Joseph Lindon Smith was commissioned in 1925 to paint the newly discovered tomb chapel of Idu, an ancient Egyptian official. Due to the limitations of color photography at the time, Smith's vibrant renderings have become an essential resource for scholars studying ancient Egyptian artifacts. His painting, "The Royal Scribe, Idu," now part of the Harvard Museum, is crucial for understanding Idu’s representation and the ways offerings were integrated into tomb architecture. The artist’s work captures elements of the tomb that are fading, emphasizing the need for historical documentation as monuments endure deterioration.
The monuments are changing. There's deterioration, there's the elements; sometimes, unfortunately, there's mistreatment. Any documentation you get from the old days is always welcome.
What makes this one interesting is this upper torso of Idu himself, the tomb owner, as if he's coming up out of the netherworld. He's even got his hands out, saying, 'I'm ready to take the offerings.'
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