Name of Object:

Pharaoh Rameses II in the act of killing enemies with his spear

Name in original language:

Il faraone Ramses II trafigge un nemico con la lancia

Location:

Florence (original drawing: Pisa), Italy

Holding Institution:

Egyptian Museum (original drawing: Library of Pisa University)

 About MIBACT | Egyptian Museum, Florence, Florence (original drawing: Pisa)

Holding Institution (original language):

Museo Egizio (disegno originale: Biblioteca dell'Università di Pisa)

Date of Object:

1829 (original drawing)

Author:

Giuseppe Angelelli (creator of original drawing)

Material(s) / Technique(s):

Original drawing; watercolour

Dimensions:

Original drawing: 44.2 x 54 cm

Provenance:

Egypt

Description:

The print reproduces the drawing, today at the University Library of Pisa, realised by Giuseppe Angelelli. Angelelli’s painting is used for Table LXXXIII of the Historical Monuments which shows one of the engraved paintings from the southern wall of the temple of Abu Simbel, celebrating King Ramses piercing his enemy with a spear. This is a traditional scene that has been reproduced on numerous Egyptian monuments from early historic periods to show the supremacy of the Pharaoh above all foreign people. The enemies of the Egyptians are characterised by libic hair and dresses. An error was made by the copier in the spear used by Rameses, possibly reproduced within Angelelli’s painting because of the Director of the Commission wanted to correct the hieroglyphical text above.

Type of Object

Print

Archival or Bibliographical Reference:

From: I. Rosellini, Monumenti dell'Egitto e della Nubia, Pisa 1832–1843, Monumenti Storici, III, pp.103-109, pl.LXXXIII pp.103-109, tav.LXXXIII

Additional Copyright Information:

Copyright image: Su concessione del Ministero per i Beni Culturali e del Turismo - Museo Egizio di Firenze.

Citation of this web page:

Marina Minozzi "Pharaoh Rameses II in the act of killing enemies with his spear" in "Sharing History", Museum With No Frontiers, 2026.
https://sharinghistory.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=object;AWE;it;145;en

Prepared by: Marina Minozzi
Copyedited by: Anne Dowell

MWNF Working Number: IT2 003