Study Visit - Ethiopia in the British Museum

On Tuesday April 21 at 4:00pm Dorothea McEwan will be giving a gallery talk about the monumental Ethiopian painting 'The Crucifixion of Jesus Christ and the life of Bishop Selama', which is currently on display in the British Museum's Africa Gallery. This painting was chosen by the Museum to be exhibited in public for the Ethiopian Millenium in 2008, having been kept in storage since its donation in 1893. Before it could be displayed the painting had to undergo a thorough conservation process, as it had become decayed, dirty and brittle.

Dorothea McEwan, member of the Anglo-Ethiopian Society, has done extensive research on the painting and will explain the painting programme, a crucifixion surrounded by eleven scenes, eight of them from the life of the Abuna Salama, from 1841 to 1855. As such it is a unique composition yoking the suffering of Christ to that of the Abun of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. A member of the conservation team will give additional explanations on the conservation programme and its research findings.

Please meet at the information desk in the Great Court from 3:45pm onwards; we will set off to see the painting at about 3:55pm.

Prior to this attendees are welcome to join a more informal tour, led by a couple of Trustees of the Anglo-Ethiopian Society, of the other Ethiopia related objects that are currently on display in the Museum. If you are interested in joining this tour then we'll be setting off from the information desk at 2:30pm.