Re-reading a Statue of King Ramesses II: Text or Iconography?

This article is dedicated to the study and comparison of the inscriptions and iconography of the red granite colossal statue in the British Museum, inv. no. AES 61. The idea behind this paper was to demonstrate how the rigorous application of iconographical analysis of facial features can contribute to the precise dating of the classical pharaonic sculptures. This procedure when applied to the above-mentioned statue allows to conclude that it was originally conceived for Amenhotep II and usurped, later on, by Ramesses II and his successor Merenptah – not by modifying or changing its original facial features, but only by adding their own cartouches.