Pharaoh at the NGV

The tour starts at 2.45pm on Monday 29 July, at the Langham Hotel, Melbourne.

The tour ends at 1.00pm on Thursday 1 August, with a transfer to Melbourne Tullamarine Airport.

We gather in the lobby of the hotel this afternoon for introductions before enjoying two background lectures on ancient Egypt by Lucia, accompanied by afternoon tea. Afterwards, we enjoy dinner together in a private room of the hotel’s award-winning Melba Restaurant. (D)

This morning we have a private, before-hours guided visit to the National Gallery of Victoria’s Pharaoh exhibition. Comprising seven thematic sections and spanning from the first dynasty (3000 BCE) to the Roman period (3rd century CE), the works featured will provide a sense of the sheer grandeur and vast scale of this ancient civilization. Among the highlights we find a green siltstone head of Thutmose III, a five-centimetre wide ivory label depicting King Den of the first dynasty, a larger-than-life limestone statue of Ramses II, and ‘The seated statue of Pharaoh Seti II’ – one of the most complete sculptures from ancient Egypt that serves as a testament to the exceptional craftsmanship. Also on show will be a re-assembled limestone wall from an Old Kingdom mastaba tomb, elaborately carved with hieroglyphic texts, and an enormous fist from the temple of Ptah weighing 1.5 tonnes!

Following our tour there is free time to further explore the exhibit and permanent collection, before we enjoy lunch in the gallery’s restaurant overlooking the tranquil garden. Our visit to the NGV concludes with entry to the Africa Fashion exhibition, featuring over 200 works of contemporary African fashions from the mid-20th century to the present day. Tonight, we head to Southbank Theatre for Sanaz Toossi’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play English, starring Osamah Sami (ABC’s Savage River). Set in English language classes in Iran, the play follows a diverse group of characters as they navigate the complexities of learning a foreign tongue. (B, L)

Performance details
Venue: Southbank Theatre, The Sumner
Play: Sanaz Toossi’s English, directed by Tasnim Hossain
Performers: Maia Abbas, Osamah Sami, Delaram Ahmadi, Salme Geransar, Marjan Mesbahi

Kenneth W. Park takes over from Lucia for the next two days as we set out to the outskirts of Melbourne, where we find the Heide Museum of Modern Art – founded by art patrons John and Sunday Reed who transformed their acreage into a haven for writers and artists. This gem of a museum now houses one of the premiere collections of Australian modernism, with works by Sidney Nolan and Arthur Boyd, and its sculpture garden has works by Anthony Caro, Anish Kapoor and Inge King. Following our visit, we make our way to Coombe, the estate of world-famous opera singer Dame Nellie Melba. Located on seven acres at Coldstream in the Yarra Valley, we take a glimpse into the extravagant life of this iconic diva with a guided tour of the cottage, followed by lunch together in Melba’s restored ‘motor house’ with its original chiming clock tower. Returning to Melbourne CBD in the late afternoon, we venture back to the hotel via Melbourne’s characterful laneways, buzzing with street art, arcades, cafes, bars and boutiques. Tonight we head to Melbourne’s Royal Botanic Gardens for Lightscape – an immersive, after-dark experience that brightens up the botanical gardens with multi-sensory light, colour and sound. (B, L)

On our final morning, we visit the Justin Art House Museum – one of Melbourne’s most intimate galleries and the private in-home collection of architect Charles and Leah Justin. Their collection comprises over 300 works and continues to grow. ARTitecture will be showing in the main gallery. With over 35 works from the JAHM collection, this exhibition explores what differentiates the creative process in art and architecture and what qualifies the design of the utilitarian to be regarded as art. We then continue by coach to the airport, arriving by 1.00pm. Those staying on in Melbourne can be dropped back at the hotel on the way to the airport. (B)