Romeinse en Egyptische figuren 1820

Cécile Beauvallet's "Romeinse en Egyptische figuren" is a drawing which presents Roman and Egyptian figures alongside architectural drawings. The image reflects a broader European fascination with classical antiquity and ancient Egypt as sources of aesthetic and cultural authority. Beauvallet, a woman, working in what was most likely a male dominated environment, engages with these themes. The image invites us to reflect on how different cultures and histories are perceived through a European lens. Beauvallet reproduces not only historical figures, but also architectural elements, thereby linking human identity to constructed environments. The Egyptian figures, presented with an almost clinical detachment, contrast with the more dynamic groupings of Roman figures, revealing a complex interplay of power, representation, and cultural appropriation. The drawing compels us to consider how historical narratives are constructed, visualized, and internalized, as well as who is doing the constructing, visualizing and internalizing.