Head of Ramses. From the journey to Egypt

Head of Ramses. From the Journey to Egypt shows a colossal sculptural fragment — one of the many monumental heads of Ramesses II scattered across Egypt's temple sites, particularly at Luxor, Karnak, and Abu Simbel. These fragments, shattered by time, earthquake, and later iconoclasm, were among the most compelling subjects for European artists in Egypt: the human face rendered at impossible scale, partially ruined, preserving an ancient assertion of royal power. Ciągliński's study treats the sculptural fragment as a painterly subject, attending to its surface quality and the play of light on ancient stone.

The massive stone face fills most of the canvas, its weathered surface treated with warm ochre and grey paint. Shadow passages model the sculptural features. Ciągliński's handling respects the object's monumental weight while rendering it as a phenomenon of texture and light.