Senwosret III and the Issue of Portraiture in Ancient Egyptian Art

Since their Egyptological discovery, at the end of the 19th century, the statue portraits of Senwosret III deeply impressed their commentators and induced the pervasive idea that they represent the most lifelike or the epitome of realism in the history of Ancient Egyptian art. The present article aims to challenge this widespread assumption by analyzing terminological and conceptual confusion underlying this interpretation and recontextualizing this statuary production in an art historical perspective, taking notably into account material and artistic aspects of the issue.