New British Museum Book Brings Egyptian Pharaohs to Life

The British Museum Press has published its first major book on pharaohs in over a decade. Pharaoh: art and power in ancient Egypt explores the ideals, symbolism, and iconography of pharaonic rule. Stunning new photography and world-class research—all centered on the British Museum’s collection of Egyptian artifacts—shed new light on one of the world’s most powerful and enduring civilizations.

From art museums to pop culture, the Egyptian pharaoh is among the most famous and fascinating figures in world history. Pharaoh: art and power in ancient Egypt looks beyond the idealized projections of pharaohs with which we are most familiar. Instead, the book endeavors to capture the complex reality of Egyptian kingship over the centuries.

Though historically referred to as kings, the rulers of ancient Egypt were not always male—nor were they always necessarily Egyptian. Pharaoh: art and power in ancient Egypt pieces together the real lives of these rulers through the objects they left behind. Edited by Marie Vandenbeusch, curator in the Department of Egypt and Sudan at the British Museum, this comprehensive volume makes ancient history accessible and entertaining.

New Photography of Ancient Artifacts

The British Museum’s collection of Egyptian antiquities, which comprises nearly 100,000 objects, is the largest and most comprehensive outside the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. Alongside engaging contributions by diverse scholars, Pharaoh: art and power in ancient Egypt features striking, up-to-date images of a selection of the museum’s holdings. Vibrant photographic spreads and high-resolution details bring ancient Egyptian pharaohs to life on every page.

Under pharaonic leadership, Egyptian civilization made unprecedented advancements in art and technology. Pharaohs reinforced their divine right to rule by creating innovative images—including statues, stelae, and papyri. What makes Pharaoh: art and power in ancient Egypt compelling is that its narrative is driven primarily by these surviving objects. The authors break down the objects’ imagery and inscriptions, the identities of the people who made and used them, their historical significance, what they were made of, and where and when they were found. Masterfully documented in both writing and photography, these details paint a fuller picture of the world in which Egyptian kings and their subjects actually lived their lives.

Over the course of three millennia, the office of the pharaoh remained remarkably stable amidst sweeping cultural, technological, and economic changes in ancient Egypt. Hundreds of kings are known to have ruled, each functioning as a godlike intermediary between the divine and earthly realms. In history books, the everyday reality of pharaonic rule is often obscured by dynastic lists and lengthy timelines. Rather than simply recounting a linear history, Pharaoh: art and power in ancient Egypt lets objects tell stories about the roles, responsibilities, and ideas of Egyptian kings. The book also interprets royal iconography, contextualizes ancient funerary practices, and considers the continued contemporary resonance of pharaonic history in Egypt and beyond.

Pharaoh: art and power in ancient Egypt is now available to purchase online via the British Museum.