Astronomical Ceiling
ca. 1479–1458 B.C.
Medium
Tempera on paper
Dimensions
Facsimile: H. 73 × W. 56.5 cm (28 3/4 × 22 1/4 in.); scale approximately 1:5;, Framed: H. 74.6 × W. 58.1 cm (29 3/8 × 22 7/8 in.)
Classification
Facsimile, Senenmut (TT 353), astronomical ceiling
Period
Original: New Kingdom
Department
Egyptian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1948
Accession Number
48.105.52
Tags
Art Historical Context
Behold the *Astronomical Ceiling*, mesmerizing facsimile crafted by Charles K. Wilkinson ina on paper, faithfully reproducing an ancient Egyptian masterpiece from the New Kingdom's Dynasty 18 (ca. 1479–1458 B.C.). This recreation captures the celestial panorama of a tomb ceiling, likely from a royal burial site, where Egyptians mapped the night sky with remarkable precision. Adorned with hieroglyphs and astronomical motifs, it showcases star clocks, decans—groups of stars used to track hours—and deities personifying cosmic order. In ancient Egypt, such ceilings held profound cultural and reli...
About the Artist
Charles K. Wilkinson · 1897–1986
Charles K. Wilkinson (1897–1986), born Charles Kyrle Wilkinson in London on October 13, 1897, was the son of Horace W. Wilkinson, a stained-glass window maker, and Frances Adkins. Serving in World War I, he honed his artistic skills at the Slade School of Fine Art, University College London, where the influential director Henry Tonks shaped the rigorous training of a generation of draughtsmen. In ...