The Menil Collection The Menil Collection

Daniel Marie Fouquet (1850–1914) is a figure with a strong, but relatively unseen presence in the object biographies of the ancient art in the Menil Collection. Recognized for his work as a medical doctor and mummy examiner based in Cairo, even appearing as the subject of Paul Dominique Philippoteaux’s Examination of a Mummy - The Priestess of Ammon (1891), Dr. Fouquet was also well known as a collector of thousands of works of Egyptian art from all periods. Today, 55 terracotta sculptures in the Menil’s holdings (11 of which are on view now) are said to originate with Dr. Fouquet. This talk will explore the history of this figure, consider how his collecting practices aligned with the interests of John and Dominique de Menil, and discuss the dispersal of his collection. This talk will also introduce a continuing mystery regarding ink on some of the objects and ongoing curatorial investigations.

Held twice a month on Fridays for a small group, Member Noontime Talks make exhibitions more intimate and reveal the collection as never before. To sign up, please RSVP to membership@menil.org. If you are not currently a Menil Member, you can learn more and join here.

This program takes place in the main building, located at 1533 Sul Ross Street. Additional information regarding accessibility and parking can be found here.