Représenter l’égyptologue, rendre hommage au Boulonnais. Le portrait d’Auguste Mariette par Florent Buret

Abstract

In this paper, we propose the first study of the portrait of Auguste Mariette kept in the Château Comtal – Musée de Boulognesur- Mer (France). Painted by Florent Buret in 1899, the work pays tribute to the Egyptologist born in this city in 1821. Artificially composed from photographic sources, this portrait evokes his work for the Louvre and Boulaq museums in France and Egypt. It was included in the “historical gallery” of the town hall of Boulogne-sur-Mer with fourteen other personalities of the city. As such, it reflects the pride of a late 19th century French town and its scholarly and political networks.

Keywords

• egyptology
• Mariette
• egyptomania
• reception of ancient Egypt
• art history