Key Dates
Ramesses II, whose name is inscribed on the pectoral of each of the baboons, took a special liking to this massive statue; Four baboons adoring the sun was placed at the base of one of the obelisks of the temple of Luxor, with the baboons literally facing the sun. It was thought that the baboons honoured the sun so as to guide it throughout its course each day.
The story of how the Louvre acquired the statue is perhaps as famous as Four baboons adoring the sun itself. The statue was excavated, along with the rest of the temple of Luxor, and brought to the Place de la Concorde. Though the original plan was to reconstruct the temple of Luxor in full, Louis-Phillipe considered the Four baboons to be vulgar and offered the statue to the Louvre instead. The Louvre happily accepted the donation
