23 november 2023 | Interactions with images in the Theban necropolis

Interactions with images in the Theban necropolis: a reception perspective on tomb decoration

Alexis Den Doncker zal in deze lezing ingaan op zijn onderzoek naar de receptie van de decoratie die gebruikt is in de Thebaanse necropolis. Ook zal zijn recentste onderzoek naar geparfumeerde verf aan bod komen:

In 2017, an investigation in the tomb of Tjanuny in the Theban necropolis (TT 74) led to the detection of residues of scented pictorial varnish over the wig and complexions of the tomb owner’s figures. So far, conforming to its use in other artistic cultures, and generally bringing forward a system of chromatic distribution, scholars have interpreted the function of this painterly technique as a solution to enhance the brilliance and hue of the pigments. The scented nature of these varnishes has never been signalled.

A first examination of the iconographic units making use of this practice reveals interesting matches between the composition of the varnishes and the scenes in question. As it happens, these scenes and motifs often have an olfactory dimension. It seems therefore that a material and conceptual link existed in these painters’ minds between the varnished motifs and the depicted realities. Furthermore, it can be suggested that the scent associated with these resin-made varnishes was meaningful and perhaps functional, regardless of their aesthetic function operating merely on a visual level.