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FRANCIS BEDFORD (1815-94)
Memnonium - the South Portico, Thebes [Osiride Columns, the Ramesseum, Thebes]
17 Mar 1862RCIN 2700890
The Ramesseum was built by Ramesses II as a huge mortuary temple for himself. It was completed in around 1250 BC. The columns, once part of the temple, were statues of the pharaoh as Osiris, god of the underworld. This was appropriate for a mortuary temple, intended to serve as memory to the greatness of Ramesses for future generations.
Acquired by the Prince of Wales, 1862
