Exhibition: Haremhab, The General Who Became King,

TalkArtworld

One of the most fascinating pharaohs of ancient Egypt, Haremhab (reigned ca. 1316-1302 B. C.) was a strong leader in a time of political and religious transition. As commander-in-chief of Tutankhamun's army, he oversaw important military campaigns at the border with Nubia and in the Levant; later, as the last king of Dynasty 18, Haremhab instituted laws that secured the rights of civilians and curbed abuses perpetrated by powerful groups. A statue that was created before he became king shows the general as a scribe and thus an administrator and wise man. This statue-the most famous three-dimensional image of Haremhab-is the focus of The Metropolitan Museum of Art's exhibition Haremhab, The General Who Became King, opening November 16. The display will feature some 70 additional objects in various media-wall reliefs, works on papyrus, statuettes, and garment fragments-from the holdings of the Metropolitan, with the addition of a pivotal loan from the Louvre and another from a New York private collection. Haremhab, The General Who Became King is the inaugural presentation in a series of exhibitions that will spotlight masterpieces from the Museum's collection of Egyptian art.

The Metropolitan Museum's magnificent life-size statue of Haremhab as a scribe is the centerpiece of the exhibition.