Ancient Egypt

characteristics of ancient Egypt

funerary objects dominate, including large scale sculptures, stone architecture, tomb artifacts; all in service of the god-like pharaoh

strict Egyptian stylistic conventions are only applied to gods and pharaohs

• subjects of lesser status lack idealization

old kingdom

pharaoh was a god-like king ruling over its people

basic military systems (no professional armies, everyone fights)

basic education systems (illiterate)

basic economy, no middle class (most are poor)

pharaohs buried in pyramids

capital city of Memphis

new kingdom

pharaoh was a leader in both government and military, involved in religious practices

new weapons, very strong military

empire

strong economy and middle class

pharaoh buried in the Valley of Kings

capital city of Thebes

Palette of King Narmer (old kingdom)

• slate/sandstone

• use of registers (standard of ur)

• related to naram sin

• narrative of the unification of upper and lower egypt

  • has white crown of upper Egypt and red crown of lower Egypt

• earliest known depiction of Egyptian king

• ritual/votive object

• hierarchy of scale

• Narmer is idealized with lean and strong physique, vines and muscles accentuated

• palette used to prepare farmers eye makeup (commemorative)

stepped pyramid (old kingdom)

• pyramids are used to prevent grave-robbing of pharaohs

• moves towards the heavens (like ziggurats, but funerary)

• limestone

• patron: djoser (loser)

• 1st architect: Imhotep

• Egyptians believed that bodies needed to be mummified and protected for the afterlife

• Ka = soul, pyramid was a tomb for the Ka to rest

• Egyptians had been entombing people in high rank of mastabas, but Imhotep upgraded these mastabas into pyramids

• meant to protect King Djoser’s mummy and symbolize his god-like power

• pharaoh buried under the pyramid

seated scribe (old kingdom)

• painted limestone

• non royal official of lower rank

  • shown by the sagging chest and soft bulging belly (not idealized)

• shows that formality is relaxed and realism has increased when the human’s subject importance is low

• created for a tomb at saqqara as a provision for Ka (funerary)

• not a portrait of an actual person, scribes in general

• holds a papyrus in his lap, writing instrument now missing

• not idealized, low status

• used to write down stories of pharaohs life and guide them into the afterlife

great pyramids of giza (old kingdom)

• giant monuments for pharaohs Khafre, Menkaure, and Khufu (largest pyramid)

  • three smaller pyramids around Khufu’s wives and mastabas for nobles

• each pyramid has a mortuary complex adjoined to it

• pharaoh is buried in the pyramid rather than under it (stepped pyramid)

• openings inside the pyramid to allow souls of the pharaohs to escape

• each side of pyramid is oriented towards a point on the compass (like ziggurat, but funerary)

• bodies were sent down the Nile River for everyone to see, each pyramid has a formal pathway used for carrying the pharaoh’s body to the pyramid

great sphinx: (old kingdom)

• sphinx: animal with a human head (so also a lamassu)

• limestone

• might be a portrait of Khafre

• cats highly respected and admired in Egypt

• similar to images of a sun god

• appears to be protecting pyramids behind it (apotropaic)

• very general carvings, not as exact as some smaller sculptures

King Menkaure and his Queen (old kingdom)

• idealized (high status)

• found buried outside his period in Giza (not in situ)

• women could be goddess Hathor (delivers someone into the afterlife), his mother, or his wife

• greywacke

• relief from a block of stone, not freestanding

• queen has affectionate gesture, presenting her husband to the gods (pose showing marital status)

• queen is not nude, wearing some sort of a skirt (reveals her form yet shows modesty)

• menkaure has a greater stride than queen, showing willingness and confidence

temple of anun-re and hypostyle hall (new kingdom)

• sacred space, also has a common area for fellowship

• post and lintel construction

• columns with lotus flowers on top

• sandstone and mud brick

• axial plan: center entrance that can be followed all the way to the most sacred space

• hypostyle hall: large room with columns holding up the tall roof

• clerestory: bunch of higher up sky lights or windows you can’t look through to let in natural life

• columns have sunken relief: image is cut out from the background

• after hypostyle hall, there is a sanctuary for upper class and priesthood, then the statue of amun-re is found in the deepest, most sacred part of the sanctuary

mortuary temple of hatshepsut (new kingdom)

• hatshepsut is the first woman to hold power, to rule instead of 7 year old son

• not funerary (she wasn’t buried there), but was used to memorialize her (shows major difference between old and new kingdom)

• colonnade: columns holding up a terrace (to walk on, not a roof)

• sandstone

• coordinated with the natural setting of cliffs (blends with environment)

• statues of hatshepsut line the ramps up to the most sacred part of the temple

• most of statues and references of hatshepsut was destroyed by step-son

• post and lintel construction

kneeling statue of hatshepsut with offering jars

• feminine attributes minimized, male attributes accented, as males only had authority (broad shoulders, bare chested, false beard, kilt)

• red granite

• one of 200+ statues of her found at her mortuary temple

• statue of her making an offering to Amun-Re (sun god)

  • a pharaoh only kneels for a god

• she will not give up the throne until her death, keeps the title of pharaoh

• first known female ruler, statue smashed by step-son trying to erase her from history

amarna period (during new kingdom) 

1350-1370 (20 year duration)

revolution in art, culture, and society

pharaoh Amenhotep changes name to Akhenaton

traditional Egyptian religion replaced for monotheistic religion

the one god is Aton, symbolized by a sun disk

great temples emptied/priests abandoned

capital of amarna

Akhenaton claimed to be sole prophet of god/Aton

upon Akhenaten’s death priests reestablished the old Egyptian religion and culture

Akhenaton from the temple of Aton (amarna period, new kingdom)

• does not follow idealized norm of Egyptian kings (soft belly, feminine hips, arms and thighs, crown not as rigid)

  • androgynous features (both male and female)

• sandstone

• standard frontal pose of royal portraits

• most likely an intentional break with artistic style

• temple at Amun-Re at Karnak changed to temple of Akhenaton

• this sculpture replaced the sculpture of Amun-Re in the temple

• toppled and buried after his death, and priesthood restores original religion upon his death

Akhenaton, Nefertiti, and three daughters (amarna period, new kingdom)

• aton is sending ankhs (crosses with circles meaning eternal life)

  • god is giving life to both of them

• not idealized bodies, not showing royal authority

  • body portrayed in similar fashion to sculpture of Akhenaton

  • curved bodies, prominent bellies

• intimacy of family life

  • informal mood, odd for art portraying royals

• limestone

• sunken relief

• perhaps from a private shrine

• maintains Egyptian style of frontal torso with profile heads and lower body

Tutankhamun’s tomb, innermost coffin (new kingdom)

• becomes king at 9 after Akhenaton dies, but is dead at 19 and only served for 10 years

• priesthood of Egypt was restored under him (he was a young ruler = easy to manipulate

• sign of amarna period ending

• his is the only tomb that was found without being raided

• not a typical tomb, it was small 

• he died young, tomb was quickly put together as they didn’t expect him to die (not as developed as other tombs)

• many broken bones on his mummy, maybe a tragic accident that killed him

• made of pure gold and stones

• discovered by Howard Carter in 1992, died 3 months later

• coffin held mummified body of tut wearing a gold mask

• over 140 objects placed with his mummy

temple of Ramses II (new kingdom)

• preservation of art

  • a dam was built on the Nile (would have flooded the temple completely), so the UNESCO moved the whole mountain to preserve it in the 1960s

• sandstone

• four images of Ramses II at innermost part of the temple (sun shines directly there on two certain days)

  • most sacred part

• similar in function to Hatshepsut’s mortuary temple

• all the colossi (giant sculptures) at the front are of Ramses, smaller sculptures are of his family

last judgement of Hu-Nefer from his tomb

• narrative in function to show beliefs in how to get into the underworld

• Osiris, God of the underworld

• Hu-Nefer’s heart is put on a scale, but the feather weighs more than the heart, meaning that the heart is not heavy with guilt

• in the animal is a mixture of crocodiles, lions, and hippos that kill humans

  • hu-nefer will be devoured by a hippo

• painted papyrus school, book of the dead

• compared to standard of ur