{"id":227409,"date":"2025-08-14T19:06:04","date_gmt":"2025-08-14T17:06:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/geniwal.be\/?p=227409"},"modified":"2025-12-17T20:42:49","modified_gmt":"2025-12-17T19:42:49","slug":"jean-capart-le-pere-de-legyptologie-en-belgique","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/geniwal.be\/en\/nos-pistes\/personnalites-belges\/jean-capart-le-pere-de-legyptologie-en-belgique\/","title":{"rendered":"Jean Capart, the father of Belgian Egyptology"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"

CAPART Jean Fran\u00e7ois D\u00e9sir\u00e9<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

He played a key role in building up Belgian Egyptian collections and carried out major excavations in Egypt, notably at the Elkab site. A great populariser, he helped to bring ancient Egypt to the attention of the Belgian and international public.<\/span>
\nJean Capart was also a member of numerous learned societies and published several reference works on Egyptian art and archaeology, including L'Art \u00e9gyptien (1909) and Le\u00e7ons sur l'art \u00e9gyptien.<\/span><\/p>\n

Jean Capart (1877-1947) was a great Belgian Egyptologist, often regarded as the \u00abfather of Belgian Egyptology\u00bb. He helped to spread a passion for Egypt in Belgium and was responsible for enriching the Egyptian collections of the Royal Museums of Art and History in Brussels.<\/span>
\nHowever, he was not a member of Howard Carter's excavation team. He travelled to Egypt shortly after the discovery and was able to visit the tomb and observe the artefacts, but he did not take part in the excavations themselves or in the initial opening of the tomb in November 1922.<\/span>
\nJean Capart : Detailed biography<\/span>
\nJean Fran\u00e7ois D\u00e9sir\u00e9 Capart was born in Brussels on 21 February 1877. Fascinated by history and archaeology from an early age, he studied literature at the Universit\u00e9 Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), where he specialised in ancient history. In 1900, he became the first professor of Egyptology in Belgium, laying the foundations for the discipline in the country.<\/span><\/p>\n

At the same time, Capart joined the Royal Museums of Art and History in Brussels as an attach\u00e9. Thanks to his dynamism and his contacts with major international institutions (such as the British Museum and the Louvre), he played a decisive role in enriching and promoting Egyptian collections in Belgium.<\/span><\/p>\n

In 1905, he was appointed inspector of excavations in Egypt for the Belgian government. He organised several archaeological missions, notably to Elkab, a site he excavated on several occasions. Capart contributed to a number of major discoveries, some of which are now on display at the Mus\u00e9e du Cinquantenaire.<\/span><\/p>\n

He played an active role in bringing Egyptology to the general public, both in Belgium and abroad, through his lectures, articles and illustrated works. He worked with Queen Elisabeth of Belgium, who was passionate about Egyptology, and accompanied her on her famous trip to Egypt in 1923, just after the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb.<\/span><\/p>\n

Jean Capart was also a member of the Institut de France and a correspondent of the Acad\u00e9mie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres. He directed the Queen Elisabeth Egyptological Foundation, which he helped to found in 1923 to promote studies of ancient Egypt.<\/span>
\nHe died on 16 June 1947 in Etterbeek, leaving an immense scientific and heritage legacy that continues to set the standard today.<\/span><\/p>\n

Main works by Jean Capart<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

L'Art \u00e9gyptien (1909) - a work that remains a classic on the aesthetics and symbolism of Pharaonic art.<\/span>
\nLe\u00e7ons sur l'art \u00e9gyptien (1924) - compilation of lectures given at the ULB, illustrating the evolution of Egyptian art.<\/span>
\nDocuments et monuments du Mus\u00e9e \u00c9gyptien de Bruxelles (1913-1925) - a multi-volume series detailing the Belgian collections.<\/span>
\nLa Vie quotidienne en \u00c9gypte \u00e0 l'\u00e9poque des Rams\u00e8s (Daily life in Egypt at the time of Ramses) (1933) - a popular work accessible to the general public, which was a great success.<\/span>
\nTutankhamun: the child pharaoh<\/span>
\n(published after his trip to Egypt with Queen Elizabeth) - on the discovery of the tomb and its treasures.<\/span><\/p>\n

He has also contributed numerous articles to specialist journals such as the Journal of Egyptian Archaeology and Chronique d'\u00c9gypte.<\/span>
\nThe discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun (or Tutankh-Amon) is one of the most famous events in archaeology.<\/span><\/p>\n

When and by whom?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

On 4 November 1922, the British archaeologist Howard Carter, funded by Lord Carnarvon, discovered the entrance to tomb KV62 in Egypt's Valley of the Kings.<\/span>
\nAfter years of fruitless searching, Carter finally found a staircase leading to a sealed door bearing the seal of Tutankhamun.<\/span>
\nWhy is it so exceptional?<\/span>
\nThe tomb is virtually intact, whereas most royal tombs were looted in ancient times. More than 5,000 objects have been discovered, including the famous solid gold funerary mask, a true masterpiece of Egyptian art.<\/span><\/p>\n

The historic moment :<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

On 26 November 1922, Carter pierced a small opening in the door of the burial chamber. By candlelight, he saw gold objects and, in response to Lord Carnarvon's question \u00abCan you see anything?\u00bb, he replied with the famous phrase:<\/span>
\n\u00abYes, wonders!\u00bb<\/span>
\nWho was Tutankhamun?<\/span>
\nPharaoh of the 18th dynasty, he reigned from 1336 to 1327 BC, coming to the throne at a very young age (around 9) and dying at 18 or 19.<\/span>
\nHis reign was marked by the restoration of the old gods after the religious heresy of Akhenaten, his probable father.<\/span><\/p>\n

Archaeological and cultural significance :<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

The discovery has led to a better understanding of the life and death of the pharaohs, Egyptian craftsmanship and funerary rituals.<\/span>
\nIt triggered a veritable \u00abEgyptomania\u00bb throughout the world.<\/span>
\nWould you like to know more about the contents of the tomb, the mummy, or the theories surrounding Tutankhamun's death?<\/span>
\nThe discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun (or Tutankh-Amon) is one of the most famous events in archaeology.<\/span><\/p>\n

When and by whom?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

On 4 November 1922, the British archaeologist Howard Carter, funded by Lord Carnarvon, discovered the entrance to tomb KV62 in Egypt's Valley of the Kings.<\/span>
\nAfter years of fruitless searching, Carter finally found a staircase leading to a sealed door bearing the seal of Tutankhamun.<\/span><\/p>\n

Why is it so exceptional?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

The tomb is virtually intact, whereas most royal tombs were looted in ancient times. More than 5,000 objects have been discovered, including the famous solid gold funerary mask, a true masterpiece of Egyptian art.<\/span><\/p>\n

Archaeological and cultural significance :<\/span><\/p>\n

The discovery has led to a better understanding of the life and death of the pharaohs, Egyptian craftsmanship and funerary rituals.<\/span><\/p>\n

It triggered a veritable \u00abEgyptomania\u00bb throughout the world.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Genealogy Capart Jean Fran\u00e7ois D\u00e9sir\u00e9<\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Further information on CAPART Jean Fran\u00e7ois D\u00e9sir\u00e9e : https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/jmbruffaerts\/<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  Il joue un r\u00f4le cl\u00e9 dans la constitution des collections \u00e9gyptiennes belges et m\u00e8ne d\u2019importantes fouilles en \u00c9gypte, notamment sur le site d\u2019Elkab. Grand vulgarisateur, il participe \u00e0 faire […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":227408,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[93,89],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-227409","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nos-pistes","category-personnalites-belges","et-has-post-format-content","et_post_format-et-post-format-standard"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/geniwal.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/227409","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/geniwal.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/geniwal.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/geniwal.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/geniwal.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=227409"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/geniwal.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/227409\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":227411,"href":"https:\/\/geniwal.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/227409\/revisions\/227411"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/geniwal.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/227408"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/geniwal.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=227409"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/geniwal.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=227409"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/geniwal.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=227409"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}