Two Princesses

Art Historical Context

This exquisite facsimile captures two young princesses from ancient Egypt’s Amarna Period, rendered in tempera on paper by British artist Nina de Garis Davies around 1930. Working at full scale, Davies meticulously reproduced wall paintings from Dynasty 18 tombs, preserving the fluid lines, vibrant colors, and intimate family moments that once adorned royal monuments now faded by time. Her copies remain invaluable records for scholars and visitors alike, offering a vivid window into an era of artistic revolution. The Amarna Period, centered on the reign of Akhenaten (ca. 1353–1336 B.C.), broke from traditional Egyptian conventions with its emphasis on naturalism, elongated figures, and affectionate royal portrayals. The princesses’ relaxed poses and detailed pleated garments reflect this innovative style, highlighting the period’s focus on the royal family as a symbol of divine harmony under the sun god Aten. Davies’s work not only safeguards these delicate details but also invites modern audiences to appreciate the human warmth within Egypt’s sacred art. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum’s Department of Egyptian Art, the piece bridges millennia, connecting contemporary viewers to the grace and vitality of New Kingdom court life.

About the Artist

Nina de Garis Davies · 1881–1965

Nina de Garis Davies, born Anna Macpherson Cummings on January 6, 1881, in Salonika, Greece, to English-Scottish parents Cecil J. Cummings and Sarah Macintosh Tannoch, showed early artistic talent as the eldest of three daughters. After her father's death in 1894, the family relocated to Scotland and then London, where she trained at the Slade School of Art. In 1906, at age 25, a holiday trip to E...