Artwork
Ceiling Pattern, Tomb of Qenamun
Ceiling Pattern, Tomb of Qenamun is an unspecified painting by Charles Wilkinson. It is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Overview
Ceiling Pattern, Tomb of Qenamun is a painted work that reproduces a decorative scheme originally found on the ceiling of an ancient Egyptian tomb. The composition is dominated by vivid, contrasting colors arranged in a rhythmic zigzag pattern, forming a series of diamond shapes across the surface.
Subject & Meaning
Within each diamond, the design incorporates simplified motifs resembling traditional Egyptian symbols: small crosses accompanied by dots or encircling circles. These elements echo the iconography used in funerary contexts, suggesting a symbolic function tied to protection or the afterlife.
Technique & Style
The artist employs flat, saturated bands of red, yellow, and blue, applied in sharp, angular lines that create a striking visual cadence. The repetitive geometry and limited palette reflect a stylized approach typical of ancient decorative painting, emphasizing pattern over naturalistic representation.
History & Provenance
The work references the tomb of Qenamun, a high‑ranking official from the New Kingdom period whose burial chamber featured similar ceiling decorations. While the original tomb dates to the 18th dynasty, the present painting is a modern rendition intended to document and evoke that historic visual language.
Artist & collection
Artist
Egyptian artists carved lively scenes on tomb walls to keep the dead company. Wilkinson’s bundle offers five such reliefs, from a falcon guarding a pharaoh to wine presses and chariots left behind for the next world.…
