Journey through three thousand years of ancient Egyptian art and culture at the NGV Winter Masterpieces exhibition, Pharaoh. This ambitious partnership with the British Museum has brought over 500 works to Melbourne, including monumental sculpture, tomb and temple architecture, jewellery, coffins and more. Many of these works are on display in Australia for the first time, and this is the largest ancient Egyptian exhibition ever featured in the country. It is also the largest international exhibition the British Museum has ever held in its long 270-year history. Find the Pharaoh exhibition at NGV International from Friday June 14 to Sunday October 6.
6 October 2024 at NGV International, Melbourne. Photo: Sean Fennessy
Pharaoh at NGV
This massive exhibition will take over the entire ground floor of NGV. Split into two parts, the exhibition consists of seven thematic sections exploring the roles and duties of a pharaoh. The lighting and colour of each room suggests a different time of day, moving you from the early hours of the morning to night. The exhibition also features a soundscape by Melbourne-based composer, Peter Corrigan, to fully immerse you in the space.
The exhibition will take you from the 1st Dynasty (c. 3000 BCE) to the Roman period (3rd century CE), and explore the lives, myths and images of some of Egypt’s most famous kings and queens. See works on display that were commissioned by or celebrate famous rulers like the boy king Tutankhamun, Ramses II, Queen Nefertari, Khufu the builder of the Great Pyramid of Giza and foreign leaders like Alexander the Great.
6 October 2024 at NGV International, Melbourne. Photo: Sean Fennessy
Feel humbled by a limestone statue of Ramses II, a phalanx of ten lion-headed statues that represent the goddess Sekhmet, a limestone wall carved with hieroglyphic texts and more. These pieces showcase the skill of ancient Egyptian sculptors, painters and craftspeople who worked in service of the pharaoh.
The exhibition will also feature over 180 examples of ancient jewellery, including necklaces, amulets and rings. This section is the largest loan of ancient Egyptian jewellery in the British Museum’s history.
One section of the exhibition looks at the craftspeople who cut and decorated the royal tombs in the Valley of the Kings. Objects on display include limestone fragments inscribed with letters, poems, notes and artistic sketches. These offer a glimpse into the everyday lives of these skilled workers and their families.
6 October 2024 at NGV International, Melbourne. Photo: Sean Fennessy
More events and happenings
Pharaoh will be accompanied by a free, family-friendly exhibition in the Children’s Gallery with plenty of hands-on activities, as well as a new season of NGV Friday Nights.
On Saturday June 15, NGV will also celebrate the opening of Pharaoh with conversations with exhibition curators and scholars.
If you’d like to learn more, there will also be an accompanying publication, written by international specialists.