Egyptian Art

What are the main stylistic characteristics of Ancient Egyptian art?

• Composite view of the body - Hierarchical scale (size shows importance)

• Use of registers to organize scenes

• Emphasis on clarity and symbolic meaning over realism

• symbolic use of colors

• hierarchical scale

• continuous narrative

What is composite view in Egyptian art?

• Head, arms, and legs in profile - Eyes and torso shown frontally - Used for clarity and symbolic completeness

What is hierarchical scale in Egyptian art?

• Size of figures reflects importance - Pharaohs and gods are larger than other figures

What is a continuous narrative in Egyptian art?

• Multiple moments of a story shown in a single image - The same figure appears more than once - Common in funerary texts like the Book of the Dead

What is the role of color in Egyptian art?

• Red: power, victory - Green: life, renewal - Blue: sacredness, the Nile - Yellow: royalty, eternity - White: purity, holiness - Black: death and resurrection

What are registers in Egyptian art?

• Horizontal bands used to separate and organize scenes

• Common in painted and carved compositions

• Found in artworks like the Palette of Narmer

What is the significance of the Palette of Narmer?

• Oldest example of canonical Egyptian style (~3200–3000 BCE)

• Shows unification of Upper and Lower Egypt

• Uses composite view, hierarchical scale, and registers

What is the importance of the Nebamun tomb paintings?

• Depict scenes of hunting, feasting, and leisure

• Show composite view and idealized afterlife

• Reinforce themes of abundance and eternity

What makes the Seated Scribe sculpture unique?

• Naturalistic and lifelike features

• Painted limestone with inlaid eyes

• Non-royal figure shown with realism and intelligence

What does the statue of Menkaura and Queen represent?

• Idealized youth and symmetry

• Rigid frontality and divine strength

• Example of royal sculpture from Old Kingdom

What is the Great Pyramid of Giza?

• Tomb of Pharaoh Khufu, built ~2560 BCE

• Largest pyramid and last ancient wonder still standing

• Symbol of resurrection and eternal life

What is the role of sculpture in Egyptian art?

• Served religious and funerary functions

• Idealized forms for royalty, realistic for some non-royals

• Created in stone, wood, and metal, often painted

What are Ushabti figures?

• Small funerary statues placed in tombs

• Represent servants for the deceased in the afterlife

• Often inscribed with spells from the Book of the Dead

What is sunk relief in Egyptian sculpture?

• Carving is below the surface of the material

• Popular in temple walls and outdoor spaces

• Preserves detail in harsh lighting

What are the characteristics of Middle Kingdom art?

• Realism and emotional expression in sculpture

• Greater attention to individual features

• Increased importance of middle-class subjects

What are the characteristics of New Kingdom art?

• Wealth and monumentality

• Continued use of idealized forms and composite view

• Expansion of temple building (e.g. Abu Simbel)

• Rich tomb art and treasures (e.g. Tutankhamun)

What are the characteristics of the Amarna Period?

• Naturalistic, fluid style

• Overlapping, animated figures

• Expressive family scenes

• Religious shift to worship of Aten (sun disc)

How did Egyptian pyramids evolve?

• Started with flat-roofed mastabas

• Developed into step pyramids (e.g. Djoser’s Pyramid)

• Evolved into true pyramids with smooth sides (e.g. Great Pyramid of Giza)

• Later replaced by rock-cut tombs in the Valley of the Kings