The Egypt of the Pharaohs, from Khufu to Ramses II
Long program
Step back in time and rediscover the Egypt of the pharaohs through the masterpieces of this mythical civilization, which spans 3 millennia and fascinates every generation.
As a prologue to the exhibition, grains of sand lifted by the wind reveal the remains of ancient Egypt as they appeared to French scientists during the Egyptian Campaign from 1798 to 1801, and as painter David Roberts drew them, noting in his notebook "We are a people of dwarfs visiting a nation of giants".
In the beginning, ancient Egypt had its own cosmogony, a rich account of the genesis of the world. The sacred forces of the gods clash and reveal themselves on the walls of the Carrières des Lumières, right up to the appearance of the first men on earth. The journey continues along the Nile, sacred river and source of life. The rhythm of floods and seasons provides the fertile silt necessary for the flourishing of a luxuriant flora and fauna.
Magnificent bas-reliefs, paintings and ancient papyri reveal the daily life of ancient Egypt. Gigantic construction sites and prodigies of ancient architecture, the pyramids are literally built before the visitor?s eyes: one by one, colossal blocks pile up and erect the tombs of the eternal kings, guarded by the majestic Sphinx.
Ancient Egypt?s formidable durability is intimately linked to the pharaohs who ruled the unified kingdom of Upper and Lower Egypt. Monumental sculptures of rulers whose names resonate throughout history then dominate the space: Khéphren, Hatshepsout, Thoutmosis III, Akhenaton and Néfertiti?
Mythical battles punctuated the reigns of successive sovereigns, such as Ramses II and the Battle of Qadech. The arms of the Nile then irrigate the space with molten gold, the flesh of the gods, which flows along the walls, forging the incredible jewels of Egyptian kings and queens.
The Orientalists. Ingres, Delacroix, Gérôme
Short program
In the 19th century, the gates of the Orient opened for Western painters drawn by the mysteries of distant lands. The Orientalists Delacroix, Gérôme, Ingres and other major names of European expression were dazzled by the light of the Deep South, revealing the reliefs of arid landscapes and the colors of spectacularly patterned architecture. They invited us on a pictorial expedition to a new, exotic and bewitching world of their dreamed Orient.
Delacroix?s travel diaries open the story, plunging the visitor into the heart of an itinerary teeming with the play of light and shadow, the scent of spices, the rhythm of oriental instruments and unprecedented moments captured on the spot.
Then it's on to other great names? Constant, Frère, Vernet, Gérôme, Guillaumet, Belly, Richter and Dinet, among others? will set the scene for an inspiring elsewhere that they hope will be marvellous and luxurious. They invite us to meander through the alleys of oriental cities and souks, to step into sun-sheltered interiors, to enter into the dance of the oriental soul, and to stroll through the patios of sumptuous palaces.
Visitors accompany the artists on their peregrinations and experience the grueling crossing of an unforgiving desert, stopping off at oases. They encounter wild animals, the hunting of which was an eye-catching subject for these Orientalist painters. Finally, moucharabiehs offer a glimpse into the mysterious world of harems. This sensual, fantastical world remained inaccessible to Orientalist painters, who therefore imagined representations of it.
The fumes of the hammam reveal the unreal curves of the bathers, and finally the curtain rises on Ingres? La Grande Odalisque, a masterpiece of dreamlike, idealized Orientalism. The dream comes to an end, and visitors wake up in the heart of 19th-century Parisian salons, having experienced the Orientalists? dream of the Orient like an evanescent mirage.
Production : Culturespaces Digital ® ? Artistic creation : Virginie Martin ? Direction and animation : Cutback ? Musical supervision and mixing : Start-Rec
