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Secondary sourcePaintingOriginal art from Tutankhamun's reign (c. 1332-1323 BCE); copy c. 1850

Tomb Relief of Huy Before Tutankhamun

Karl Richard Lepsius · Original art from Tutankhamun's reign (c. 1332-1323 BCE); copy c. 1850

A 19th-century copy by Karl Richard Lepsius of an Egyptian tomb relief showing Tutankhamun receiving his chief minister Huy.

This relief depicts Tutankhamun on his throne receiving his chief minister Huy.

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Colored reproduction of an Egyptian tomb relief showing a seated pharaoh on a throne with a blue crown, holding a crook and flail, while a standing figure in a white pleated kilt offers a feather fan. Hieroglyphs are above and at right, and a decorative border runs along the bottom.
Copy by Karl Richard Lepsius of an 18th Dynasty tomb relief showing Huy before Tutankhamun, c. 1850 (original from Tutankhamun's reign).

About this source

What it is

This is a colored reproduction, made around 1850 by the German Egyptologist Karl Richard Lepsius, of an original Egyptian tomb relief. The relief dates from Tutankhamun's reign or shortly after, and shows the pharaoh seated on a throne, holding a crook and flail, while his chief minister Amenhotep, called Huy, stands before him offering a feather fan.

Why it matters

This scene shows the relationship between a pharaoh and his high officials, and how Egyptian art recorded court life and status. Because this is a copy made by Lepsius rather than the original relief itself, it also shows how 19th-century Egyptologists worked to record and share ancient art before photography was common.

Look closer

  • What does the pharaoh's pose and regalia tell you about his role?
  • Why might Huy be shown offering a fan to the king?
  • Why is it important to know this image is a 19th-century copy, not the original artwork?

This painting is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Tutankhamun on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Photograph of Tutankhamun's Shawabti Figure

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Opening the Doors of the Fourth Shrine in Tutankhamun's Tomb

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