Rectangular Stela of Neferseku
Description
Object Label: In this engraving from a book in the Museum's Wilbour Library of Egyptology, Louis François Cassas combines different elements of Egyptian architecture from various periods to create a dramatic avenue of sphinxes leading toward a temple and a pyramid. Cassas was a French artist and diplomat who traveled through Lower Egypt, Palestine, and Syria. His skillful examination of Egyptian monuments and landscapes allowed him accurately to depict details of his subjects while placing them in imaginative settings. His books, produced in small editions for an aristocratic audience, are known today for their exquisite engravings. This Romanticized image by Cassas led the German poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832) to write, "This drawing is the most enormous architectural concept I have seen in my life, and I do not believe that anyone can surpass it" (Italian Journey, 1786–1788). Caption: Rectangular Stela of Neferseku, ca. 1844–1818 B.C.E.. Limestone, pigment, 13 3/4 x 14 in. (35 x 35.5 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of the Egyptian, Classical, and Ancient Middle Eastern Art Council, 1990.15. (Photo: Brooklyn Museum)
AI image analysis GPT-4o-2024-08-06
Machine-generated from the object's image on May 2026. Not curatorial; treat deities, names, and signs below as the model's best reading, not authority.
The artifact is a limestone relief depicting a family scene with hieroglyphic inscriptions above.
This limestone relief features a depiction of a familial setting, showcasing several figures, likely representing a family. It includes a prominent adult figure alongside smaller figures, possibly depicting children. The upper part contains detailed hieroglyphic inscriptions which provide context to the scene. The composition is classic to the stylistic tendencies seen in family depictions, with notable detailing in attire and postures. The condition is slightly weathered but the inscriptions remain mostly legible.
Cross-references (2)
- BKM-Accession 1990.15 tier-2
- BKM-Object 4237 tier-2
About this record's data
- From the source institution — accession, description, dimensions, and dating are as catalogued by Brooklyn Museum — Egyptian, Classical, Ancient Near Eastern Art.
- AI-inferred — the image-analysis panel (deities, names, signs) is machine-generated and may be wrong.
- Approximate location — most map points are plotted at the site centroid, not the exact findspot.
- Inferred links — cross-references marked with a match method other than explicit-source-field were matched by us, not stated by the source.