When Alexander the Great conquered Egypt in 332 BCE, the land became part of two great foreign empires: first it was ruled by the Greek-speaking Ptolemies (including the famous Cleopatra VII), and later absorbed into the vast Roman Empire.

Yet despite foreign control, Egyptian religious traditions and artistic forms persisted,with remarkable adaptability. Artists continued to carve hieroglyphs, depict gods in traditional forms, and build temples following ancient conventions, even as Greek and Roman styles made their mark.

Characteristic features of the art of the Ptolemaic and Roman periods include:

• Hybrid artworks that blend Egyptian and Greco-Roman styles,for example, statues with Egyptian poses but Greek facial features, or mummies wrapped in traditional bandages but adorned with Roman-style painted portraits.
• Elaborate temple reliefs, often produced long after the end of native rule, preserving ancient religious imagery with astonishing fidelity,some among the most detailed ever carved.
• Portraits of everyday Egyptians, especially painted mummy panels from Roman-period cemeteries like Fayum,evocative, lifelike faces that bridge two artistic worlds.
• New cults and gods, such as Serapis, created by the Ptolemies to unite Greek and Egyptian religious traditions.