Rannou, déesse des récoltes 1847

Émile Prisse d'Avennes created this print of “Rannou, déesse des récoltes” as part of his survey of Egyptian monuments and inscriptions. D'Avennes, a French orientalist, made several trips to Egypt from 1826, documenting monuments and learning Arabic. This image invokes the visual language of ancient Egypt. It's an artistic interpretation of the Egyptian goddess Renenutet, depicted here as a cobra, associated with the fertility of fields and granaries. The monuments that D'Avennes recorded were also potent symbols in nineteenth-century France. Egyptology became a popular field of study, fueled by Napoleon's earlier expeditions. Artists played a crucial role in shaping European understanding of Egyptian culture. By studying the formal qualities of D’Avennes’ image, its style and presentation, alongside historical sources, we can see how western artists mediated the vision of ancient Egypt for a European audience. Ultimately, the meaning of the image is inextricably linked to its cultural and historical context.