Download Ancient Egypt Ancient Egypt

Chapter 3
Ancient Egypt
ANCIENT EGYPT AND EGYPTOLOGY
´
´
Stability and consistency in art for almost 3000 years!
« Due to predictably of the Nile overflowing its banks
annually, leaving black silt to fertilize fields
« This cycle symbolized the creation and renewal of life,
reflected in Egyptian myths.
myths (Kleiner,
(Kleiner p.
p 57)
The Rosetta Stone which provided the key to deciphering
hieroglyphics, was discovered in 1799 by Napoleon and a
troop of scholars
scholars. It had the same text in 3 sections: Greek,
Greek
demotic (Late Egyptian), and Hieroglyphics.
2
ANCIENT EGYPT
ƒThe Nile is a
north-flowing river
(due to elevation),
originating in Lake
Victoria and
ending in the
Mediterranean
Sea.
ƒThus, Upper
Egypt is the
upstream part of
th Nil
the
Nile.
3
ROSETTA STONE
What is the difference
between Cuneiform and
Hieroglyphics?
John-Francois Champollion
Ancient Egyptian writing was first adopted more than
5,000 years ago making it one of the earliest recorded
written languages. Champollion published the first
translation of the Rosetta Stone hieroglyphs in 1822
1822,
showing that the Egyptian writing system was a
combination of phonetic and ideographic signs. Its
secrets were lost to the modern world until the discovery
of the Rosetta Stone - a stone carved in three languages:
Egyptian, Demotic and Ancient Greek. The hieroglyphs
were translated by comparing them to the Ancient Greek
text and the mysteries of Egypt were finally revealed.
revealed
Hieroglyphic writing was in use from about 3200 BC until
the late 4th century AD and changed very little during this
period and is very well preserved.
THEME: RELIGION— TOMBS, TEMPLES,
TIMELESSNESS...
´
Predynastic: 3000-2500 BCE
«
«
´
Old Kingdom: 2575-2100 BCE
«
«
«
«
´
Rock Cut Tombs
New Kingdom: 1550
1550-1070
1070 BCE
«
«
´
Great Pyramids at Gizeh
Sphinx
Khafre
Scribe, Married Couple, Fowling Scene of Nabumun
Middle Kingdom: 2040-1640 BCE
«
´
Palette of Narmer
Stepped
St
d Pyramid
P
id att Saqqara
S
Mortuary Temples: Rameses and Hatshepsut
Pylon Temples: Karnak and Luxor
A
Amarna
St l
Style:
«
«
Akhenaton and Nefertiti
King Tut
EGYPTIAN ART
´
´
´
Egyptians left spectacular monuments , many of
them to glorify the kings whom they called
pharaohs
constructed
h
h and
d believed
b li d to
t be
b divine,
di i
t t d
and furnished magnificent tombs to serve as their
god-kings’
god
kings eternal home in the afterlife.
afterlife
Egyptians had gods for everything
« Pharaohs – ½ man and ½ god
« Priest/Scribe – noble family- communication to
the gods
gods, keep gods happy
In the Old Kingdom, they built pyramids and the
New Kingdom they built temples.
FUNCTION OF ART
To glorify the gods – including the pharaoh and
To facilitate human passage into the after-life
´ Due to general stability of Egyptian life and
culture – architecture, sculpture, and painting
was characterized by a high conservative
adherence to traditional rules or order and form
over creativity
´
CONTEXT
´
´
´
´
´
´
Geographic Isolation: civilization is defendable,
homogeneous cultures=continuous traditions
Economic
due
E
i Security:
S
it agricultural
i lt l base
b
d to
t inundation
i
d ti off
the Nile=prosperity, continuity
Deeply Held Religious Beliefs: Pharaoh son of god,
hierarchical society=stability/aversion to change
Hierarchical Society: Pharaoh to of “Pyramid”=collective
will/aversion
ill/
i to change
h
Geological Substructure: megalithic architecture,
permanence
Belief in the Afterlife: elaborate funereal traditions, objects
and tomb architecture
KA
´
´
EGYPT
Ancient Egyptians believed
that death occurs when a
person's ka leaves the body.
The ancient
Egyptians believed that
a human soul was made up
of five parts: the Ren, theBa,
the Ka, the Sheut, and
the Ib.
´
´
Old Kingdom – Lower Egypt
– Capital Memphis
Memphis, cc. 2500
BCE, Pyramids, Symbol:
Papyrus
New Kingdom – Upper Egypt
– Capital Thebes c. 1500
BCE, Temples, Symbol: Lotus
Cue Card
3.2 Palette of King Narmer
from Hierakonpolis, Egypt
ca. 3,000-2,920 B.C.E. , slate
approximately 25 in. high
Hierarchy of
Scale
Composite
View (or
Twisted
Perspective)
Formalized
version of an eye
makeup palette
PALETTE OF KING NARMER
Below the king's
king s feet is a third section
section,
depicting two naked, bearded men. – like
the prehistoric stick figures from the
cave paintings, Narmer, wearing the red
crown of Lower Egypt, beheaded bodies
Raised Relief Sculpture: commemorative
instead of funerary in nature, Predynastic
period – some of the earliest hieroglyphic
inscriptions and information about an
Egyptian art ever found, thought by some
to depict the unification of Upper and
gyp under the king
g Narmer.,. On
Lower Egypt
one side, the king is depicted with the red
crown of Lower Egypt (northern) Egypt.
Palettes were typically used for grinding
cosmetics but this palette is too large and
cosmetics,
heavy (and elaborate) to have been
created for personal use and was likely a
ritual or votive object, specifically made for
donation to, or use in, a temple. One
theory is that it was used to grind
cosmetics to adorn the statues of the gods.
Palettes were used to prepare eye make
up, which Egyptians used to protect their
eyes against the glare of the sun.
The large circle would have held the make
up but
b t nott in
i this
thi llarge one, th
the iintertwined
t t i d
necks of the animals would be a reference
to the unification of upper and lower Egypt.
ƒIntertwined necks refer to Egypt’s
unification
u cat o
ƒNarmer wears crown of lower Egypt,
reviews the beheaded bodies of
enemies
ƒAerial view of bodies as in Paleolithic
paintings
ƒBottom register: a bull, symbolizing the
king’s superhuman strength, knocks
down fortress of rebellious city (also
aerial view).
ƒTop register: 2 Hathors with a human
faces, divine mother of Pharaoh.
PALETTE OF KING NARMER (FRONT) HIERAKONPOLIS, EGYPT, PREDYNASTIC,
CA. 3000–2920 BCE. SLATE, 2’ 1” HIGH.
ƒEarliest preserved artwork
with name of ruler
ƒCrown of Upper Egypt
ƒComposite view figure as in
Mesopotamian and Persian art
ƒFalcon with arms is Horus,
protector of pharaohs
ƒDoes not depict a specific
event, but is a characterization
of the pharaoh.
PALETTE OF KING NARMER (BACK) HIERAKONPOLIS, EGYPT,
PREDYNASTIC, CA. 3000–2920 BCE. SLATE, 2’ 1” HIGH.
13
Cue Card
3-4 IMHOTEP,
Pyramid of Djoser
(step pyramid)
and plan
Mastaba (Arabic
for “bench”)
rectangular brick
or stone structure
with
ith sloping
l i
sides over a
burial chamber
Cardinal Points
of the compass
Imhotep: 1st recorded name of an artist
Oldest stone structure in the world, stepped pyramid, majority of monument
were dedicated to ensuring safety and happiness in the next life, mastabas
originally housed single burials
burials, later they became a complex for multiple
family burials. It was enlarged at least twice
The main feature, other than the burial chamber, there was a chapel which
had a false door through which the Ka could join the work
work, some had
serdab, small room housing a statue of the deceased.
Imhotep, master builder for King Djoser was the first recorded name of an
g , RE.
artist! After his death,, theyy deified him as the sun god,
About 200 feet high, stepped pyramid composed of a series of mastabas of
diminishing size, stacked one atop another to form a structure the
resembles the Mesopotamian ziggurats.
RESTORED VIEW (TOP) AND PLAN (BOTTOM) OF THE MORTUARY PRECINCT
OF DJOSER, SAQQARA, EGYPT, THIRD DYNASTY, CA. 2630–2611 BCE.
ƒPriests performed
daily rituals at the
temple in
celebration of the
divine pharaoh.
pharaoh
COLUMNAR ENTRANCE CORRIDOR TO THE MORTUARY PRECINCT OF DJOSER,
SAQQARA, EGYPT, THIRD DYNASTY, CA. 2630–2611 BCE.
Engaged columns
Sh ft
Shafts
3-6 Column entrance to Djoser
j
Capitals
p
3-7 Facade of the North Palace
large immense (37-acres) rectangular
enclosure surrounded by a wall of
limestone. - tightly regulated access.
OLD KINGDOM: THE PYRAMIDS AT GIZEH
´
´
´
75 years to build
Pyramid shape reflects cult of Re from Heliopolis, whose emblem was
ben-ben,, a py
pyramidal stone.
Symbols of the sun
«
«
´
´
´
´
Were covered in white limestone which reflected light
Temples are on the east side facing rising sun
² Priests made offerings to the god-king and stored clothing, food, and
ceremonial vessels.
Each face oriented to a cardinal point on a compass.
compass
Egyptian kings were reborn in the afterlife, as the sun is reborn each
day at dawn.
Mummification so that the Ka
Ka, or life force can inhabit the corpse and
live on.
Sphinx: lion with human (pharaoh’s) head, associated with sun god.
Composite form combines human intelligence with strength and
authority of king of beasts.
19
3-7 Great pyramids of Gizeh, Egypt
(Menkaura, Khafre, Khufu),
Great Pyramids Gizeh, Egypt
Pyramids of Menkaure,
Menkaure ca.
ca 3,0003 000
2,920 B.C.E.; Khafre, ca. 2520-2494
B.C.E.;
Khufu ca. 2551-2528 B.C.E. largest
g
(Khufu) approximately 450 ft. high
limestone
Cardinal points
of the compass
Cue Card
Great Pyramids, Gizeh, Egypt,
Fourth Dynasty
The pharaohs of the Old Kingdom
amassed great wealth and spent it on
grandiose architectural projects. The
Great
G t Pyramids
P
id off Gizeh,
Gi h the
th oldest
ld t off
the Seven Wonders of the ancient
world. The prerequisite to this elite
group
g
p was colossal size and
enormous cost. Took 75 years for 3
Pharaohs,
More refinement of the stepped
pyramid new tomb shape reflects the
pyramid,
influence of benben -the seat of the
powerful cult of Re, whose emblem
was a pyramidal stone, the ben-ben,
an emblem of the Egyptian god Re
The Great Pyramids are symbols of
the sun, The pyramids were where
Egyptian kings were reborn in the
afterlife, just as the sun is reborn each
day at the dawn.
21
Great Pyramids, Giza
Khufu
(Cheops)
Khafre
(Chefren)
Menkaure
(Mycerinus)
THE GREAT SPHINX
(LION W/ HUMAN HEAD)
´
´
´
´
´
´
How does this pose and posture
act as a guardian?
Sphinx was associated with
the sun god
god—appropriate
appropriate
image for a pharaoh
Composite creature suggests the combination
of human intelligence with
the immense strength of
the king of beasts.
Cue Card
3-11 Khafre sculpture
from Gizeh, Egypt
Bilaterally
Bilaterally
symmetrical
symmetrical
ca. 2,520-2,494
2 520 2 494 B
B.C.E.
CE
Diorite (hard stone)
approximately 66 in. high
ƒStatues placed in tombs are substitute
homes for the ka
ƒDiorite transported from 400 miles
down the Nile (Gudea imported to
Girsu)
ƒSubtractive method of carving
ƒThrone: 2 stylized lions, papyrus and
lotus intertwined symbolize united
E t
Egypt
ƒRoyal linen nemes headdress with
cobra of kingship
ƒideal proportions reflect divine nature
of pharaohs
ƒCompact, solid, serene – last for
eternity
ƒBilateral symmetry
KHAFRE ENTHRONED, FROM GIZEH,
EGYPT, FOURTH DYNASTY, CA. 2520–2494
BCE. DIORITE, 5’ 6” HIGH
26
Diorite – hard stone, 400 miles down the Nile,
p
y Khafre with a well-developed,
p
portrayed
flawless body, perfect face, regardless of real
age. It isn’t a true likeness or record individual
features but to proclaim the divine nature of
Egyptian kingship,
kingship Radiates serenity
serenity, was made
to last forever, intertwined lotus and papyrus
plants – symbolic of a the united Egypt
DIORITE
O
- PERMANENCE
C O
OF MATERIAL//
INTERTWINED LOTUS AND PAPYRUS/ OLD
KINGDOM KILT/ CANON OF IDEAL
PROPORTIONS/ “BLOCK-LIKE”
CHARACTERISTICS/ SUBTRACTIVE METHOD
OF CARVING
ƒ2nd type of formulaic Old Kingdom
statues: standing figures
ƒPlaced in valley temple of
Menkaure’s pyramid complex
ƒTimeless nature of stone statue
serves as substitute home for the ka
ƒHigh–relief sculpture, figures are
connected to stone block
ƒPosition of wife’s arms/ hands
indicate marital status
MENKAURE AND
KHAMERERNEBTY(?), FROM GIZEH,
EGYPT FOURTH DYNASTY
EGYPT,
CA. 2490–2472 BCE.
GRAYWACKE, 4’ 6” HIGH
Cue Card
28
Cue Card
Canon of proportions
Left leg longer
Statue could be classified as a high-relief sculpture
sculpture, rigidly frontal with arms hanging
straight down and close to a well-built body., the artist aim was not to portray living
figures but suggest timeless nature, eternal substitute home fro the ka, slight shift in
weight
Cue Card
How does this pose
portray the role and
status of a scribe?
3-13 Seated Scribe
from Saqqara, Egypt
ca. 2,450-2,350
2 450 2 350 B
B.C.E.
CE
painted limestone
approximately 21 in. high
Still and formal pose
b t use off increased
but
i
d
realism in subordinate
figures, painted
sculpture,
p
, depicted
p
with chest muscles
and protruding belly –
inappropriate for an
Egyptian god-king,
god king
ƒLess stylized, more of
a portrait: intelligent
and alert person
ƒAs a figure’s
p
importance
decreases,,
less formality and
more realism
ƒSigns
Signs of age and belly
inappropriate for
pharaoh, but may be
sign
g of comfortable life
SEATED SCRIBE FROM
SAQQARA, EGYPT, FOURTH
DYNASTY CA.
DYNASTY,
CA 2500 BCE
BCE.
PAINTED LIMESTONE, 1’ 9”
HIGH
31
EGYPTIAN MURAL PAINTING
´
´
´
´
y
p
Strict canon,, or system
of p
proportions
was used to
depict the human form
Grid on wall, p
placed human bodyy p
parts at specific
p
points on grid
Height of figure was a fixed number of squares, and
each body part had a predetermined size and place
within the scheme
Ti was a high Court official and wealthy landowner of
the early Fifth Dynasty.
32
3-14 Ti watching a hippopotamus
Cue Card
from Saqqara, Egypt, ca. 2,450-2,350
B.C.E., painted limestone relief
approximately
i t l 48 iin. hi
high
h
Frontal and profile view
Hierarchy
y of scale – very
y
exaggerated size to announce
his rank
•Decorate the walls of the mastaba
of Ti, depictions of agriculture and
hunting fill his tomb. This was
associated with the provisioning of
the ka in the hereafter,
hereafter It was also a
metaphor–success in the hunt was
triumph over the forces of evil.
•Egyptian funerary art because it
emphasizes
h i
th
the essential
ti l nature
t
off
the decease not their appearance.
Idealize and stiff image is typical,
•painters
painters and sculptors did not
sketch their
subjects form life but
Hierarchy of Scale
applied a strict canon, or system of
proportion to the human figure.
ƒSuccess in hunt metaphor for
triumph over evil
ƒGrooves
representt grove
off papyrus,
G
g
fan out at top into frightened birds and
stalking foxes
ƒHierarchal proportion
ƒCombined frontal and profile views
show essential nature of deceased
ƒTi does not do anything, he simply is,
apart from time, an observer of life,
like his ka
TI WATCHING HIPPOPOTAMUS HUNT,
PAINTED LIMESTONE RELIEF IN
MASTABA OF TI, SAQQARA, EGYPT, 5TH
DYNASTY, CA. 2450–2350 BCE 4’ HIGH
GOATS
GO
S TREADING
G SEED
S
AND C
CATTLE FORDING
O
G A CANAL,
C
, RELIEFS
S IN THE MASTABA
S
OF TI, SAQQARA, EGYPT, FIFTH DYNASTY, CA. 2450 – 2350 BCE. PAINTED LIMESTONE.
FORDING THE NILE IS A METAPHOR FOR DECEASED PASSAGE FROM LIFE TO HEREAFTER.
CANON OF PROPORTIONS
´
It is the canon law, to which Egyptian artist were
mandated to regularize dimensions and scale. A
guideline
Egyptian
g id li for
f Eg
ti artist
ti t to
t follow.
f ll
MIDDLE KINGDOM
´
´
´
Around 2150 BCE the Egyptians began challenging the
pharaoh's power; this civil unrest lasted more than a
century
In 2040 BCE, the pharaoh of upper Egypt, Mentuhotep
II, united the country again and established the middle
Kingdom
Senusret III was a successor of Mentuhotep II and
fought 4 campaigns in Nubia
Nubia, never fully achieving
secure control over them
37
ƒUnprecedented
realism
ƒPessimistic
P i i ti expression
i
reflects the cares of the
world and the mood of
the times
ƒThe soul of a king is
marked with anxiety
ffrom a ttroubled
bl d age
g
FRAGMENTARY HEAD OF
SENUSRET III
12TH DYNASTY
CA 1860 BCE
CA.
RED QUARTZITE, 6” HIGH
TOMB OF MEKETRE, REIGN OF AMENEMHET, CA. 1981–1975 BCE
PAINTED WOODEN MODEL OF THE DECEASED STEWARD OVERSEEING THE
COUNTING OF CATTLE AND MODEL GRANARY
MIDDLE KINGDOM ROCK
ROCK-CUT
CUT TOMBS
´
´
´
´
´
p
Replaced
mastabas as the standard tomb
Shallow porch with columns
Columned hall led into burial chamber with statues of
deceased in niches, with paintings and painted reliefs
on walls
Fluted columns are part of rock fabric and do not
support structure
Resemble later Doric Greek columns (who emulated
Egyptian architecture)
40
ROCK-CUT
ROCK
CUT
TOMBS BH
3-5, BENI
HASAN,,
EGYPT, 12TH
DYNASTY,
CA. 1950 –
1900 BCE
41
INTERIOR HALL OF THE ROCK-CUT TOMB OF AMENEMHET (TOMB BH 2), BENI
HASAN, EGYPT, 12TH DYNASTY, CA. 1950–1900 BCE
NEW KINGDOM:
GRAND MORTUARY TEMPLE OF HATSHEPSUT
´
´
Thebes is the new capital.
1st greatt female
f
l monarch:
h Hatshepsut
H t h
t (r.
( 1504 – 1482 BCE),
BCE)
principal wife (and half-sister) of Thutmosse II, had no sons, so
when he died the throne went to a son, Thutmosse II from a minor
wife and Hatshepsut was the regent queen.
queen
«
´
Her mortuary temple at Deir El-Bahri had three colonnaded
terraces connected by ramps.
«
´
Within a few years, Hatsheosut proclaimed herself pharaoh and
insisted her father had chosen her. She claimed to be the daughter of
Amen,, who assumed the form of her father in order to impregnate
p g
her
mother.
The horizontals and verticals and their pattern of light and shadows repeat the
rhythm of the limestone cliffs above.
The multi-level complex included shrines to Amen, Hathor, Anubis,
Hatshepsut, and her father.
3-19 Mortuary Temple of Queen Hatshepsut
Senmut Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut
Cue Card
Deir el-Bahri, Egypt
ca. 1,473-1,458 B.C.E.
Colonnades
Chamfered pillars
MORTUARY TEMPLE OF HATSHEPSUT (WITH THE MIDDLE KINGDOM MORTUARY
TEMPLE OF MENTUHOTEP II AT LEFT), DEIR EL-BAHRI, EGYPT, 18TH DYNASTY,
CA. 1473–1458 BCE
Queen Hatshepsut,
Hatshepsut one of the most remarkable women of the ancient world
world, temple
rises from 3 colonnaded terraces connected by ramps on the central axis, there were
statues and reliefs glorifying her reign in the vast complex. This constitutes the first
great tribute to a woman’s achievement.
Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, Deir-el-Bahari
How do the surroundings contrast
and enhance the architecture?
ƒDocuments Hatshepsut
Hatshepsut’ss expedition to Punt in the south,
south famous for gold,
gold
myrrh, and other exotic resources.
ƒThe king and queen of Punt are on the right, scholars debate if this is an
accurate portrayal off the queen, or iff it is exaggerated to emphasize her
foreignness.
KING AND Q
QUEEN OF PUNT AND ATTENDANTS,, RELIEF FROM THE MORTUARY
TEMPLE OF HATSHEPSUT, DEIR EL-BAHRI, EGYPT, 18TH DYNASTY
CA. 1473–1458 BCE. PAINTED LIMESTONE, 1’ 3” HIGH
HATSHEPSUT WITH OFFERING JARS, FROM THE UPPER COURT OF HER
MORTUARY TEMPLE, DEIR EL-BAHRI, EGYPT, 18TH DYNASTY
CA. 1473–1458 BCE , RED GRANITE,, 8’ 6” HIGH
ƒAfter Hatshepsut died, Thutmosse III, ordered
most of her portraits destroyed.
ƒAs many as 200 statues of her in the round were
carved for her temple complex.
ƒShe
She uniformly was depicted wearing the mal
pharaoh headdress, kilt, and at times the
ceremonial beard.
ƒƒ.At
At least eight colossal kneeling statues in red
granite line the entrance of the Amen-Re
sanctuary.
ƒThis is anatomically male, the male imagery is
consistent with the queen formal assumption of
the title of king there are other surviving portraits
where she has breast.
breast Other sculptures depicted
her as a woman
48
"THE PERFECT GODDESS, LADY OF
THE TWO LANDS (UPPER AND
LOWER EGYPT)"
AND
"BODILY
BODILY DAUGHTER OF RE (THE
SUN GOD).”
JOINT REIGN OF HATSHEPSUT AND
THUTMOSE III
CA. 1473–1458 BCE
THEBES, EGYPT
LIMESTONE PAINT
LIMESTONE,
TEMPLE OF RAMSES II
II, ABU SIMBEL
´
´
´
´
´
Ruled from 1290 – 1224 BCE: 2/3 of a century!
Four
65 foot
tallll seated
Ramses II on temple
F
f
d portraits
i off R
l
façade
Quality is sacrificed for quantity/ overwhelming size
In 1968 engineers moved the temple 700 feet to save it
from the waters of the Aswan high dam reservoir.
Ramses II sought deliberately to deface the Amarna
monuments and change the nature of Egyptian religious
structure in order to bring it back to where it had been prior
to the reign of Akhenaten.
50
Cue Card
F
Façade
d
Atlantids
3-23 Temple of Ramses II Abu Simbel, Egypt
ca. 1290-1224 B.C.E., colossi approximately 65 ft. high
TEMPLE OF RAMSES II, ABU SIMBEL, EGYPT, 19TH DYNASTY, CA.
1290–1224 BCE. SANDSTONE, COLOSSI 65’ HIGH
•Ramses II, 66 year
rule, 90 kids, died
when
h he
h was 90
• longest reign during
a , peaceful time
• The
ep
pharaoh,
a ao , p
proud
oud
of his empire,
proclaimed his
greatness by placing
four colossal images
of himself on the
temple façade.
•65 feet tall, even
though they are
seated
INTERIOR OF THE TEMPLE OF
RAMSES II, ABU SIMBEL
EGYPT 19TH DYNASTY
EGYPT,
CA. 1290–1224 BCE
SANDSTONE
PILLAR STATUES 32’ HIGH
ƒ32’ tall pillars of Ramses II in
the guise of Osiris
ƒNo load bearing function,
similar to Beni Hasan
ƒBuilt a grand temple for his
principal wife, Nefertari
ƒConstructed a huge
underground tomb complex at
the Valley of the Kings at
Th b ffor hi
Thebes
his sons
53
TEMPLE FOR ISIS BUILT IN THE
REIGN OF NECTANEBO I DURING
380-362 BCE
PHILAE AN ISLAND IN LAKE
PHILAE,
NASSER, EGYPT
PYLONS:
MONUMENTAL GATEWAY
CONSISTING OF TWO TAPERING
TOWERS, EACH TOPPED BY A
CORNICE (LEDGE/CROWN) JOINED
BY A LESS ELEVATED SECTION
WHICH ENCLOSED THE ENTRANCE.
MIRRORED THE
HIEROGLYPH FOR 'HORIZON' OR
AKHET WHICH WAS A
AKHET,
DEPICTION OF TWO HILLS
"BETWEEN WHICH THE SUN
ROSE AND SET.”
CONTINUITY OF ANCIENT EGYPTIAN ART
´
Despite some
alterations and
short
h t deviations
d i ti
(Amarna) from
their artistic
tradition, why did
Egyptians
maintain such
continuity in
their art for
almost
l
t 3000
years?
Detail of temple of Horus, Edfu, Egypt
ca. 237 – 47 BCE
KING REPRESENTED IN THE TEMPLE
Atlantid: a male figure that
functions as a supporting column
Caryatid: female figure
FIGURES OUTSIDE
OF THE TEMPLE
FIGURES INSIDE OF THE TEMPLE
(ATLANTIDS) AND SUNKEN
RELIEFS
Cue Card
Temple of Amen-Re
Karnak,
Karnak Egypt
ca. 15th century B.C.E.
•A pylon temple with a bilaterally
symmetrical
t i l axial
i l plan
l
•only the pharaohs and priest could enter
the sanctuary
CLERESTORY
Cue Card
3-27 Model of hypostyle
hall, temple of Amen-Re
3-26 Hypostyle hall, temple of
Amen-Re Karnak, Egypt,
ca. 1290-1224 B.C.E.
•Pylon temple- wide entrance gateway of
an Egyptian temple, characterized by its
l i walls,
ll a chosen
h
ffew were admitted
d itt d
sloping
to the great columnar hypostyle hall (hall
with a roof resting on columns),
D
•the column were supported
pp
by
y stone slabs
carried on lintels, 75 feet high, 22 feet in
diameter.
•Clerestory allowed light to enter the
interior this played a key role in
interior,
architecture!
Hypostyle hall Temple of Amen-Re
Karnak,
Karnak Egypt,
Egypt Dynasty XIX
ca. 1290-1224 B.C.E.
Sunken relief, advantage of preserving the contours of the columns they adorn,
architects’ intentions to emphasize the columns as image and message-bearing
surfaces
Block statues were popular
during New Kingdom, sculptors
expressed the idea that the ka
could find an eternal home in the
cubic stone image of the
d
deceased
d
Pharaoh’s daughter “in his lap
and envelopes the girl in his
cloak”
3
27 S
ith P
i
N
f
3-27
Semnutt with
Princess
Nefrua
from Thebes, Egypt
ca. 1470-1460 B.C.E.
granite
36 1/2 in. high
PAINTING OF THE NEW KINGDOM
´
´
´
Tomb of Nebamun, scribe and counter of grain
Fresco
Secco:
plaster
painting,
permitted
work,
F
S
l t dries
d i before
b f
i ti
itt d slower
l
k
but not as permanent as buon (true) fresco.
Successful hunts were metaphors for triumphing over death.
«
´
Hunting scenes reference Horus, the son of Osiris, hunting down his
father’s murderer, Seth.
Old Kingdom stiff rules of representation are relaxed with more
i f
informal
l poses.
² Compare Nebamun’s dynamic pose with static pose of Ti.
´
Music and dance were sacred to Hathor, who aided the dead in
th i passage to
their
t the
th afterlife.
ft lif
Static
pose
Fresco secco
(dry fresco) – let
the plaster dry
before painting on
it.
3-28 Fowling scene
•Some of the best
preserved mural
paintings of the New
Kingdom come from the
Theban tomb of
Nebamun
• enjoying recreation in
his eternal afterlife
afterlife,
(standing in a his boat,
flushing birds)
from the tomb of Nebamun, Thebes, Egypt
ca. 1,400-1,350 B.C.E., 32 in. high
Cue Card
EGYPTIAN PAINTING
´
´
´
´
´
concept of the afterlife
figures in proportion to
rank
function of the boat in
Egyptian
gyp
life
naturalistic depiction of
birds
dry fresco technique/
flat, linear style
NEW KINGDOM
OLD KINGDOM
COMPARING PAINTINGS
ƒFamily’s ceremonial meal at tomb after Nebamun’s death
ƒCommemorative banquet each year when living communed with dead
FUNERARY BANQUET FROM THE TOMB OF NEBAMUN, THEBES, EGYPT
18TH DYNASTY, CA. 1400-1350 BCE, FRESCO SECCO, 2’ 11” X 3’ 11”
AKHENATON
AND THE AMARNA PERIOD
In 14th century BCE, Akhenaton was in control
´ He abandoned the worship of most the Egyptian
gods in favor of Aton, the sun disk, whom the
pharaoh declared to be the universal and only god.
god
´ He emptied the great temples, enraged priests,
and moved this capital
p
downriver to Amarna.
´ The pharaoh claimed to be both the son and sole
prophet of Aton.
´ Akhenaton's god was neither animal or human
form but simple a sun disk emitting life=giving
rays.
´
AKHENATON AND THE AMARNA PERIOD
´
´
´
´
Amenhotep IV/ Akhenaton (r. 1353 – 1335 BCE)
abandoned the worship of Egyptian gods to worship one
god, Aton, associated with the sun disk.
Moved his capital downriver from Thebes to Armana.
Relaxed Old Kingdom artistic rules in favor of naturalism
and curvilinear forms.
Might have had Marfan syndrome or perhaps artists
were ordered to depict him as androgynous since his
ggod,, Aton,, was ggenderless.
69
Cue Card
•Akhenaton
Akh
t cultlt off Aton,
At
curvilinear lines and increased
3-30 Akhenaton sculpture
from the temple of Amen-Re,
Karnak, Egypt, ca. 1,3531,335 B.C.E., Sandstone,
approximately 13 ft. high
naturalistic rendering/ image
gy
“spiritual
p
of androgynous
beauty,” the Amarna style,
misshapen body, weak arms,
narrow waist , protruding
belly wide hips
belly,
hips, and fatty
thighs, new androgynous
image of the pharaoh as the
manifestation of Aton, the
sexless sun disk
•Moving from a polytheistic
society (many gods) to a
monotheistic society (one
god)
THUTMOSE (ARTIST) NEFERTITI,
FROM AMARNA EGYPT, 18TH DYNASTY
CA 1353–1335
CA.
1353 1335 BCE,
BCE PAINTED
LIMESTONE, APPROX. 1’ 8” HIGH
ƒExpression
E
i off entranced
t
d musing?
i ?
ƒFound unfinished in Armana
workshop of the artist, Thutmose;
could have been used as a model.
model
ƒIn decorations at Aton temple at
Karnak, she equals her husband in
size and sometimes wears
pharaonic headgear.
ƒNefertiti (names means “beautiful
one has come
come”)), sculptor Thutmose
Thutmose,
unfinished work, spiritual beauty
71
TIYE, FROM GHURAB, EGYPT, 18TH DYNASTY,
CA. 1353–1335 BCE. WOOD, WITH GOLD, SILVER,
ALABASTER, AND LAPIS LAZULI, 4” HIGH
Queen Tiye, mother of
ƒQueen
Akhenaton, old age with lines
and furrows, new relaxation of
artistic rules in the Amarna age.
ƒSculptor remodeled head by
adding a wig of plaster and
linen with blue beads, probably
to rid it of references to old
deities.
ƒLetters survive advising young
Akhenaton to seek his mother’s
council in foreign affairs.
72
AKHENATON, NEFERTITI,
AKHENATON
NEFERTITI AND THREE DAUGHTERS
FROM AMARNA, EGYPT 18TH DYNASTY
CA. 1353–1335 BCE. LIMESTONE, 1’ HIGH
A colossal statue of Amenhotep
III and Queen Tiye with Princess
H
Henuttaneb
tt
b in
i th
the C
Cairo
i Museum
M
Sunken relief stele, rare
look
oo at this
t s royal
oya family,
a y,
undulating curves have
replaced rigid lines,
figures pose with
prominent beliefs that
characterize this period,
the family bask in the
lif i i rays off At
life-giving
Aton,
the sun disk, Akhenaton
lifts up one daughter to
kiss while the other sits
on the lap, this family
portray is
unprecedented in
Egyptian art
UNDULATING LINES
CURVILINEAR
3-33 Akhenaton, Nefertiti, and three daughters
Amarna, Egypt, ca 1353-1335 BCE, Limestone 1’ ¼” high
Cue Card
KING TUTANKHAMEN
´
´
´
´
´
Son of Akhenaton and a “minor” wife (one of his sisters)
g name to Tutankhamen,, “livingg image
g of Aten to
Tutankhaten changed
Amen.”
Left Amarna and relocated to a new capital in Thebes; probably
suggested
gg
byy his Vizier,, Ayy and Horemheb,, the top
p militaryy commander
to show the Egyptians that the ruler had returned to belief in the old
gods.
He died suddenlyy at the age
g of 18/19
/ after rulingg for ten yyears ((r. 1333
– 1323 BCE) while Egypt was at war with the Hittites. Some historians
believe it was murder . . . or infection from a broken leg.
In 1922 Howard Carter,, a British archeologist,
g , discovered his tomb
largely intact.
Tutankhamen—
King Tut 1323 BCE
HOWARD CARTER (FUNDED BY
LORD CARNARVAN)
The most famous figure of Post-Amarna period is Tutankhamen, who
was the son of Akhenaton.
Akhenaton He became king at 10 and died at 18
18. He
was a minor figure in Egyptian rule but his fabulously rich treasure has
made him famous.
Cue Card
ƒA quarter ton of
beaten gold was used
ffor th
the iinnermostt off
three tombs
nested inside each
other
DEATH MASK
1’ 9” HIGH
& INNERMOST TOMB
6’ 1” LONG
OF TUTANKHAMEN
IN HIS TOMB AT
THEBES, EGYPT,
18TH DYNASTY
CA. 1323 BCE
GOLD WITH INLAY OF
SEMIPRECIOUS
STONES
77
PAINTED CHEST, FROM THE TOMB OF TUTANKHAMEN, THEBES, EGYPT, 18TH
DYNASTY, CA. 1333–1323 BCE. WOOD, 1’ 8” LONG
ABSENCE OF GROUND LINE IMPLIES CHAOS AND DEATH.
TUTANKHAMUN'S PECTORALS
ƒDorsal
Dorsal ornament hung down back,
back
acted as a counter weight and a
fastening.
ƒGold, silver, semi-precious
stones and cloisonné
ƒScarab in center made
from chalcedony.
ƒAttached to it are the
wings and tail of a vulture
(Nekhebet) inlayed with
colored glass. The legs of
the bird are grasping
the shen hieroglyph, the
symbol of eternity.
ƒAlso holding a bunch of
lotus flowers (right) and a
lily (left), symbols of Upper
(Southern) Egypt.
3-35 Death mask of
Tutankhamen
3-37
BOOK OF THE DEAD