An Update from the Louvre

This blog post has been written by Hugo Rault-Marical, who arrived at Swansea University in January 2022 on a six-month exchange programme from the Université de Lille. Hugo previously wrote a blog post about his experiences in Swansea and provides us with an update on his recent internship at the Louvre.

I spent six months last year at Swansea University as an exchange student specialising in Egyptology. It was such a great opportunity that enabled me to make a first step into museology. In April & May 2023, I had an internship at the Louvre under the supervision of Florence Gombert-Meurice, curator in charge of Egyptian bronzes in the Egyptian Antiquities Department. What I learned during my time abroad in Swansea was so helpful at this time.

Fig. 1: Hugo undertaking a condition report on an Egypt Centre object in 2022

Back in Swansea, I partook in a course taught by Ken Griffin, Carolyn Graves-Brown, and Wendy Goodridge regarding museums, preventive conservation, artefact care, collection history, audiences, and inclusivity (fig. 1). Fortunately, I was also accepted into the Swansea University Pottery Project (SUPP), directed by Christian Knoblauch and Ken, where I was able to handle ancient Egyptian pottery, analyze them, and enter the data into the Egypt Centre’s database: Abaset. These different experiences allowed me to be efficient in my work at the Louvre (fig. 2). I knew how to handle ancient objects with care, how to describe them with the correct vocabulary, and finally how to implement data into the online database. In brief, I had a museology background due to Swansea University’s offerings. Not only in a practical way, but also regarding Egyptian art knowledge: the module coordinated by Christian about art enhanced my perception of Egyptian artefacts. Thanks to it, I am now able to date an object by its features and decoration.

Fig. 2: The gallery where much of Hugo's work at the Louvre took place

Next, I aim to take the curator national exam! Once again, the knowledge offered by Swansea University and its staff will be necessary. I would like to thank again Ken Griffin, Christian Knoblauch, Carolyn Graves-Brown, and Wendy Goodridge for their warm welcome into the Swansea University and Egypt Centre. I won’t forget the first artefacts that I handled at the Egypt Centre. My time at Swansea University was such an enriching experience!