Sedjemnetjeru
-1600– · Ancient Egyptian draughtsman and painter of the Second Intermediate Period
Sedjemnetjeru was an ancient Egyptian artist who worked in Elkab and Nekhen during the Second Intermediate Period, around 1650 BC. He is one of the few ancient Egyptian artists known both from several inscriptions and from surviving work, which makes it possible to follow him with some precision.
His name appears in the tomb of Horemkhauef, where he is given the titles “draughtsman” and “great one of the tens of Upper Egypt.” The first title points to his craft, and he most likely painted the decoration of that tomb. He is also mentioned in the tomb of the local governor Sobeknakht II, where he appears in the procession behind the owner's catafalque, again with both titles; he probably decorated this tomb too. Finally, his name occurs in the tomb of a man named Hormin, which he most likely decorated as well.
His importance lies in allowing us to attach a specific painter's name to funerary decoration, something rarely possible for this period. The sources do not allow a full reconstruction of his career, nor do they establish the date of his death.