Sculpted Portraits from Ancient Egypt

This exhibition features sculpture from a time of intense artistic revival and renewal in ancient Egypt: the Twenty-Sixth Dynasty (664-526 BCE), also known as the Saite Dynasty after its capital city of Sais in the Nile Delta. Egyptian artists of this period made striking portrait statues of officials associated with the court and priesthood, sculpted reliefs, figurines, and sarcophagi (stone coffins). Depictions of individuals made for temples allowed subjects to eternally worship the gods and receive blessings, while others were placed in tombs, functioning as vessels that could temporarily house the deceased's spirit. Explore these exceptional artworks at the Getty Villa.