Thutmose I and His Mother Seniseneb

Thutmose I and His Mother Seniseneb

Artist: Nina de Garis Davies (1881–1965)

Period: New Kingdom

Dynasty: Dynasty 18

Reign: Joint reign of Hatshepsut and Thutmose III

Date: A.D. 1925; original ca. 1479–1458 B.C.

Geography: Original from Egypt, Upper Egypt, Thebes, Deir el-Bahari, Temple of Hatshepsut

Medium: Tempera on paper

Dimensions: Facsimile: H. 81.5 cm (32 1/16 in.); W. 71 cm (27 15/16 in.) scale 1:1 Framed: H. 83.3 cm (32 13/16 in.); W. 73.1 cm (28 3/4 in.)

Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1930

Accession Number: 30.4.137

 Thutmose I, third king of Dynasty 18, was not the son of Amenhotep I, his predecessor. He was, however, closely allied or related to Ahmose-Nefertari, the mother of Amenhotep I, and was responsible for her tomb and burial. At the Temple of Amun at Karnak, he enlarged the Middle Kingdom temple with two pylons, a hypostyle hall, two obelisks, and an enclosure wall. He was greatly revered by his daughter Hatshepsut, who based her legitimacy on the throne on his supposed appointment of her as king. Hatshepsut built a chapel in his honor in her own mortuary temple at Deir el-Bahri.

This facsimile of a painted relief from the Chapel of Anubis in the mortuary temple of Hatshepsut was copied by the artist Nina deGaris Davies from the original. It was produced as part of the work of the Graphic Section of the Metropolitan Museum of Art Egyptian Expedition. Richly painted, it shows the king wearing a pleated linen kilt with an elaborate sash and carrying his walking stick and ceremonial mace. He is accompanied by his mother Seniseneb, who wears the vulture headdress of Egyptian queens.

 

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