Inscription, Pyramid Temple of Amenemhat I 1981 BC

This inscription from the Pyramid Temple of Amenemhat I was recreated by E. Harold Jones as a facsimile using an unknown medium. I imagine him hunched over the original, trying to get it just right. The colors are really working for me, how the sandy browns contrast with that perfect Egyptian blue. The texture is palpable too. I can almost feel the artist carefully layering the paint to mimic the carved relief, each stroke a conscious decision, building up the surface, giving it depth and weight. That ankh symbol is so familiar, but here, painted with that particular shade of blue, it feels fresh, almost like a pop art symbol. Like a Lichtenstein painting! It makes you think about the connection between ancient art and modern art, and how artists are always borrowing and reinterpreting the past. It's all one big conversation, isn't it?