Carved low relief in tomb of Kheruef, Necropolis of Thebes, Egypt

"The courtiers and high officials of the 18th Dynasty were buried in tombs cut into the cliffs between the valley of the kings and the Nile. The tombs of Kheruef and Ramose are among the largest in the necropolis. In each, the traditional decorated chamber of the T-shaped tomb is enlarged into a columned hall with delicate low relief and painting. Kheruef was Steward to Queen Tiye (Tiyi), who is shown several times in the tomb with Amenhotep III or her son Amenhotep IV. What is new here is the emphasis on depictions of the royal family in various roles." [Freed R.E., markowitz Y.J., D'auria S.H., 1999: Pharaohs of the Sun. Akhenaten, Nefertiti, Tutankhamen. Bulfinch Press / Little, Brown and Company]. "Ancient Thebes spanned the Nile River. The east bank is the site of modern Luxor and El Karnak, and was formerly the city of the living, with great temples and residences. On the west bank was the city of the dead, the "Necropolis of Thebes," containing the valleys of the royal tombs, royal mortuary temples, and the houses of priests and workers devoted to the dead." [The J. P. Getty Fund: Thesaurus of Geographical Names]. This photograph was taken when Eliot Elisofon was on assignment for Life magazine and traveled to Africa from January 8, 1947 to end of June 1947.