The Hero under the walls of the fortress. On the question of the visual representation of Ramesses II in the Battle of Kadesh
https://doi.org/10.28995/2073-6401-2024-1-76-87
Abstract
The Ramesseum temple erected under Ramesses II is one of the most significant monuments of Egyptian architecture of the XIX dynasty. Battle scenes illustrating the last major battle of the Bronze Age – the Battle of Kadesh – have been preserved on its walls. The fierce opposition of the young Pharaoh to the Hittites led to the signing of the first peace treaty in history. In Egyptian sources, Ramesses appears as a victor who prevailed over the enemy, thanks to his personal qualities and the will of the gods. The comparison of written evidence and relief images allows us to form an objective vision of the battle of Kadesh, its course and results. The analysis of sources also makes it possible to identify specific features of Egyptian official art, which include the canonical rules for the image presentation of the victorious king, as well as the artistic techniques used for that. Special attention is paid to the context of the creation of reliefs, namely, the state ideology and worldview of the ancient Egyptians in the era of the New Kingdom.
About the Author
Yu. S. Reunov
Russian Academy of Sciences Centre for Egyptological Studies
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Yury S. Reunov, Cand.of Sci. (Art Studies)
bldg. 8, bld. 29, Leninsky Avenue, Moscow, 119071
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Review
For citations:
Reunov Yu.S. The Hero under the walls of the fortress. On the question of the visual representation of Ramesses II in the Battle of Kadesh. RSUH/RGGU BULLETIN. Series Philosophy. Social Studies. Art Studies. 2024;(1):76-87. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.28995/2073-6401-2024-1-76-87
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