Introduction to Ancient Egyptian Art

1. Introduction to Ancient Egyptian Art

2. The Emergence of Egyptology • 1799: Napoleon Bonaparte invades Egypt. • 38,000 troops • 175 scholars, linguists, artists and antiquarians. • First large scale archaeological expedition in history. • The Rosetta Stone: • Discovered by a French officer in Rosetta • Stele declaring honor of Ptolemy • Dated 196 B.C. • Inscribed with 1 Greek and 2 Egyptian scripts • By 1820s, French archaeologists had unlocked Egyptian Hieroglyphics for historians

3. The art of Egypt is based in immortality. • Art and architecture was designed to reflect an empire that was eternal, unchanging, permanent. • Egyptian art remains unchanging, even if its history did not. • Most works of surviving art come from tombs and temples. • Knowledge of Egypt is based in religious beliefs and practices.

4. The Emergence of Egypt • 8,000 B.C.E: Settlements begin on the Nile • 5,000 B.C.E: Neolithic farmers begin irrigation on the Nile. • 3500 B.C.E • Egypt is divided into Upper and Lower Egypt • Two major kingdoms rule Egypt. • Powerful rulers emerge • Protected their subjects • Prevented natural disasters

5. The Influence of the Nile • Egyptian civilization was based on the annual flooding of the Nile. • Order, predictability became very important to Egyptians. • Change meant famine, death • Watching this important phenomenon made Egyptians observe natural phenomenon closely, giving it important supernatural meaning. • Sun/Moons rising • Rivers flooding

6. The Power of Priests • To keep gods happy, kings built temples for them. • Priests appointed to run them. • Statues of gods placed inside. • Fresh food, clothing brought to gods. • Gods/goddess often portrayed in composite form (animal/human)

7. Digging into the Dynasties • Dynasty: Continuous rule by members of a family. • 31 Dynasties ruled Egypt, beginning in 3100 B.C.E • Starting point: Unification of Upper and Lower Egypt. • End point: Alexander the Great conquered Egypt in 332. B.C.E

8. The First of the Pharoahs • 3100 B.C.E-PharoahNarmerunites Upper and Lower Egypt, becoming the first dynasty. • Pharaoh: “Great House” in Egyptian. • Became viewed as gods in human form. • Descendants of Ra, sun god. • Artistic emphasis placed on immortality: Ensuring peaceful afterlife for the pharaoh (god)

9. The Symbols of Unification • White crown: Upper Egypt • Sacred symbols: Vulture and the lotus. • Red Crown with Cobra: Lower Egypt • Cobra was goddess of lower Egypt. Papyrus also sacred. • Combined crown: United Egypt

10. The Palette of Narmer3,000 B.C.E-2920 B.C.E • Composed in registers, telling story of unification. • Hierarchy of scale demonstrates power of the Pharaoh. • Possibly world’s oldest historical document. • Bas-relief form. • Horus, hawk god of war, watches approvingly, stands on a papyrus plant. • Gods and kings work together.

11. The Palette of Narmer, B.C.E

12. The Palette Sets a Pattern • The Palette of Narmer sets a standard for Egyptian art that doesn’t change much over 3,000 years. • Once established, style doesn’t change. • A Canon of Proportions kept royalty looking the same. • If the pharaoh is unchanging, godlike, consistent- art must be as well.

13. How did they do it? • Grids were drawn to ensure consistent proportions. • For example, men made up 18 units in a grid. • Knees, belly button, elbows, shoulders, etc. all specified units apart. • Composite poses (shows all parts necessary for afterlife.) • Striding to show both legs • Hips, legs, feet in profile. • Torso is fully frontal • Heads in profile, eye facing forward.

14. Showing Social Status • Hierarchy of scale demonstrated importance. • People of lower status shown more naturally, more flexible. • Women, drawn smaller than men, children smaller. • Men painted brown/red, women yellow color. • Contentment and stability were the focus.

15. Ti and the Hippo Hunt

16. The Standards of Egyptian Sculpture • Nearly all sculpture that has been preserved came from tombs or temples. • Importance of subject dictated rigidity of proportions. • In the round • In relief • Sitting or standing • Lower ranks allowed for more realistic action. • Seated Scribe c. 2400 B.C.E • Wooden • Less ideal, more real than the pharaohs.

17. Compare and Consider

18. The Egyptian Afterlife • Ka: Life force or “soul” • Lived on after the body died • Enjoyed activities of life • Needed a body to live in (mummy or sculpture) • Bodies needed to be preserved. • Favorite activities, possessions in the tomb • Ka would return to the body or statue so the person could live again.

19. A House of the Dead • A dead pharaoh needed a safe, protected comfortable place for his ka. • Ensured continued protection for Egypt. • Bodies preserved carefully • Sculptures were alternate bodies in case body decayed. • Supplies, slaves and furnishings provided. • Wall decorations provided documentation and direction.

20. How to Make a Mummy • 1. Take body to a mortuary for embalming. • 2. Have a priest supervise removal of brains (through nose) and all organs except the heart. • Place in Canopic Jars to be placed in the tomb. • 3. Cover the body in natron salt and soak. • 4. Place on slope to allow juices to drain. • 5. Use red ocher or yellow ocher for skin color. • 6. Pack clean linen into the body cavity. • 7. Wrap body in cloth strips. • 8. Place body in tomb to reunite with the ka

21. Inside the Sarcophagus • Sarcophagus: A Stone Coffin • Placed inside pyramids to further protect the body. • Often carved In Situ • Designed to be similar to little palaces. • Sometimes contained inner coffins of wood. • Later dynasties made them human shaped, covered in gold and lapus.

22. Building Pyramids…from the ground up. • Early dynastic tombs were Mastabas: Arabic for “bench” • Mud-brick • Rectangular slab • Flat topped • One-story • Four sloping sides • Underground tomb, accessible only to the ka

23. To Make a Mastaba • Serdab: small, sealed room for a kastatue • Chapel for visiters. • Shaft to drop offerings to the deceased. • buildings grouped together in a Necropolis: “City of the dead” facing toward the west, to the setting sun.

24. The Stepped Pyramid of King Djoser • First monumental stone building. • Staircase appearance, pharaoh can step up to heaven. • Part of a funeral complex • Burial is below ground • Corners are aligned with compass points. • Statue of the pharaoh let him spy on priests through peep holes. Creepy.

26. Getting Ahead of the Greeks • Imhotep incorporated columns into his designs even before the Greeks. • Engaged Columns: A column attached to a wall for decoration, not support.

28. From Steps to Slopes • 4th Dynasty: Step pyramids evolved into sloping sides • Sides mimic the suns rays coming through a cloud. • Stories on walls tell story of kings climbing to join Ra (sun king). • How to build a pyramid: • Use stone blocks, no mortar or mud. • Orient sides to four cardinal directions. • Drag stones up a staircase (?) • Smooth outer stone • Cover the top in gold

29. The Great Pyramids at Giza • Named by Greek historian, Herodotus. • Built for three 4th Dynasty kings: • Khufu (largest pyramid)-grandpa • Khafre (smaller)-dad • Menkaure (smallest)-son • All part of a huge complex, including small pyramids for queens.

30. The Son’s Sphinx • The Great Sphinx • Carved In Situ: From local available rock or “on site”. • May be the face of Khafre, guarding the tombs. • Lion body, human head, pharaoh’s Nemesheaddress. • Headdress fills negative space, making statue look huge. • Faces rising sun, associated with pharaoh.

32. Fun Fact: Did you know…. • Cats were sacred, royal animals in Egypt? • Believed to guard the underworld. • Possibly sacred because they killed mice which ate grain. • Worshipped and revered as beautiful and holy.

33. Statue of Khafre, 2500 B.C.E • Attaching pharaoh to the throne showed his solidity and permanence. • Frontal view, followed canon of proportions. • Rigid, unmoving, clenched • Horus sits behind him, guarding/approving. • No negative space • Smaller sculptures placed in tombs • Breaking limbs meant incomplete afterlife, Kacouldn’t recognize the statue.

34. Making Meaning of Menakure • Started with an upright block. • Both connected to the rock. • His stance is wider, more testosterone. • He is clenched, she relaxed. • Couple seems stable, like the kingdom. • Both stoic, but her face is more realistic. • No negative space, especially with the headdress. • Certainty of the couple connects to certainty of Egypt.

35. Making Connections With Mesopotamia • Similarity: Both Mesopotamia and Egypt viewed their rulers as mediators with the gods. • Difference: All Egyptian rulers WEREgods • Similarity: Ziggurats and Pyramids both served a religious purpose. • Difference: Pyramids sent Pharaohs TO the gods, Ziggurats allowed communication and sacrifice.

36. Pyramids for All People • During the Middle Kingdom, trade expanded as Egypt expanded. • A wealthy, middle class began demanding rights and tombs, viewed themselves as important too. • Began creating Rock-Cut tombs out of solid rock, hiding wealth from grave robbers. • Pharaoh’s followed the example.

37. Invasion & War: Here Come the Hyksos • 1640-1550 B.C.E: Egypt was upset by the invasion of the Hyksos. • 1539 B.C.E- 18th Dynasty regains control of Nile, from Nubia to Mediterranean. • 1479 B.C.E- Thutmose III extends Egypt using 15 military campaigns to create an empire.

38. The Novelties of the New Kingdom Temples • Originally modeled after homes since the “gods lived there”. The New Kingdom added: • Pylon Temple: A gateway with tapered walls • Peristyle : A columned courtyard • Hypostyle : Columned hallway from Greek words hupo (under) and stulos (pillar). • Offering Hall • Sanctuary • Symmetrical, Axial design.

39. Here Comes Hatshepsut • Married her half brother, Thutmose II. • Regent for her stepson, Thutmose III. • Pharaoh after her husband died. • Called “his majesty” • Wore the ceremonial beard • Ruled for 21 years (1473-1458) • Cultivated peace • Sponsored great building projects, fixing the Hyksos damage. • Completed tombs for her dad and husband.

40. A Monumental Mortuary • New Kingdom Rulers undertook massive building projects to show power. • Funerary Temple of Hatshepsut: • First time a woman is celebrated in art history. • Designed for funeral rites, ceremonies. • Honors gods Anubis, Ra, Horus, Hathor • Larger than the tomb itself (to protect from grave robbers)

41. Monotheistic Mayhem • 1353 B.C.E.- Amenhotep IV of the 18th dynasty founded a new religion worshiping one god, Aten, god of light. • Changed his name to Akehnaten • Moved the capitol to Akhetaten(today, Tell el-Amarna). • Began a period of reign known as the Amarnaperiod, based on honesty. • Requested open air temples to let light in. • Not very well accepted by Egyptians.

42. The Amarna and Akhenaton • Statue of Akehnaton • Created for a temple to Aten near Karnak. • Dimples indicate facial expression. • Non-ideal forms • More relaxed, smoother features. • Doesn’t try to hide flaws or follow canon rules..

43. The Bust of Nefertiti • Queen to Akhenaten • Ideal and real at the same time. • Realistic face (New Kingdom influence) • Fancy jewelry (popular in New Kingdom) • Only finished on one side, may have been a model for future work. • Her name means, “The beauty that has come.”

44. Temple at Karnak • Layers of Middle & New Kingdom Construction Temple of Amun-Ra Capitals show scenes of Pharoah’s accomplishments Clerestory – architectural innovation to bring in light to temple

45. King Tut • 1922: archaeologist Howard Carter discovers untouched tomb of King Tut, son of Nefertiti. • Only royal tomb found undisturbed. • Three coffins protect the body. • Face covered with a mask, showing relaxed, New Kingdom features. • Innermost coffin made of 240 pounds of gold. • 5,000 artifacts in tomb • Crook and flail, associated with Osiris, trademark of royalty.

46. Book of the Dead & Tomb Scrolls • Not really a “book” • Scrolls made for burial with dead, to communicate with gods Weighing the heart….Anubis holds the scales…. crocodile- spirit of evil waits for outcome….

47. Anubis holds the deceased…family offers gifts…. sacrifices are prepared

48. Important Things to Remember About Egypt • Egyptian art often has a religious, political and social purpose. • Egyptian art changes little over 3,000 years to provide a message of stability, unchanging rule. • Patronage (who paid for it) is an important factor in Egyptian art. • The politics of different kingdoms can be seen slightly in Egyptian art.