« Imitation ou éclectisme ? ». Nouveau regard sur la statuaire égyptienne d’époque gréco-romaine

N. AMOROSO, « « Imitation ou éclectisme ? ». Nouveau regard sur la statuaire égyptienne d’époque gréco-romaine », Res Antiquae 9, Bruxelles, 2012.

-------------------------------------------------------------

Egyptian and Egyptianising sculptural representations need to be carefully considered when archaeological context is missing. In this type of study, attention needs to be drawn to the style and the iconography. The present article focuses on an Egyptian statue without provenance exhibited in the Royal Museum of Mariemont in Belgium. Many scholars interpret this piece as an Isis figure from a roman context. The object shows an awareness of Egyptian traditions. Stylistically the statue from Mariemont seems to fit within the Ptolemaic Egyptian repertoire but the lack of parallels with statues from a certified context lead us to reconsider its authenticity. This sculpture has been interpreted as a roman copy in monographs. New observations based on the folds allow us to identify parallels with a statue from Alexandria dating from the second century BC. This comparison raises serious questions concerning terms such as copy, imitation or eclecticism. In conclusion, this paper tries to suggest a new key for our understanding of the statue from Mariemont.

Voir l'ouvrage | Voir les autres articles de l'ouvrage