L'égyptomanie à travers les arts / Université inter-âges de l'Ain

Egyptomania through the arts Charlotte LEJEUNE Paris, spring 2019: a long line stretches out in front of the Halle de la Villette, and yet there's no polling station inside... What magic attracts thousands of Parisians and tourists? What are the words and images that lead them to push their patience to the limit? One of those words capable of making you dream and travel: "Tutankhamun"! Exhibitions on Egypt have been attracting crowds ever since the one on the young pharaoh-star in 1967. Each one is a guaranteed success! But the fascination with Egypt does not date back to the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb in 1922. It goes back to ancient times, and has left its mark in Paris since the 16th century in architecture and the decorative arts. It's called "Egyptomania", and it revives the forms that most impressed Westerners during their sojourns in Egypt, from Saint-Louis to Mariette, via Napoleon Bonaparte's campaign.