Young Hatshepsut was inspired by an exhibition of Egyptian art at San Francisco’s de Young Museum. After a breathtaking day looking at ancient sculpture in the museum, I went home and made a piece influenced by the magnificent sculptures I had just seen.
I did not want to recreate the ancient forms themselves. Paging through my notebooks, I eventually put together the basic theme. The idea for Young Hatshepsut is to show the child king (Hatshepsut ruled as a king, not a queen) in a private moment. She is sitting on the throne, balancing a tall headdress; daydreaming about her future. Some pieces in the series include animal companions – a cat and a rabbit. The seated pose allows the figure a strong sense of repose and thoughtfulness.
The second piece in the series was made as a gift for Dr. Bernard and Emily Fennell, after our Queen Emily had pronounced Hatshepsut her favorite sculpture. I was honored and delighted.
This is a small piece which was freely modeled in a single work session. Here the figure is more robust, holding a large contented rabbit on her lap. (The rabbit was a childhood pet.) The sculpture has a place of honor in our sovereign’s bedroom so that she can see it every day.
The larger Young Hatshepsut with Rabbit is a lifesize terracotta, sitting on a throne with decorations of iconic papyrus, holding a pet rabbit, and wearing papyrus blossoms as a crown. It is the third in the series. Young Hatshepsut was exhibited at Arts Benicia in 2022
