Bolton's Egypt Summer Study Day "Ancient Egypt's Art & Artists"

Following on from the successful "All About Mummification" and "Queens of Ancient Egypt" study days, Bolton's Egypt brings you "Ancient Egypt's Art & Artists”.

With spectacular coloured wall scenes adorning the temples and tombs throughout Egypt, this study day focuses on ancient Egyptian art, those who created it and those who copied it. The sessions will look at how and why such scenes were produced, deciphering key images, texts and the materials used, both in ancient times and by archaeological artists such as Howard Carter, whose huge watercolour copied from the Deir el-Bahari funerary temple of Hatshepsut is currently in Bolton on loan from the Egypt Exploration Society. Yet our Bolton Study Day not only looks at the importance of Bolton's Egyptian collection, its unique blend of workshops provides the opportunity to get up close and learn at first hand.

The day will consist of a lecture, three hands-on workshops, an optional exhibition tour and a film.

The Study Day will conclude with after-hours wine, nibbles and chats with the experts in the Bolton’s Egypt galleries themselves.

Info: Attendees should arrive before 11am and register with the group leader. Refreshments are available on arrival.

Info: The Curator of Egyptology, Ian Trumble, will briefly introduce Bolton's Egypt, the collections, the galleries and how the Study Day will work.

Info: In this talk, Jo will look at some of Egypt’s most spectacular ancient wall scenes and discuss how and why they were produced. She will also decipher key images and highlight some of the main materials used by the ancient artists and artisans, and by their modern counterparts including Howard Carter, Harold Jones and Laurence Alma-Tadema, showcasing related objects within Bolton’s world-class Egyptian collection which also form the day’s object handling session.

Info: Lunch can be purchased as part of the Study Day package, or attendees can take advantage of various eateries around Bolton Town Centre.

Info: For those who did not attend the previous Study Day, you can get a chance to have a guided tour of Bolton's latest temporary exhibition "In the Temple of the Female Pharaoh: Hatshepsut and Howard Carter" with its curator, Ian Trumble

Info: In this session Jo will use a range of objects to reveal the way in which Egypt’s ancient artists were able to create spectacular wall scenes within some of their best-known temples and tombs. From the equipment they used to the pigments they employed, the session will also include fragments of the original scenes excavated by the Egypt Exploration Society and now part of Bolton’s collection, with more modern pieces relating to the way Egypt’s artistic legacy continues to inspire artists.

Info: In this workshop Stephen will focus on the science behind some of Egypt’s most famous royal artworks. Beginning by recreating the pigment used in the Valley of the king’s earliest royal tomb, he will then explore the range of colours used, how they were made and what they represent based on his own research on a wide range of ancient artefacts and Victorian pigments.

Info: In this gallery talk, Hazel will look at the texts within two of Egypt’s most iconic royal monuments, the Deir el-Bahari funerary temple of Hatshepsut and the tomb of her co-ruler and successor Tuthmosis III. With both able to be examined in detail within the Bolton collection, she will explain the way in which text and image were combined, working together to sustain the souls of each monarch but in very different ways.

Info: In her BBC documentary ‘Ancient Egypt: Life & Death in the Valley of the Kings’, Jo explores the lives of those who created the spectacular royal tombs and temples for Egypt’s New Kingdom pharaohs. Focusing on the life of the architect Kha and his team of workers, she looks at how they built and decorated the royal tombs and funerary temples, as well as the everyday lives of these people responsible for creating the works of art which still fascinate and inspire the world today.

Info: A chance to unwind with a drink in the beautiful surroundings of the Bolton's Egypt galleries and chat with the speakers of the day. Drinks and buffet food are included in the price of the day.

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