32 idea that setting apart an object connotes importance workedin favar of casedin he came spit ‘explained that “Every section hadits icon, and Sepa was the one forthe Thie Dynasty that began the show! Seen from afar, the effect was maintained, but as viewers aporcachedthe key figure, an array of banners ard an inbusive caption distracted from the work ligs, 107, 108). Remarkably, the single fiqueo in New York and Toranta was just as foreefulas the three statues together in Pars. Conceptual, three similar figures might be expected tobe more impasing than one, but Sepa provided one of many instances ofthe Paris, installation's emphas the expense of individual objects, Byisolating the statue, the installations in New York and Toronto offered en archaeological borus as well-The tops of the hases ofall three statues bear raised reli inseriptions: hese do nctface the viewer but are placed sideways, tobe read from front toback, and are mast ikely meant to be seen from therignt side" The right-profile view cof the statues isin any case the mast important, sinesil shows beth legs™ This vantage point was possible onl if museum visitors could appraach the right side of each statue, ‘When the three figures stond together with one Sepain the middle, the right sides of arly mere difficult tose, in New Yat Greyrcla two statues were ne:109. Grand Pais: Princess Rei Sealed basa, 32% inches high, and Ankh Seta! wih Hats Claspad ray porphyris grata, 2 inches high Ankh Seated with Hands Claspod, Ankh Wearing Two Feline Pelts, and Princess Redjief Seated, All Third Dynasty Compared withthe elogant, elongated Sepa figures, the stecky bodies of twomale Q figures of Ankh, apres of Horus, conform rather naively othe cubic lock from which they were cut Fr these two representations as for he female countoart he Princess Rede the lower part of the cubes abackless seat, on thrbe sides of which te simple outine ofan arch charmingly imitates bertwood sols of tha porid-cistant ancestors ‘of tive farms used by Thanet the mid-nineteenth ‘Ankh'skneesan accha tury Inscriptions an the Seated! tohieroglyphs on bas scement that soon gave wt identify him, These are oriented toward the viewer: liom front to back for his tiles the rightog from back fo front for his name on the left one. Pri is amore realistic and mor $s Redjiel Seated powerful work than hertwo companion Third Dynasty She is Wdentiied by raised ret inscriations on the top lrontof the pedestal Plexiglas protective coverings aside, both granite Ankhs and Princess Redjiof were displayed atthe Grand Palais ina nice relationship with tomb reefs (even though thoy were untelated)in avitrine behind them (tig. 109). Furthernare,all three sculptures stood an tabiolike showcases thinly ined with sand (not visite in theilustration), The statues were thus seen against a sandy bsckgraund andi conjunction with wall reliofs In asubile evocation ofthe figures. ‘chasological conditions in which they were found, Contrasting withthe scattered plscement of he tires figures in Pari, the sculptures al! ‘wore grouped on a platform next to one another on low individual pedestals in Nes Yor. and Toronto (igs. 110, 111}. Atboth museums, the installation allowod no mistaking masterpieces. Unlike the Sepa display hererthe three it figures together were more arresting than any single one. Tho generous amountof space alloties tothe display in New York and Toronto plus illurination that created a bright poot of ight forthe entire installation~sculptures, pedestals, and platform=callad special attention tothe figures. The Metropolitan further emplrasized their rmportanc by placing them atthe center ofthe fst gallery where they were framed by fie portal the statues designations as maj140. Matropaiten Mustun ct Art: Ankh Waring Tro Fatine Pk and Ankh Seated with Hands Clasped. 111, Royal Ontare Mucsien: Princes eajotSeate, Anke Wasting Twa Fane Pols, are Ankh Seated with Hands Casped, rosiote, $1 inchos high, Princeas Reset Seat, leasing to the darkened next room, Arnold says that, threughcus the chow instead of ‘emphasizing context, she tried to highlight connectians, She exrlainly succeeded in doin ths for the sich statuos and Princoss Redjt, whore grouping the three sculptures facifiated comgarison of thelr shared characteristics In Toronto, a similar arrangement ‘nas only slightly less effective because a wider plinth under the pedestals distanced viewers from thei fthe two Ankhs, the largeris considered the more refined, despite pre-canonical bent ett arm" An added attraction Is the realism ofthe panther cking ‘over the figures legs and across his upper body, where the pels are held place by toggles. A single hind caw hangs over the priest’ eft knee, with another beside his right calf;a tall dangles by his ettleg. What may be the toes of frontpaws protrude coyly fom, beneath the shoulder toggles. he skins and toggles dentiy the we: ‘Ankh sculptures was available ony created by royal artisans thay were royal cammissions its po ole that they wore kept in temples rather than tombs, which would explain the relatively high placement of the inscriptions on both statues. Located nat on the base but onthe knees of one ‘and the shoulder toggles ofthe oe, the insexiptions would have been read more easly by the temple priests. tthe time, placement of anonrayal statue ina temple rather than ln atomb ensured its continued participation in the cult ofa gos or king, se these small ‘igures may well have participated in Egyptian ceremonial processions:eee of pat 81% ches High 24% rca wie, ‘1 kinches deep Fourth Dynasty) 13, Meraactan Mustum a it: Haserve Hea msstone, 11 Winches high, MFA, Boson, i foraround, wil two addtional Reeve Hees vail, ot bck right Reserve Heads, Fourth Dynasty (c. 2575-2466 B.C.) At the Metropolitan Museun, the fqure of Hemiunu,a massively obese seated man, drew vistors into the fst ofthe exhibitors largar spaces (ig. 112). This sculptures among the few exceptions othe ancient Egyptian convention of avoiding inlvidual naracleristicsin favor of standardized formulas for the depiction af humans. The ealstc representation of this aging high offical, w ton of the Great Pyramid, dominated one ond ofthe galley, t the center af believed to have crected consi were four Reserve Heads (ig. 118) Rocerve Heads sre amang the mast intiguing of all Egyptian artworks. Pethaps the abstraction of these hairless, bodiless, staring portraits makes them particularly ‘appeating to contemporary viewers; perhaps itis the mystery surrounding their eurpese {and original location. The thirty-one heads that have been excavated uponow. almost are carvedin limestone and date mostly from the Faurth Dynasty. Theit fabrication as independant body parts dafies the Egyptian belie thet funerary figures mutilations evidenton most ad ta be complete in order te he effective, and the stran of them havenever been conclusively explained, Found for the mast part in shafts oF burlal chambers rather than in the assaciated offering chapel where sculpture was. usually placed, the heads may have originally stood on the floor in front of the: agus" These considerations were taken into secount nll three installations, here viewers laoked down on the heads, InNew York, single Reserve Head, from the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, was 1. Three athers—from the Phoabe Apperson Hearst Museum of Anthropology in Berkeley the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, and Boston's MFA~shared a second vtine.In Paris and Toren al four heads were shown together inasingl vitine (figs. 114,11 singling out a Raserve Head was a stroke of gonlus atthe Met. Neatly afoctin shown aa height tis larger than the other three heads and the only spacimen with none of the -'sresemblanct intentional damage typical of these portraits“ Also distinctive isthe f114, Grand Pals; Four Racorte Heads, imestone inciting Reserve Hes, 19% inches hgh, Vins; Resora Hoad, 10 inchs high, Berkley, Resse Head, 19% inchs high, WPA, Bosto: Reserve Head 10% inches hgh, MFA, ote, Royal Ontario Museum: Four Reserv Heads. sypian cepresentations of Nubians. But even rnore importantfor ths axhibiton, the 's features—high cheekbones, fleshy cheeks, and round, wide-set eyesar to those of royalstalues than are the festures of tho athe. thas even been compared sement ofthis paticular head before the others cid just that, in one of only afew instances in the display tht its theme of royal and nonroyal relationships,116. Matropolten Musoum of At King Monkaure end « Quen, greywaske wth remains of pin ‘54 inches gh King Menkaure and a Queen, Fourth Dynasty Bostn's magnificent faur-and-a-hal-foot-highgraywacke (a grainy gray stone) statue of King Monkauro.and.aquacn (hs principal wie) provides the clearest istration of| the different concaps governing the Egyptian Ar” exhibitions. Not onyis this one of| the mast refined sculptures shown, but twas already an acknowledged masterpieco atthe time ofits creation inthe Fourth Dynasty" The slatue was found ina thieves’ hols inthe valley temple associated wit he king's pyramid ‘ithe Metropolitan, a double podium made the statue of the royal couple appear even larger than itreally is dramatic spotlighting and strategic placement futher emphasized the dyac's importance fig. 116). The couple stood in smal oom, mad tenebrousy black walls and exiremely dim ambient ight on axis with alow wide portal yyoban architecture, Te approaching visitor, Menkaure endhis queen appeared tostardinthe room alone lant highlighted against the dark backaroure! nly upon entering the space cli viowers perceive a substantial culptueof he king an wo female figures atthe farlett and two fragments—the king's head anc! tho head an indquartesof an anime deo ts centallacaton raiod postion to appear Ite-cize, highly vents framing by the ony aw doorway nthe ccut-pald TheROM tried toat atthe end ofan enflade, spot in a relatively smal, darkened space designer preferred purple toblackas a beckgrouneselting off the stone. Although the eculpture was effective when seen atadistance, the effortto showcase was om 2s were ther abject inthe! materials, especially the mulcolored banners i, 118), In Pai, rather than being cipleyed as a qualitative highpoint af the exhibition, King Menkaureanda Queen was used! tomake an especially strong point about the show’ royal/nonreyal heme (figs. 119, 120). Ina radieal departure from the old fashioned way in which the queen holds her left arm across her mira throwback ‘gh, Everything about the statues presentation— amination, and rage torts status 2ye a similar effect by placing King Menkaure anda Queen ig. 117).The (by distracting didactic EDa Musou King Mankeure and # Quen, lng view 118, Royal Ontario Musou: King Mantaure 198, Grand Pals: King Mankour andl a Queen, ofr ight background{0 the posture of Third Dynasty figures like the Sepa-her left hand i placed affectionately onthe king's arm and her right arm encircles his waist. Ths restrained demonstration of intimacy was one of many imaginative leaps mace at this time® and portrayed mast spontaneously inthe Old Kingdom; It conferred on the royal pair anew humanity and bocame a model for private statues. Given Ziegler'sintentions,itwas logical to place the statue near a number of nonroyal pairs that repest the gesture, both in standing and sitting positions. Logical, yes, but was it effective in terms of presentation’ Perhaps nat. Ziegler herself admits the shortcomings ofthis particular installation Instead af signaling the statue's exceptional qualty its placement made it seem no more important than the nearby aay of sina, inferior pieces. In hindsighi, he curator fet hat the dyad's display ‘was diminished by what she considers & comman fault of today’s ever-expanding ‘exiblllons: there are ust too many objects forthe public to abso For an installation guided by the theme of archaeological discovery the Grand Palais display had another problem as well. King Menkaure anda Queen was found standing alone against the wall ofa thieves' hole, probably thrown there by plunderers. after the Arab conquest Placing itwith other objects in one of the exhibition's largest ‘spaces belied the conditions ofits discovery Pair Statue of Katep and Hetep-Heres Seated, Fourth Dynasty ‘Among the nanroyal sculptures displayed near the Menkaure dyad in Paris was one of a seated man and wito, Xatop and Hetop-Heres (fig, 120), The wife's affectionate encircling ofher husbane's back andher hand clasping his waist clearly mic the royal Couple's gesture. Other couples inthis pose were placed nearthe dyad. ‘The Metropoiiian Museum devoted two galleries to sculptures of martied couples, separating the royal and the nanrayal. hese twa galeries embodied enarkadly well the designers’ attempt to create what hey called “episodse" within the show by vaying the ilurination and wall tonality Visitors passed fram the dar tornblike area in which the large, royal hard-storestatuos wore exhibited without protective coverings, to the bright it neutral gray seting in wich smal mestone sculptures were shown nines, torthe most partindividuslsbutin the case of Katep and Hotep Heres Seatedas part ‘ofathreesome ig, 121). The presertation made clear the similares between different ‘examples ofrnonroyal statuary Howe, relationships with the oval igus were mare enjoys the same abundant naturel ight and serene baccgrourd. Examination ofthe smell sculpture salvo greatly feciitatad by ts placement higher than in any ofthe ive covering usec atthe Grand Palais (fg, 181) re and a Quoen offors another contrast that favors the statue permanent installation, Not even the more Yeaistc-minded curators at the Met and 1e ROM could sist staging th sbravira piece soot in adarkened space, Atitshome the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, the sculptures far beter iluminated ina skyit aillery Another advantage ofthe permenent instalation in Bosion is the seuipture’s situation onafreestanding plinth, which enables viewers to walk aroundit an seit fromalisides (ig. 199) son between the al at shoulder height near remporaty shows, and by the sbsence of the Atthe MEA, however, King Monkaure and 2 Queen |oges the star status it enjoyed ‘hile traveling, Among the extraordinary array of Old Kingdom masterpieces ints hore galery the sculpture takes second place tothe monolithic seated figure of king Menkaure SS192. Muocum of Fins As, Boston: King Meniaure anda Queen, at lef ane! King Mena Sate st conte, permanee ntaliaton 188, Musoum of ins Arto: Fou Recor Head a ato cent, sna ight, permanant alton. that greets vistors atthe gallerys entrance and commands ther attention, Only after stepping forward and tuming [ft does a museumgoer see the dyad. (Inthe museum's neta, expanded building, King Menkaure anol a Queen willbe the focal paintof a gallery) But there isno doubt that nit play details such as paint remnants and tool markson the unfinished jower bodes are fer easier to see tanin any ofthe show's temporaryinstal ations Boston's Museum of Fine Avs offers sinilar ah ints collection (ig. {98).Each ones presentad onits ov relatively high pedestal as vantage forthe sic Reserve Heads194, Ribemuseun van Ouahaden Ls Ankh Wing Tw Feline Pots (eecond Wom let), permanent instalation. an individual masterpiece~as a modern scuipture would be, Ateye lvl in ablend af ambient natural ight and atiticial spotighting, the heads are given more prominence, and are more easly examined, than when groups Rita Freed, chief curator ef the Boston museums lian Department, explains, “Each head is unique, and we don't want tolosethair individuality’ This is exacty what happened in the raveling show. Two of tne heads fram Boston and several others standing on the sar plinth (with one fortuitously singled out at the Met} looked more ike wig stands than sculpture, This unfortunate effect was even more pronouncedin Taronta, where the virine containing the heads was inserted into a wall witha large fed bannor overhosd and intrusive captions bolow (soe fig. 115), Despite such compromises, temporaty displays aften provide real benefits. For all the clarity ofits permanent presemtation, the Louvre's Ankh Seated with Hands sped could easily be overlaoked, tucked as tls into corner 10a study gallery of tera cottas (Gee fig. 131). The Anktis placement on a prominent, Treestanding path with two other cubelike sculptures at the Met and the ROM=allowing all-around viewsfocused attention on an abject that even frequent visitars tothe remight miss. a side the entrance In its usual abode at the Rijesmuseur in Leiden, the larger Ankh Wearing Two136. Egypian Musou: Princess Rede Stal of porranet instalation, 198. Eayptinn Musou, Tun: Princess Resi Soates, geranntinetlaton, Feline Plt also fails to command attention (ig, 194). The museum's Ancient Egyptian section|s organized accarding to simplonavrative that guides visitors by means of a ke For the Od Kingdom that figure isthe Scribe, sothe Ankh is chuntod of toa dimiylitcomer of the gatery, taking second place to the less important Fifth Dynasty figure, Besides its poor placement and illumination, the Ankh is overshadowed by 2 recent foorto-celing wall painting ofa pyramid under constuction The visits of the Louwre and Leiden Ankhs tothe United States and Canadaara today’s equivalentof those fgy temples to other sanctuaries. Justas the dynastic rituals brought the sculptures cut of the dark and into the daylight for allo experience, the sculptures’ temporary display conferred importance on them and gave them a vastly expanded audin Princess Redjie# Seated needed no such promotion: in her usual installation at ‘urin's Egyptian Mussum, the halt-Ife-size figures the undisputed highlight othe first gallery (fig. 15). Yet this sculpture benefted.in other ways trom its temporary éisplays, especially at the Met and the ROM, where twas shown uncovered In Turin the statues the first thing an observer sees upon entering avauited room in Buatine Guerin's magnificent Baroque Palazzo deliceademia delle Scienze, which now houses the Egyptian Museum, On axis with the enfranceway the statue is framed by apat of facing concave vitines that funnel visitors towardit. The soulpture is further ‘remed by the poral tothe gallery behindit In an effortto make rather than simply acirculation marker, the museum diractor, Anna Maria Donadoni Rover resorted to ly unique—sclution ef surrounding its lower portion with curvad glass (Hig. 136). \Whenever possitie, curators tel onthe sturdiness andheavinass of stene sculpture ‘orits own protection, eschewing intrusive coverings so that materials and be fully appreciate. in Turi, the viewer loses the acvantapes of seeing the igure dractly ‘The shaped-glass cylinders especially distracting because ts curvature creates roflectians the princess was seen to greater advantage with no euch protective layer inthe New York and Toranto displays figure foreach per transportation in ancient processions from their awn 12 Statue adestination e unusual—pos carving can97. rth Mu (Oke Kode Vive wth empty space where Mesya:He-lahaset usually stars infor Seal Beer Tei as e Young Man; Nob 20) to lot of empty sec; pl statue ofa man and wf imenone (Eighteenth Dynasty, 1500 B.C), 1 right‘enovated Old Kingdom funerary galleries, so a smaller piece from the same period, Merye-Ha-lshetet takes itsplace (fig. 137) his shawcase able to accommedats the young Tt | figure, It could go unremarked inthe dsplay'scrovided arrangenient, anche would be visible only from the front, The young Tjet therefore depends entirely on special exhibitions for public display Athough the statue of the middle ed Tjeithat accompanied the {nEgyptian Art" Ison permanent display atthe Louvre, it too was more visible ints lemperaryinsiallatons. Deemed otinsuffctent quality tomertanindidual dopleyin | the ouwe's Oi Kingdom galeries thi Te shares avn wn nar carvedwood 120, Lars: Sea! Serer Fel oie Ags, figures (ig. 128). The temporary placemenisighighledthescuptureandalloweda | perme hetlton eeecat | \Which instalation best servad these objects, whose worth originally decreesed in proportion to their visibly? The archaeological vsion of Pais or the fine-art agproach ‘of Naw York and Taranto? In evaluating the lfferent phases of three exhibitions that ‘enjoyed equal eiical and poy itis important foremember that some design 1s were dictated by practical matters such as security light sensitivity, and circulation. At the Grand Palas, for example, alasteminuite securlly decision mandated covering allsmal sculpture wh transparentcases." and as nated, the lights inthe cases often cast shadows that obscured the facial features. Sringent security rules in Toronto ed more covers forthe sculpture than in New “The Grand Pales's Eqyptian-sy‘e docor was dismissed by somo as simple-minded exsate, demeaning to the serious tone ofthe exhibition. But the setting was offeredin | ‘he same sprit as the Me‘ropolitan Museum's permanent dsplay of reproductions, made 1 thir of the twentlath century, af ancient Egyptian wall paintings, The Met's renderings recerd the paintings of actuel Theban tombs, whereas the Grand Palai’s, Ezyptian mots wore invented nevertheless, both woke. context Its dificult to imagine equivalent replicas in ather parts ofthe Met's hallowed. but the popularity of ‘the Egyptian reproduetionshas oamed thom walls in two rcoms na departmenthard pressed for space, ‘The Eayotian departments of other distinguished institutions, such as the | Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, have also retained mood-selting reproductons. Ip Vienna, nineteenth-century Egyptian-style wall paintings testify to the importance esNe 190, *Ramees tha Grot! erred by the Museu of Naira! Hitny 1 Fal Park, Dale, Tors (1989 nvodutory Hat of such imagery in creating an inteligible text for aculture as different from ours 25 that of ancient Egypt. Whatever thair shortcomings In terms of authenticity, the re-ereations give immediacy to objects that can atherwise seem remote. Anextreme in this respect was the fm thal prepared vistrs for the 1989 Ramses the Great" exhitition in Dallas, Texas. Screened st the entrance to the show the fm addressed the relationship of mythology tothe life and art of ancient Egypt The movie \as intended to disorient visitors to transpoat them beyond the'r everyday environment and make them aware of the unfamiliar customs that produced the ab s2e.Atthe end ofthe presentati first gallery (ig. 139), Atthe opposite end ofthe spectrumis the permanent dsplay at Cao's Egyptian Museum, whore ng sions are made tothe public (fig. 140). Opened in 1902, and Cconsidened by men the mother of ll Egyptian museums, the Cairo museum has extensive holdings that are packed into a grand Beaux-Arts bullding in what appear to be tho original display cases. And yat, inthe opinion of some visitors, these dusly and bay hit installations provide the mast exciting viewing experience of el The very tfortit requires to s00 the objects encourages a feeling of discovery reminiscent of the archaeologist adventure~a sensation tha has allbut cisappeared from more sophisticated displays, Itremains to be seen whether Cao's current recrgarization wil preserve this element ‘of suprise. (As partot the project, a new museum of antiquities, erranged according to computer guidelines, is planned within a theme park ane shopping complex at Giza) ‘Asadescendantof the cute that produced its incomparable treasures, the Cairo ‘museum is hors concours: sther displays of ancient Egyptian art cannot eompare, Different approaches to the exhitition ofthis art re dificult to assess. Given the thal surrounded the art of ancient Egypt a jects they woul he screen clssolved, so to speak, opaning up tothe setting created fortis necessarily contiver Whether the objects are presenied as archaeology oras ar the dee'sion bringsits own jssels and isi1 King Amonhotep lan le cuewn Te, a eontce