Sully · level 1

When an Egyptian object catches your attention here, give the room around it a moment too. High arches, gilded details and painted ceilings belong to a much later chapter in its history. The ancient work and the museum setting have different stories to tell. Part of Sully’s level 1 occupies the Musée Charles X, opened in 1827 and named for the French king of that period. Its curator was Jean-François Champollion, the scholar who had deciphered hieroglyphs. The rooms now help present Egyptian art through time. Their decoration also preserves a nineteenth-century European way of imagining the ancient world. The Seated Scribe offers a very immediate encounter within that chronological display. Notice the painted body, the papyrus roll and the bright inlaid eyes. Limestone, colour and reflective materials come together to make the figure’s attention feel present. Other sectors on this level include Greek, Etruscan and Italic collections and European decorative arts. Keep the distinction between object and setting in mind as you explore. A ceiling above an ancient work can show how much the understanding and presentation of the past have changed.