Sesostris III, Pharaoh of Legend at Palais des Beaux-Arts, Lille

The ruler of Egypt in the 12th Dynasty of the Middle Kingdom, the Pharaoh Sesostris III claimed, “I have added to what was bequeathed me” – isn’t that the hallmark of any life well lived? He was a conqueror, a formidable warrior and a skilled political reformer and economist, so why haven’t we heard more about him? Perhaps it’s because his pyramid, built at Dahshur south of Cairo, didn’t survive the ravages of time as well as those of his counterparts and that archeological excavations have only recently shed new light on his reign. The innovative imagery of the propaganda campaign which he undertook 38 centuries ago, to enlarge the southern borders of his kingdom, into present-day Sudan, provided the key to bring the Pharaoh out of oblivion today.

This is France’s first exhibition concerning Sesostris III – who was also know as Senusret III – and the organisers’ effort to bring art, history, Egyptology and anthropology together has been so enormously successful that the event, which was mounted in cooperation with the Louvre Museum, has been declared of national interest. The exhibit includes some 200 artefacts loaned from the world’s main museums allied to 100 pieces from the University of Lille.

There are two delicious bonuses, in the shape of a photographic history of archeological digs, provided by the Musée d’Orsay, and a truly inspired contemporary sculpture display in the atrium. The latter, a dialogue between Antony Gormley and Wolfgang Laib on the theme of transportation of the soul, reflects our undying fascination with the myths and imagery of Ancient Egypt.

Tip: The impressive effigies of Sesostris III command attention, but don’t overlook the tiny artefacts which depict the ordinary lives of his subjects.

Sesostris III, Pharaoh of Legend. Until January 25, 2015. Palais des Beaux-Arts, 18 rue de Valmy, 59000 Lille. Open daily 10am-6pm. Weekends until 7pm. Mondays 2pm-6pm. Entry fee is €10. Tel: +33 3 20 06 78 00

From France Today magazine