Mavericks: Three Visionary Pharaohs of Egypt

Video Description

Hatshepsut, Amenhotep III, and Akhenaten each ruled Egypt for long periods, leaving a lasting impact on its art, politics, and religion. Though all were powerful leaders, each tells a distinct story. In this lecture, Lawrence M. Berman explores the reigns and legacies of these three remarkable Eighteenth Dynasty pharaohs, considering questions such as: What made them successful—or controversial? How were they viewed in their own time, and how have archaeologists and the public interpreted them since? The talk also examines broader themes—from the power of images and identity to iconoclasm and the writing of history—inviting reflection on who gets to shape history, and why it still matters today. Speaker: Lawrence M. Berman is John F. Cogan, Jr. and Mary L. Cornille Chair, Art of Ancient Egypt, Nubia, and the Near East, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston About the Speaker Lawrence M. Berman is John F. Cogan, Jr., and Mary L. Cornille Chair, Art of Ancient Egypt, Nubia, and the Near East at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Dr. Berman received his PhD in Egyptology from Yale University. Before joining the staff of the MFA, he was curator of Egyptian and Ancient Near Eastern Art at the Cleveland Museum of Art. At the MFA, Berman has curated the special exhibitions Art and Empire: Treasures from Assyria in the British Museum (2008) and cocurated Secrets of Tomb 10A (2010) and Ancient Nubia Now (2019). He has overseen numerous gallery installations from large to small, most recently “Masterpieces of Egyptian Sculpture of the Pyramid Age” and “Faces of Ancient Egypt” (both 2021). Dr. Berman has taught ancient Egyptian art and language at Yale University, Case Western Reserve University, and Harvard University. He is a frequent lecturer and is author of numerous scholarly articles. His many books include The Priest, the Prince, and the Pasha (MFA Publications, 2019) and Unearthing Ancient Nubia: Photographs from the Harvard University-Boston Museum of Fine Arts Expedition (MFA Publications, 2018). His most recent book is Faces of Ancient Egypt: Portraits from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA Publications, 2022). Dr. Berman has traveled extensively in Egypt and northern Sudan visiting all of the most important sites excavated by the Harvard-MFA Expedition. From 2005-2009 he took part in the Pacific Lutheran University Valley of the Kings Project, working in six undecorated tombs in the royal valley. Areas of research include but are not limited to: Middle Kingdom Egyptian art, history, and literature, art of Amenhotep III, the Late Period, portraiture in Egyptian art (and in general), history of Egyptology, early Western travelers in Egypt and the Near East, display and interpretations of ancient Egypt in museums. Presented by the Harvard Museum of the Ancient Near East and the Harvard Museums of Science & Culture. Recorded October 15, 2025