One sees a kind of procession of Egyptian priests, whose heads are shaven and crowned with leaves; they wear the dress of the land. Some carry cymbal… - Nicolas Poussin

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One sees a kind of procession of Egyptian priests, whose heads are shaven and crowned with leaves; they wear the dress of the land. Some carry cymbals, flutes and trumpets, others bear sticks adorned with carved hawk's heads. Some stand under a portico, others take their way to the Temple of Serapis. These last bring hither a casket, holding the god's bones. Behind a priestess, clothed in yellow, is seen a kind of building, made for the bird ibis, represented on its walls. In this picture is a tower whose top is concave, and there is also a vase to receive dew. This scene is not a caprice of the imagination. All has been taken from that famous Temple of Fortuna at Palestrina, whose pavement, composed of beautiful mosaics, depicts in a true and good manner the history of Egypt and Ethiopia. I have put all these things into my picture, in order by their novelty and variety to please you, and also to show that the Virgin is really in Egypt.