Ancient EgyptInstructor: Mrs. Christine Ege

Introduction to Art – DAD Department

18th March 2015

Egypt and the Nile• The Nile is one of the largest rivers in the world

• The Nile runs from the blue mountains of Northern Ethiopia to the Mediterranean Sea

• It is divided into Upper and Lower Egypt • Upper Egypt = Northern Ethiopia, The

Sudan, and Sothern Egypt• Lower Egypt = Northern Egypt

• Every year the Nile floods and helps the land surrounding it become fertile

• Because of this people began settling along the Nile thousands of years ago

• Egypt is home to one of the longest lasting civilizations and is an important part of developing the modern world

Early Dynastic Periods(ca. 2950 – 2575 BCE)

People, Boats, and Animals (detailed reconstruction)Artist Unknown (Hierakonpolis, Egypt, Predynastic, ca. 3500 – 3200 BCE)Paint on PlasterEntire painting 16’ 4” x 3’ 7 1/8”Egyptian Museum, Cairo, Egypthttp://www.lacourart.com/ArtHistorySurvey/03-egypt/01-predyn/00-predyn-early-dyn-01.html

Pre-Dynastic Art• During the Pre-Dynastic periods

Egyptians created works that closely resemble those created in Mesopotamia, Anatolia, and Persia

• One of the main forms of art found from the Pre-Dynastic eras is wall painting

• The wall paintings found in the tombs of Hierakonpolis depict funerary scenes

• People march in lines to give offerings to the dead

• They are surrounded by boats (which were important to cary the Egyptian dead to the after life)

• Connects is style with wall paintings found in Çatal Höyük

The Palette of King Narmer (left, back; right, front)Artist Unknown (Hierakonpolis, Egypt, Predynastic, ca. 3000 – 2920 BCE)Slate2’ 1” highEgyptian Museum, Cairo, Egypthttp://www.ancient-egypt.org/history/early-dynastic-period/1st-dynasty/horus-narmer/narmer-artefacts/narmer-palette.html

The Palette of King Narmer• It is one of the world oldest complete

artworks

• Shows the Unification (coming together) of Upper and Lower Egypt

• Although the Unification took a long time the Palette shows it happening in one great event

• You can see King Narmer on the back (left)

• He is wearing the ceremonial hat of Upper Egypt

• He is surrounded by images which were important to both Upper and Lower Egypt

• This palette is an “elaborate, formalized version of a utilitarian object commonly used in the Predynastic period to prepare eye makeup”

The Step Pyramid of DjoserImhotep (Saqqara, Egypt, Third Dynasty, ca. 2630 – 2611 BCE)Mud Brick

New burial practices• Considered to be the first true pyramid

• Created for the Pharaoh Djoser in the Third Dynasty

• Djoser was looking for something different

• Imhotep• The worlds first true architect• He applies architecture, engineering, and

aesthetics to create monumental buildings

• The pyramid he came up with seems to be a series of Mastabas (of differing sizes) placed on top of one another

• The sides are placed along important cardinal points are were important in maintaining the religious purposes of the burial complex

Changing from Mastabas to Pyramids• Mastabas were used as burial

sites in Egypt before pyramid building became popular

• In their construction and style Mastabas are more closely related to the Mesopotamian Ziggarut than to the Pyramids we are used to

• Egyptian builders first created pyramids by adding Mastabas on to of Mastabas

• They created stepped structures which were taller than the normal Mastabas, but were weaker in construction than pyramids

• This system was later refined and developed by architects like Imhotep

Hieroglyphics• The most known form of ancient

writing system

• Developed over time

• Each dynastic period developed hieroglyphics in their own style, therefore over the 3000 year history of ancient Egypt many forms of hieroglyphics were used

• Both phonetic and symbolic• There were symbols that were only

associated with the sounds it takes to make words

• There were symbols that were only associated with whole words or phrases

• These two forms were mixed together to make a highly complicated writing system that was used for everything from religion, to politics, economics, and even daily life

The Old Kingdom(ca. 2575 – 2150 BCE)

The Great PyramidGizeh, Egypt, Fourth Dynasty

The Great Pyramids of Giza• Considered the greatest of all

ancient Egyptian constructions

• There are three main pyramids + smaller ones created for royal family members

• They were created over 75 years

• Created for the Pharaohs Khufu, Khafre, and Menkaure

• Although we see this as the final stage of the evolution of the Mastaba, there are other things which can describe the use of the Pyramid

• At the time the Pharaohs worshiped Ra (the sun god) and one of his main symbols what that of a pyramid

• Many Egyptologists believe that the choice of a pyramid shape was to connect the Pharaoh with Ra

Inside the Great Pyramid• One thing that always needs to be

considered is that the Great Pyramids are burial chambers

• Underneath the large stones of the outer pyramid lies the burial chambers of the Pharaoh, and his main wife

• These chambers were placed at specific spaces inside the pyramid in order to have them line up with cardinal points

• These points allowed the dead to enter in and out of the pyramid

• The pyramid was viewed as the home of the dead persons soul and a place for him to meet with the gods

• The shafts created inside the pyramid are believed to be used by the soul as a kind of door to the heavens

• They were also used for engineering purposes in order to keep air flowing into the main chambers while they were being constructed, as well as a place to bring in the Pharaohs coffin

Pyramid complexes• Along with the pyramids themselves

the whole area creates a pyramid complex

• These complexes included:• Main Pyramids• Smaller Pyramids• Procession Ways• Temples• Statues• Gardens

• The complexes are basically mini cities and often are referred to as the cities of the dead

The Great PyramidGizeh, Egypt, Fourth Dynasty

The Great SphinxEgypt, Gizeh, (ca. 2520 – 2495 BCE)Sandstone65’ x 240’The Gizeh Plateau

The Shpinx• Is located in the pyramid complex of

Gizeh

• Connects to the pyramid of Khafre

• It is the largest statue in the ancient near east

• Believed to be the head of the pharaoh Khafre attached to the body of a lion

• This type of imagery is connected to the sun god so it makes sense that it was built at the entry way to the causeway leading to the great pyramid of Khafre

• Connects the idea of human intelligence with the strength of a lion

Statue of KhafreEgypt, Giza, Fourth Dynasty (ca. 2520 – 2494 BCE)Diorite-gabbro gneiss1.68 metersEgyptian Museum, Cairo, Egypt

Early Royal Statues• The beginning of creating life like 3 dimensional sculptures

• This early statue shows the beginning of specific stylization techniques

• The head and upper body of the statue were copied by later pharaohs who wanted to mimic the style of Khafre

• The seated positions shows that sculptors were not comfortable with creating statues that were free standing

• This is similar to the types of statues that were found in Mesopotamia and Persia

Statue of Menkaure and a QueenEgypt, Giza, Fourth Dynasty (ca. 2490 – 2472 BCE)Graywacke with traces of red and black paint142.3 cmMuseum of Fine Arts, Boston, USA

Couple Statuary• During the old kingdom statues of couples became very

popular

• These statues are often of Pharaohs and their wives or of princes and princesses

• This style of sculpture is very unique to ancient Egypt

• Male and female form are always relatively the same height

• They stand in a very typical stance with the left leg coming forward as if they were in motion

• She stands with her arm wrapped around his back and touching his left arm

• The body form of the pharaoh is strong, young, and muscular

• The body form of the queen is soft and supple

Seated ScribeEgypt, Saqqara, Fifth Dynasty (ca. 2450 – 2325 BCE) Painted limestone with inlaid eyes of rock crystal, calcite, and magnesite mounted in copper53 cm highMusee du Louvre, Paris, France

The Use of Hyper-Realism• At the same time that statues of pharaohs like

Khafre and Menkaure were being created some Egyptian artists were becoming interested in Hyper-Realism

• Hyper-Realism is the use of realistic features in order to create depictions of people that actually look time the people being depicted

• This sculpture was found in the tomb of an important scribe named Kai, and believed to be Kai himself

• The weight of this sculpture is different to other sculptures of the time

• It is very unique

Ti Watching a Hippopotamus HuntEgypt, Saqqara, Fifth Dynasty, (ca. 2450 – 2325 BCE)Painted limestone reliefApprox. 114.3 cm highTomb of Ti, Saqqara, Egypt

Scenes for the Afterlife• Some of the first depictions of the after life that are

found in the Old Kingdom are found in the tomb of Ti

• Ti was a wealthy government official from the Fifth Dynasty

• The wall etchings found in his Mastaba depict many scenes but the most spectacular is probably that of him watching a hippopotamus hunt

• These scenes depicted the daily life of the royals and were meant to keep them entertained in the afterlife

• Hippopotamus hunting was a normal part of royal life

The Middle Kingdom(ca. 1975 – 1640 BCE)

Rock Cut Tombs BH 3 – 5Architect Unknown (Beni Hasan, Egypt, 12th Dynasty, ca. 1950 – 1900 BCE)

Beni Hasan• During the middle kingdom tombs

began moving away from the pyramid forms found in the old kingdom in to rock cut tombs

• Architects and engineers used the natural form of the mountains to carve the overall structures

• By moving the tombs of the pharaohs into the mountains the royal families were trying to protect the dead, and their possessions, from grave robbers

• The fluted columns they used in the entry way were obviously an influence to the Greeks

Face of Senwosret IIIArtist Unknown (Middle Kingdom, 12th Dynasty, ca. 1878 – 1840 BCE)Red quartziteH. 16.5 cm (6 1/2 in.); W. 12.6 cm (4 15/16 in.); D. 11.4 cm (4 1/2 in.)Purchase, Edward S. Harkness Gift, 1926Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, USAhttp://www.metmuseum.org/collection/the-collection-online/search/544184

Developments in the Human Form• After the Old Kingdom the human form

changed quite a bit in Egyptian art

• The feature were still highly stylized

• The features that were stylized be came more realistic though

• Egyptian artists, and politicians at this time felt that my making all forms of the human body highly stylized they were creating order from chaos

• This stylization is found across all forms of art and in all media

The New Kingdom(ca. 1539 – 1075 BCE)

Temple of Karnak• Temples were built at Karnak for

over 1,500 years

• Covers around 60 acres

• This temple complex was dedicated to the god Amun

• There is a main (or inner temple) that is surrounded by smaller temples, procession ways, and housing for the priests and priestesses

• Statues of the gods would be placed in the inner temple along with all the things they would need to live their life

• Every morning the priests and priestesses would wash the gods and change their clothes

• Gods and goddesses were seen as living beings and needed to be treated with respect

Entryway to the Temple of KarnakKarnak, EgyptLimestone

Monumental Statues• Monumental Statues are found

throughout the temple of Karnak

• Lines of monumental sculpture line the entry ways to the temple complex

• These statues are depictions of the Pharaohs and their families

• Pharaohs that gave orders to construct different parts of the temple would have monumental statues made of themselves and placed outside the wall of the temple to impress anyone who was visiting the complex

• Some of the most well knows sculptures at Karnak are those of Ramses II and his wife

• They are the largest, that most detailed, and considered to be the most beautiful

Procession Ways• Along the main procession ways

into Karnak monumental sculptures were constructed

• These sculptures are often of animal forms

• It is believed that they were meant to protect the home of the gods

• Much as you would if your were to get a large dog to protect your house

• These procession ways are very long, very wide, and often contain dozens of statues

Lotus Columns• One of the main architectural

details found from throughout Egypt are capitals

• One of the main forms of capitals mimics the design of a lotus flower

• Lotus flowers were an important part of Egyptian religious practices

• They were believed to be life giving, because the bloom from water and were associated with the flooding that gave food to the people who lived along the Nile

• There are different forms of the Lotus Capital

• They changed as architectural techniques changed, but their overall use and meaning did not change for almost 2000 years

Hatshepsut KneelingEgypt, Deir el-Bahri (ca. 1473 – 1458 BCE)Red Granite2.59 meters highMetropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, USA

The Woman Who Would be King• Hatshepsut was the wife of Thutmose II

• After he died, there was a problem because Hatshepsut had not given birth to any sons

• Because of this, and in order to keep control over the empire, Hatshepsut decided to transform herself from a woman to a man in order to become king

• She was a ruthless leader who used art and propaganda to show the legitimacy of her reign

• There are over 200 sculptures that have been found of queen Hatshepsut

• These statues are often very large and depict Hatshepsut wearing the ceremonial crown of the Pharaohs

Funerary Temple of HatshepsutEgypt, Deir el-Bahri, (ca. 1473 – 1458 BCE)

The Burial Complex of Hatshepsut• The burial complex of Hatshepsut is

one of the most interesting in all of Egypt

• The burial complex is believed to have been designed by Senmut

• Senmut was not an architect but managed to make a monumental complex that used the natural landscape as a building tool

• The complex takes after the history of building rock cut tombs

• The main part of the burial complex is built into the rock, and is preceded by a large temple complex where priests would worship the life of Hatshepsut and the gods

• The temple would have been surrounded by lush gardens and would have been a very different world than the cities that surrounded it

Colossal Figure of AkhenatenEgypt, Gempaaten, (date unknown)Sandstone with traces of polychromy4 meters highEgyptian Museum, Cairo

Akhenaten• Gained power in 1353 BCE after a revolution

• He was originally called Amenhotep IV but later changed his name to Akhenaten

• He did this because he chose to abandon the worship of old Egyptian god in favor of the sun god Ra (at the time called Aton)

• Akhenaten disrupted the political and religious system of the time

• Because of this he was not favored by the ruling classes in Egypt, but was very popular with the common peoples

• One of the most interesting this about Akhenaten was that he chose to depict himself in a less stylized manner than his predecessors

• Akhenaten wanted the people he ruled to be connected to him and one of the main ways he did this was to depict himself and his family in a more realistic manner

Akhenaten and His FamilyEgypt, Tell el-Amarna (ca. 1353 – 1336 BCE)Painted Limestone31.1 x 38.7 cmStaatliche Museen zu Berlin

The Power of Ra• Akhenaten and his wife Nefertiti set up a

new home in a city they created called Amarna

• They viewed this city as their new capital and the main place to worship the sun god Ra

• As a worshiper of Ra Akhenaten and his family are often depicted with images of the sun

• The sun gods arms always stretch down in the rays of the sun to protect not only the pharaoh but also is family and the people he reign over

• This love of the sun god is eventually what lead to the down fall of Akhenaten

• Many people believe he was killed by other royal families who did not like the power that he gave to the new priests of Ra, or to his wife Nefertiti

• What we do know from the images that remain of Akhenaten and his family is that he cared deeply about his family life

NefertitEgypt, Tell el-Amarna, (ca. 1353 – 1336)Painted Limestone51 cm highStaatliche Museen zu Berlin

Gender Rolls in Ancient Egypt• Nefertiti was one of the most important women in

Ancient Egyptian history

• Much like Hatshepsut, Nefertiti was a strong woman who took power (for her son) after the death of her husband.

• The art which we have that is related to Nefertiti is related to that of Akhenaten

• The statues that exist of her how less stylized features and focuses more on the actual style and look of Nefertiti

• Many of the remaining artifacts depicting Nefertiti are damaged

• This is due to the revolution that was healed after the death of her husband Akhenaten. The people wanted to remove traces of their reign, and their worship of Ra

Inner Coffin of Tutankhamun’s SarcophagusEgypt, Tomb of Tutankhamun, Valley of the Kings, Eighteenth Dynasty, (ca. 1332 – 1322 BCE)Gold inlaid with glass and semiprecious stones1.85 meter long, 243 poundsEgyptian Museum, Cairo

King Tutankhamun

• Probably one of the most well known Egyptian artifacts

• Found by Howard Carter

• Tutankhamun was the son of Akhenaten

• He is known as the boy king, because he gained power from his step mother Nefertiti at a young age, but died at only the age of 19

• What intrigues people about the tomb of Tutankhamun is the amount of decorated items that were placed within his tomb

• There are large amounts of gold, shell, and precious stone

Temple of Ramses IIEgypt, Abu Simbel, Nineteenth Dynasty, (ca. 1279 – 1213 BCE)

Abu-Simbel• Construction was ordered by

Ramses II

• Ramses II was one of the greatest pharaohs of Ancient Egypt

• Ramses II ordered the construction of his temple Abu-Simbel in order to commemorate his victories over the Nubian peoples

• The statues are massive in their structure, and are closely related to the stylized forms often used to depict pharaohs in sculpture

• These sculptures represented the Pharaoh and the Pharaohs that came before him

Reconstructing Abu-Simbel• In 1968 the Egyptian government

moved the temple of Abu-Simbel

• They moved the temple 700 feet up the side of a hill

• They did this to save it from being covered by flood waters that resulted from the recently constructed Aswan dam

• They made sure that the cardinal points used when making the temple were keeps as close to the original as possible

• This was important as the sun was meant to enter the temple on the birthday of Ramses II and highlight the alter that depicted Ramses as the sun god

Temple of Ramses IIEgypt, Abu Simbel, Nineteenth Dynasty, (ca. 1279 – 1213 BCE)

Judgment of Hunefer Before Osiris (Illustration from the Book of the Dead)Egypt, Nineteenth Dynasty, (ca. 1285 BCE)Painted Papyrus39.8 cmBritish Museum, London, UK

The Egyptian Book of the Dead• An important document for Egyptologist

in understanding the religious beliefs of the ancient Egyptians

• Shows the process of going to the heavens or going to the underworld

• This shows the judgment of the dead by Osiris

• On the right side of the image we see Osiris

• On the left side we see the gods Anubis, Isis, Horus, and Thoth

• Osiris stands before a scale that holds a feather on one side and the heart of the Pharaoh on the other

• Egyptians believed that when you died Osiris would weight your heart against a feather

• If the feather and the heart weighed the same than the person would go to the heavens and live with the gods

• If the heart is heaver than the feather than the person will be sent to the underworld

Rosetta StoneEgypt, (ca. 196 BCE)British Museum, London, UK

The Rosetta Stone• Was the key to unlocking the mystery of

Egyptian Hieroglyphics

• Shows a decree by the priests at Memphis which honors Ptolemy V

• This is written on the top of the stone in Hieroglyphics

• This is written on the middle part of the stone in demotic

• This is written on the bottom of the stone in Greek

• The discovery of this stone allowed academics to finally decipher the hieroglyphics written on the top

• Through the deciphering the content of this one stone, Egyptologists could then understand writings found throughout Egypt

Musicians and DancersEgypt, Tomb of Nebamun, Thebes, (ca. 1400 – 1350 BCE)Fresco on dry plaster1 foot x 2 feet 3 inchesBritish Museum, London, UK

Court Life• From the tomb of Nebamun we have some o the best examples of Royal Court life

• These examples come from wall paintings, and include events such as musical and dance performances, and hunting

• From these paintings we can see not only the actions of the royals, but also how they viewed themselves

• We gained an understanding of dress, hairstyles, actions, and status

• These insights are important so that Egyptologists can differentiate between depictions of royals and depictions of commoners

Canopic jar with a lid in the shape of a royal woman's headNew Kingdom, Amarna Period, Dynasty 18, (ca. 1352–1336 B.C.E)Travertine (Egyptian alabaster), blue glass, obsidian, unidentified stoneH. 20 15/16 in. (53.2 cm)Gift of Theodore M. Davis, 1907 (07.226.1)Theodore M. Davis Collection, Bequest of Theodore M. Davis, 1915 (30.8.54)http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/30.8.54

Canopic Jars• Many artifacts which have been found from the New

Kingdom relate to the Egyptian practice of Mummification

• Canopic Jars were very important to mummification

• They were used to store the internal organs of the deceased person

• When people were mummified they needed to have their internal organs (stomach, lungs, etc..) removed because of their moisture content

• These items were placed in ceremonial jars which were buried around the mummy

• These jars are usually highly detailed, and often relate to religious beliefs surrounding the organs and their purposes

Statue of two men and a boy that served as a domestic iconNew Kingdom, Amarna Period, Dynasty 18 (ca. 1353–1336 B.C.E)Limestone, paintH. 6 11/16 in. (17 cm), W. 4 15/16 in. (12.5 cm), D. of base next to man 2 1/4 in. (5.7 cm), D. next to boy 1 7/8 in. (4.8 cm)Rogers Fund, 1911 (11.150.21)http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/11.150.21

Life of Non Royals• Royals were not the only people who Egyptians

felt could have art created

• Art was a common part of every day life

• People often had small sculptures created representing their families, or the deceased

• This was for the same purpose that you would take a photograph

• In the statue to the right you can see a husband and wife with their son

• What is most noticeable is that the body forms are exactly that as what we find with royals

• Forward (contripasto) leg, Height of the man and the woman, Man and woman holding hands

• The same as the statue of Prince Rahotep and his Wife Nofret

The Third Intermediate Period

(ca. 1075 – 715 BCE)

KaromamaEgypt, Third Intermediate Period, (ca. 945 – 715 BCE)Bonze inlaid with gold, silver, electrum, glass, and copper59.5 cm highMusee du Louvre, Paris

Detail in Statues• One of the only examples of

bronze sculpture from ancient Egyptian history

• The statue is a depiction of Karomama who was a consort of Amun

• Karomama was an actual person who dedicated her life to being a priestess of Amun

• What is amazing about this statue is the incredible detail that was put into creating her form

• The same stylized body parts are used to create her but there is more detail place in the inlay of gold, silver, etc…

KaromamaEgypt, Third Intermediate Period, (ca. 945 – 715 BCE)Bonze inlaid with gold, silver, electrum, glass, and copper59.5 cm highMusee du Louvre, Paris

Late Egyptian Periods(ca. 715 – 332 BCE)

Temple of HorusEdfu, Egypt (ca. 237 – 47 BCE)

The Temple of Horus at Edfu• Is a great example of Egyptian use of

visual propaganda to help keep control over the population

• At the time the engravings were made of the main wall of the Temple of Horus, the rulers of the Ptolemaic Dynasties were trying to maintain control

• The Ptolemaic rulers were part Egyptian and part Greek (from the line of rulers who came in with Alexander the Great)

• The Ptolemaic rulers depicted themselves as gods on the side of the Temple of Horus to show their connection to the Egyptian people and to distance themselves from their Greek predecessors

• This type of propaganda was not used in Egypt again, as the people who conquered Lower Egypt (the Romans) did not see the need to connect themselves to the propaganda systems of the past

The Influence of Greek Art• During the Ptolemaic Dynasties there was a

mixture of Egyptian and Greek art

• The rulers of the country were descendent from Greeks like Alexander the Great and wanted in many ways to maintain the Greek traditions of art

• They often chose to show the Greek side of their heritage with their depiction of people

• Greek depictions of people, found in Egypt, are more detailed than their Egyptian forms and are often closer in appearance to what people actually look like

• These forms were not only used for cultural purposes but also for political purposes

• The Greeks wanted to show their superiority through their art

Mummy Wrapping of a Young BoyHawara, Egypt, Roman Period (ca. 100 -120 BCE)Linen Wrappings with gilded stucco buttons and inserted portrait in encaustic on woodheight of mummy 133 cm, portrait 24 x 16.5 cmBritish Museum, London, UK

The End of Mummification• Once the Greeks, and later the Romans, took control

of Egypt ancient traditions began disappearing

• Ancient Egyptian traditions, such as Mummification, were seen as old fashioned by the Greeks and Romans

• As Egyptian families begain interbreeding with Greek and Roman families, these practices were seen less and less

• Even the mummies that have been discovered from this time period are very Greek and Roman in style

• As the process is developed and changed more detail is added to the preparation of the mummies, as well and the decoration of the outer wrapping