Colossal statue of Ramses II in the first court of Amon. Karnak, Egypt

Object Details

Local Numbers: Negative number 62235 C-21, 33.
General: Title source: Index card based on photographer's notes.
Local Note: Typed index card reads, "T 6 Egy. Egypt. Karnak. Statue of Rameses II at Temple of Amen. XIX Dyn. 3/1961. EE. neg.no. 62235 C-21, 33." The card was written in 1977-79 by Archives staff using source provided by photographer.

See more items in: Eliot Elisofon Field collection; Eliot Elisofon Field collection / Egypt

Archival Repository: Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, National Museum of African Art

Type: Archival materials; Negatives (photographic); Black-and-white negatives; Negatives

Collection Citation: Eliot Elisofon Field Collection, EEPA 1973-001, Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution

Collection Rights: Permission to reproduce images from the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives must be obtained in advance. Where noted, some images remain under the copyright of Life/Shutterstock. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.

Scope and Contents: "From as early as Old Kingdom times, great stones images of kings were carved from monolithic blocks of limestone, sandstone, and granite for erection in temples and shrines. These colossi functioned on several levels. Stationed along the temple approaches and in major processional areas they certainly acted in a protective role, but they also showed the inseparable relationship of the king with the gods at a level close to that of the divine. The second pylon was fronted by two striding colossi of Ramesses II, of which only the feet of one remain. In front of these is a third, standing statue of the king -with the diminutive figure of the princess Bent'anta standing between his feet- which was later usurped by both Ramesses VI and the priest king Pinudjem I." [Wilkinson R., 2000: The Complete Temples of Ancient Egypt. Thames and Hudson]. "A village on East bank of the Nile in Upper Egypt; with Luxor, Karnak is on the site of ancient Thebes; location of temple of Amen, considered one of the finest examples of early New Kingdom religious architecture; also has many Middle Kingdom remains." [The J.P.Getty Fund: Thesaurus of Geographic Names]. This photograph was taken when Eliot Elisofon was working on "The Nile" project and traveled to Africa from March 14, 1961 to March 31, 1961, visiting Egypt.

Collection Restrictions: Use of original records requires an appointment. Contact Archives staff for more details.