Curator’s favourite object

The BP exhibition Sunken cities: Egypt’s lost worlds features incredible sculptures

excavated from beneath the waves. Here, Exhibition Curator Aurélia Masson-Berghoff tells us about one of these

magnificent works – her favourite object in the show:

‘This statue is a personal favourite,

not only for the utmost quality of the carving of this very hard Egyptian

stone, but also because of who it is and what it stands for. This is Arsinoe

II, a deified queen who bridged Egyptian and Greek religious traditions. Like

the famous Cleopatra VII, Arsinoe was a powerful royal woman of the Ptolemaic

dynasty, the Greco-Macedonian dynasty that ruled over Egypt for almost 300

years (305–30 BC).

‘Arsinoe was the eldest daughter of

Ptolemy I, the founder of the Ptolemaic dynasty. In a third wedding, she

married her brother Ptolemy II, who promoted the worship of his sister-wife

after her death. She was sometimes recognised by Egyptians as Isis, mother

goddess and patron of magic, and was worshipped extensively by Egyptians and

Greeks alike. A royal decree proclaimed that a statue of the queen had to be

placed in every temple in Egypt. There are many representations of Arsinoe II,

most of them made after her death, with examples in pharaonic, Greek and

Greco-Egyptian styles.

‘This supreme example discovered at Canopus

is a perfect combination of Egyptian and Greek styles. While the choice of a

local dark stone and the queen’s striding posture are typically Egyptian, the

sensual rendering of her flesh, revealed through the play of the transparent

garment, is reminiscent of Greek masterpieces. The slightly over-lifesize sculpture echoes the work of the Athenian sculptor Kallimachos

(second half of the 5th century BC),

such as his Venus Genetrix

which shows a similar treatment of the fine, clinging drapery. The Ptolemaic queen here embodies Aphrodite, the Greek

goddess of beauty, who was believed to bestow good fortune on sailors.

‘What I find truly remarkable with this

statue is Arsinoe’s attitude. She has this modern flare about her. She exudes

confidence. Her posture is poised, almost athletic, far from the more charming

indolence usually displayed in marbles representing Aphrodite.’

Granodiorite statue of Arsinoe II.

Canopus, 3rd century BC. Bibliotheca Alexandrina Antiquities Museum. Photo:

Christoph Gerigk. © Franck Goddio/Hilti Foundation.