Early Civilizations: Ancient Egypt

most notable Predynastic vessels, material

made out of marble or diorite which reveal great technical accomplishment in drilling, carving and polishing hard stone, even though the only metal tools available were of copper

painted pottery however declined before teh end of the fourth millenium

what is usally buried with the dead

Small figures of men and women were modelled in clay, usually represent servants and indicate the early growth of belief in an immortality which increased the pleasures of mortal life and which, in its developed form, promised a happy eternity to every good man

what belief inspires majority of Egyptian art

belief in an immortality which prolonged indefinitely the pleasures of mortal life and which, in its developed form, promised a happy eternity to every good man

importance of height in paintings

shows importance

symbolism of hawk

symbol fo the sky god Horus, also god of upper Egypt

symbol of lower egypt

six heads of papyrus and red cobra crown

symbol of upper egypt

the white crown

pictoral symbols

a graphic image that communicates meaning through a direct visual resemblance to a physical object, action, or idea

main focus of ancient egyptian art to capture

usually symbolic since they were less concerned with recording man's temporal affairs in a transitory world than with the eternal present

The stele from the tomb of Djet the 'Serpent King,

It consists of a crisply carved falcon for the god Horus, incarnated in the person of the king, a serpent as the king's name-sign and the façade of a building, presumably his royal palace

Hieroglyphs

hieroglyphs continued to be used for inscriptions in tombs, after curisve script became more suitable for writing on papyrus.

curisivewas developed from hieroglyphs only after the mid-third millennium.

Hieroglaphs continued to be used on monuments and in temples until ancient Egyptian religion was itself suppressed in the fourth century AD.

chaarcteristic sin ancient egypt art

Self-sufficiency and consistency, conservatism and strong desire for permanence and continuity, an inflexibility to change,

Plato remarked that there had been no change in Egyptian art for 10,000 years.

pharaoahs represent what in art

The pharaohs were regarded as gods and not, like the rulers of Sumer, merely the stewards or representatives of the gods.

immortaility of pharaohs

Yet the immortality which they, and also their faithful subjects, could attain was dependent on the preservation of their mummified mortal remains.

The Ka

the 1st emanation of the spirit:

part of the life-force of the universe, accompanied the body in life and death, though its full potentialities could be realized only after death.

the akh

the 2nd emanation of the spirit:

was the 'effective personality of a man and also the soul, which left the body at death to dwell in the heavens.

the Ba

the 3rd emanation of the spirit:

more like a ghost which could move back and forth from the dead body.

the importance of art for teh after life

Their visual arts were largely dedicated to providing suitable dwellings for these spiritual emanations - statues were perpetual bodies for the Ka, or some portion of it, to inhabit for ever; reliefs depicting the pleasures of this life ensured their prolongation in the next, those depicting historical events guaranteed the everlasting power of Egypt; even the portrayal of religious rites was intended to ensure the eternal well-being of the gods.

differences in burial in egypt

Egypt. In the delta the dead were interred in the villages, sometimes beneath its houses, whereas in the south they were buried in graves dug in the desert (where the dry sand preserved their bodies) and provided with food, drink, clothing, weapons and implements.

After Narmer's conquest of Lower Egypt, uniting the realms, the idea of building a house for the dead developed in the south.

the use of stone in architecture

used throughout the complex as a substitute for less durable materials:

mastaba

a low rectangular structure of bench-like form,

use of stone in architecture

were used to support flimsy primitive shelters, usually as half collumns or stone columns

illusionistic art

provides a deceptive image of the real thing,

illusionistic art in egypt

in the underground chambers, there are false doors with blue-green tiles imitating rolled-up reed matting of the kind used to the present day for curtains in North Africa

the opposite of illusionistc since, for them the precinct of King Zoser was the real thing, the royal palace it imitated the ephemeral earthly substitute, subject to the laws of change and decay.

pyramid shape and teh sun

The pyramid also recalls the effect made by the sun shining down on the earth through a gap in the clouds - and it was on the rays of the sun that the dead king was said to mount to heaven.

purpose fo pyramids

to ensure the eternal welfare of the king

ideograms

Ideograms are conventional representations of objects signifying nouns and associated verbs such as sun, light, to rise, to shine; found in hieroglyphs

phenograms

indicate teh sound of consonants, found in hieroglyphs

importance of pyramid texts

were believed to be more effective in securing the well being of the dead than the relief carvings of servants and animals and piles of food on the walls of oute chambers of tombs and mortuary the incantations recited in funeral ceremonies.

the pyramids of teh old kingdom

they have proved the most enduring of man's large-scale monuments, they ironically failed in their main purpose of preserving the mummies, statues and furnishings of the dead who were buried beneath them. All were broken into and robbed.

apart form teh mummy the other most improtant object in a tomb

a statue of the deceased, his other self, in which his Ka or part of it might dwell.

By the beginning of the fourth dynasty, sculptors were carving such statues with a realism wholly unprecedented in the arts of the world. it was simply the means of embodying the human spirit in stone or wood.

egyptina statues

All ancient Egyptian statues were painted or partly painted.Statues were invariably carved and placed to be seen only from a frontal viewpoint. The range of postures was strictly limited. Figures either stand with the left leg slightly advanced or sit bolt upright - kings and queens on thrones, such court officials as scribes and physicians squatting cross-legged.

position of statues

The placing of the legs, with the one furthest from the spectator (usually the left) extended forward, was a means of displaying the sex,

(The figure is to be read as moving not to the right or the left, but out of the wall towards the spectator.)

they were very precise with meausreing teh body and puuting it in a sculpture, using a grid

function of tomb paintings and low-relief carvings

to furnish the deceased's 'eternal castle' with eternally durable effects and also to establish the status he had attained in life (fully spelt out in the inscriptions) and hoped to enjoy still more intensely in the hereafter.

middle kingdom differences in paintings and scultuires

paintings

color was now used more freely and subtly,: Shading and other naturalistic effects were attempted

The range of subject-matter was also expanded. Historical events were depicted, andsubsidiary figures were given more attention.

scultptures:

a new and more relaxed feeling for life can sometimes be sensed. A hint of a smile, very rare in ancient Egyptian art,

sunk relief technique

Outlines are incised in the stone and the figures cut back behind the surface so that they seem to be sunk into the block

relief carvings

sculptures carved into or projecting from a flat background surface, commonly used to decorate the walls of temples, tombs, and monuments

Raised relief

The background is carved away so that the figures project outward from the wall. This allowed artisans to add fine textures and details to the characters. [1, 2, 3]

Hatshepsut

Initially appointed as regent for her young stepson, Thutmose III, she boldly broke with tradition by declaring herself pharaoh and adopting male royal regalia, including the traditional false beard. Her prosperous 20-year reign was characterized by peace, economic growth, and the expansion of trade—most notably a legendary expedition to the Land of Punt that brought back vast wealth. She left a lasting legacy through monumental architecture, including her breathtaking mortuary temple at Deir el-Bahari. Although later rulers attempted to erase her name from history by defacing her monuments, modern archaeology has restored her status as a trailblazing and highly effective leader.

the egyptian pose in carvings

Figures combine profile and frontal views at the same time, showing the torso facing forward while the head, legs, and feet face sideways. [1]

purpose of carcings

• Religious devotion: Carvings depicted gods, sacred animals, and rituals to honor deities.

• Political power: Rulers used them to record military victories and display their divine authority.

• The Afterlife: Tombs featured scenes of daily life, agricultural work, and food offerings to sustain the deceased spirit in the next world

color symbolsims black

• Black (Kem): Symbolized life, rebirth, and fertility. This association came from the rich, black silt left behind by the Nile's annual flooding, which allowed crops to grow. It was also the color of Anubis, the god of mummification and resurrection.

color symbolsims green

• Green (Wadj): Symbolized growth, health, and new life. It was closely tied to vegetation and agriculture. Osiris, the god of the afterlife and rebirth, is frequently shown with green skin.

color symbolsims red

• Red (Desher): Symbolized chaos, danger, and fire, but also power and vitality. It was the color of Set, the god of storms, and the barren "red land" of the desert. Men were traditionally painted with reddish-brown skin to reflect their time spent outdoors working or fighting.

color symbolsims white

• White (Hedj): Symbolized purity, sacredness, and cleanliness. It was the color used for sacred tools, temple floors, and the linen clothing worn by priests and embalmers.

color symbolsims yellow

• Yellow/Gold (Khenet/Nebu): Symbolized eternity and the divine. The Egyptians believed that the flesh of the gods was made of actual gold, and that yellow represented the eternal, indestructible sun. Women were traditionally painted with light yellow or pale ochre skin to indicate they primarily stayed indoors.

color symbolsims blue

• Blue (Irtyu): Symbolized the heavens, the primeval water, and creation. It was the color of the sky and the life-giving Nile, often used to depict the hair and crowns of gods like Amon.