Ancient Egyptian Art: Timeless Masterpieces from the Land of Pharaohs

1. Ancient Egyptian Art William V. Ganis, PhD

2. Time periods of AncientEgypt: 1. Predynastic 2. Old Kingdom 3. Middle Kingdom 4. New Kingdom 5. Ptolemaic 6. Roman-Eqyptian

3. Predynastic Art

4. Palette of King Narmer from Hierakonpolis, Egypt ca. 3,000-2,920 B.C.E. slate approximately 25 in. high

5. Perspective in Early Egyptian Art •  In order to clearly define the social hierarchy of a situation, figures were drawn to sizes based not on their distance from the painter's point of view but on relative importance. For instance, the Pharaoh would be drawn as the largest figure in a painting no matter where he was situated, and a greater God would be drawn larger than a lesser god

7. Imhotep Pyramid and Mortuary of Djoser Saqqara, Egypt ca. 2,630-2,611 B.C.E. limestone

8. Imhotep Columnar entranceto the Mortuary of Djoser Saqqara, Egypt ca. 2,630-2,611 B.C.E. limestone

9. Old Kingdom Art

10. Egyptian Art is primarily for the purpose of expressing the afterlife: to provide guidance for the deceased , to depict their good deeds, or to show the deceased in activities they loved in life that they wanted to continue in death.

11. Great Pyramids Gizeh, Egypt Pyramids of Menkaure, ca. 3,000-2,920 B.C.E.; Khafre, ca. 2520-2494 B.C.E.; Khufu ca. 2551-2528 B.C.E. limestone largest (Khufu) approximately 450 ft. high

12. The largest pyramid in existence is the Great Pyramid at Giza. It measures 481 feet high, by 775 feet long at each of its four bases.

13. Great Sphinx Gizeh, Egypt ca. 2520-2494 B.C.E. sandstone approximately 65 ft. high

14. THE SPHINX • Egyptian Sphinx has the head of a man with the face of a pharaoh, a ram, or a hawk.  It has the body, legs, and tail of a lion. Ancient Egyptians put the sphinx in front of pyramids to guard the tombs inside. • The Great Sphinx of Giza is the most famous Egyptian sphinx.  • The Riddle of the Sphinx • If someone walks by the sphinx, it would ask them a riddle, "What has one voice, and yet goes from four legs, to two legs, to three legs?“ .

15. Middle Kingdom Art

17. Rock-cut tombs Beni Hasan, Egypt ca. 1,950-1,900 B.C.E.

18. Egyptian Columns are based on botanical forms.

19. Riverboat from tomb of Meketre, Thebes, Egypt ca. 1,985 B.C.E.gessoed and painted wood50 3/8 in. long

20. Granary from tomb of Meketre, Thebes, Egypt ca. 1,985 B.C.E.gessoed and painted wood29 1/8 in. long

21. New Kingdom Art

23. Temple of Ramses II from Abu Simbel, Egypt ca. 1290-1224 B.C.E. colossi approximately 65 ft. high

24. Temple of Ramses II from Abu Simbel, Egypt ca. 1290-1224 B.C.E. atlantids approximately 32 ft. high

25. Thutmose Nefertiti from Tell el-Amarna, Egypt ca. 1,353-1,335 B.C.E.painted limestone20 in. high

27. Death Mask of Tutankhamen from Thebes, Egypt ca. 1,323 B.C.E. gold with semiprecious stones 21 1/4 in. high

28. Innermost coffin of Tutankhamen from Thebes, Egypt ca. 1,323 B.C.E. gold with semiprecious stones 73 in. high

29. Wedjat Eye of Tutankhamen from Thebes, Egypt ca. 1,333-1,323 B.C.E. gold and precious stones 2 in. wide

30. Ptolemaic Art

31. Temple of Horus Edfu, Egypt ca. 237-47 B.C.E.

33. Cat from Thebes, Egypt 304-31 B.C.E. bronze 11 in. high

34. Roman-Egyptian Art

36. Temple of Dendur from Nubia ca. 15 B.C.E. sandstone 82 ft. long

38. Faiyum portraits 2nd century A.D. encaustic on wood

39. Egyptian Art changed very little during it’s 3000 year existence. • No notable changes occurred until the influence of the Romans.