The Pyramids

This is a painting of The Pyramids at Giza by the Bristol artist William Muller. For over 1,000 years, the Egyptian pharaohs built themselves a pyramid as their burial place. The first step pyramid was built for Djoser (2667-2648 BCE). The Great Pyramid at Giza, painted here, was built for Khufu (about 2589-2566 BCE). After about 1550 BCE, the pharaohs preferred a less visible tomb cut into the rock of the Valley of the Kings.The shape may have been linked to the primaeval mound of creation, where the sun-god was born, or to the rays of the sun, or with a stairway to heaven. All the ideas of the symbolism of the shape link back to ancient Egyptian ideas of rebirth. It is about 165 years old, and was painted in 1843. It is painted with oils on canvas.