Exhibiting Historical Art: Out of the Vault: Stories of People and Things

Egyptomania

The context behind a production focused on the life of Cleopatra is the modern world's fascination with Egypt. After Napoleon conquered the land of Egypt in the 1860s and brought back many Ancient Egyptian treasures to Europe, society developed a great interest in the empire that ruled thousands of years before. Creating a performance dedicated to Cleopatra, one of the most intriguing figures in Egyptian history, was just one of the ways that Egypt became part of current daily life. This concept is referred to as Egyptomania and was especially prevalent during the late 1800s and revived when King Tutankhamun's tomb was found completely intact in 1922. Today, society is still attracted to Ancient Egypt, and that appeal is shown in modern architecture, art, and media. 

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