BROOKLYN MUSEUM | 2007
This exhibition gathered images of powerful Egyptian women and goddesses whom Judy Chicago included in The Dinner Party. All of these images come from the Brooklyn Museum’s renowned Egyptian collection. They include Hatshepsut – the only female pharaoh, and the powerful queens Tiye, Nefertiti, and Cleopatra. The goddesses Isis, Hathor, Neith, Tefnut, and Wadjet who played an important role in maintaining the Egyptian power structure are also integrated into the exhibition. Feminism has changed Egyptology during the years that coincide with the creation and subsequent popularity of Judy Chicago’s work. First, conditions in the academic world have improved with many more women working actively as Egyptologists than there were at the beginning of the twentieth century. Moreover, today, both male and female Egyptologists more easily accept women wielding political power in the ancient world as they observe changes in modern society. Thus, the older interpretations of Hatshepsut’s reign as a violation of Egyptian protocol have fallen out of favor. Today Egyptologists understand that Hatshepsut preserved her family’s claims on the throne while the male heir was still a child. Hatshepsut has transformed from villain to heroine of her own story in the most recent telling. In much the same way, Egyptologists now recognize Tiye and Nefertiti as their husband’s equal partners in ruling Egypt rather than women who attempted to claim more power than was proper for queens. Even Cleopatra, whose reputation among the ancient Romans as well as many historians was essentially negative, is today recognized primarily as the legitimate guardian of her country’s political interests. These transformations in historical reputations stem from a viewpoint highly influenced by modern feminism. Feminism has enriched modern understanding of the ancient world as well as changing the world where we live.
