São Paulo – Egypt may be seen from the perspective of Napoleon Bonaparte and 167 French scholars of the time in the city of São Paulo up until December 19th, at the Itaú Cultural headquarters. Exhibition "Egypt in the Eyes of Napoleon" features 14 engravings culled from the 22 volumes of the book "Description of Egypt," the result of a military incursion into the Arab country in 1798.
In addition to the book’s original engravings, which are part of the collection of Brazilian bank Itaú, also on display will be the copperplates for the engravings, loaned by the Louvre Museum, and eight Egyptian items, of which three are from the National Museum of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro and five are from private collections.
"One thing that attracts attention is the multiplicity of possibilities that ‘Description of Egypt’ provides. It depicts Ancient Egypt, but also modern Egypt," says archaeologist Vagner Porto, the exhibition curator, about the variety of matters addressed in the book’s volumes.
Porto highlights two particular engravings on display: the sphinx, "which represents the symbol of Ancient Egypt;" and the Book of the Dead. The latter features the representation of the trial Egyptians believed spirits were submitted after death.
"In Ancient Egypt, the deceased had to go to the court of God Osiris," the curator explains. He says that during the trial, the heart of the deceased was placed on one of the sides of a scale, and a feather was placed on the other side. To be saved, the heart had to be free from evil and sin, and could not be heavier than the feather.
The exhibition is divided into five sections: Cartography, Religion, Modern Egypt, Natural History and Architecture. The latter, according to Porto, is the exhibition’s highlight. "The issue of architecture is very important in all volumes of the ‘Description," claims the curator.
In order for visitors to learn more about the book, in addition to the pages on display, there are 13 interactive screens in which audience members can see other engravings featured in "Description of Egypt," as if they were flipping through pages in an actual book.
The trip and the book’s publishing
Aiming to put an end to British domination in Egypt, the then-general Napoleon Bonaparte travelled to the Arab country with a 34,000-strong army, alongside 167 scholars, including artists, engravers, sculptors, printers, architects, astronomers, geographers, chemists and other specialists, headed by the artist and baron Dominique Vivant Denon.
Denon went to Upper Egypt and did a series of quick sketches of its ruins. The general acknowledged the importance of the records and requested that the scientists measure and draw the monuments. Thus, Napoleon laid the foundation for "Description of Egypt," which would attract the world’s attention to Ancient Egypt, laying the groundwork for modern studies of its history.
The collection comprises 22 volumes, of which 21 are on display at the exhibition, and over 900 metal engravings, and is divided into three parts: Antiquity, Modern State and Natural History.
However, it was the publishing of the book "Travels in Lower and Upper Egypt," by Denon, that led Napoleon to publish "Description of Egypt," in 1809. One of the French baron’s engravings is featured in the exhibition. "Denon published his book by himself, and its success motivated the publishing of ‘Description of Egypt’," says Porto.
Service
Egypt in the Eyes of Napoleon
Place : Itaú Cultural
Avenida Paulista, 149, São Paulo
Dates and times: up until December 19th, from Tuesdays to Fridays, from 09:00 am to 08:00 pm; Saturday s, Sundays and holidays, from 11:00 am to 08:00 pm.
Admittance free
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
