Читать книгу Art History For Dummies - Jesse Bryant Wilder - Страница 96

IN THIS CHAPTER

Reading one of the oldest historical documents in the world

Sizing up the pyramids

Exploring the art of Egyptian tombs

Reading a Book of the Dead

Understanding why Egyptian statues are so colossal

The mountain-high pyramids and stony stare of the Great Sphinx have awed humankind for thousands of years. The ancient Greek historian Herodotus wrote, “There is no country that possesses so many wonders, nor any that has such a number of works which defy description.” The Roman leaders Julius Caesar and Marc Antony were so impressed by Egyptian culture and wealth that they had to first marry Egypt (in the form of Cleopatra) and then rule it. The mystique of Ancient Egypt still captivates the modern world. But today Egypt’s biggest draw isn’t the pyramids or Cleopatra, but Egyptian mummies, magic, and tomb art.

Mummies and the magical resurrection rituals painted on the walls of tombs and coffins have inspired witches’ spells, short stories, movies, documentaries, art historians, archeologists, and even the fashion industry. The film companies of the world have unreeled more than 90 mummy movies since the dawn of cinema, from a French short in 1899 about Cleopatra’s mummy to Hollywood’s The Mummy in 1999 and its sequels, as well as a Tom Cruise interpretation in 2017. The Three Stooges even got into the act with We Want Our Mummy (featuring King Rootentooten) in 1939 and their more mature work, Mummy’s Dummies in 1948. Abbott and Costello followed up in 1955 with Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy.