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Egyptian Art

Egyptian Art. Death Mask of Tutankhamen ca. 1323 BCE Gold with inlay of semiprecious stones. The Nile Even more than the Tigris & Euphrates, the Nile defined cultures that developed along its banks. World’s longest river—annual floods would support life. The Nile, as seen from space .

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Egyptian Art

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  1. Egyptian Art Death Mask of Tutankhamen ca. 1323 BCE Gold with inlay of semiprecious stones

  2. The Nile • Even more than the Tigris & Euphrates, the Nile defined cultures that developed along its banks. • World’s longest river—annual floods would support life. The Nile, as seen from space

  3. Rosetta Stone, 196 BCE • Key to unlocking Egyptian hieroglyphics • Inscribed in Greek, demotic (Late Egyptian) and formal hieroglyphics—discovered by French during Napoleon

  4. Ancient Egypt Historical Periods PERIOD DYNASTYDATE-BCE Predynastic/ Early Dynastic 0-3rd 2920 BCE Old Kingdom 4th-8th 2575 BCE Middle Kingdom 9th-14th 2040 BCE New Kingdom 18th-20th 1550 BCE Late Period 26th-31st 712 BCE

  5. Predynastic • Very vague as to what went on—no historical record • Paintings on tombs, ceramic figurines, and reliefs

  6. Egypt Unified Two separate Kingdoms • Upper Egypt (south—upstream on the Nile) • Lower Egypt (north) • Possibly King “Menes” unified but not certain In the 3rd C. BCE, Egyptian priest, Manetho, records a chronological list of Egypt’s rulers 1st to group Kings into DYNASTIES –still MOSTLY used today

  7. Symbols of Egypt • Eye of Horus=good • Ankh=everlasting life • Scarab beetle=creation resurrection and the rising sun

  8. Also symbolic to Egypt: • Upper=lotus • Lower=papyrus

  9. Creation Myths • Ra– Sun god---shaped himself out of the waters of chaos and emerged atop a mound of sand and hardened himself with his own rays. He then spit and created Geb (earth) and Nut (sky). They produced two sons, Osiris and Seth and two daughters, Isis and Nephthys. • Osiris takes Isis as his wife and becomes king of Egypt. Seth (full of envy) kills Osiris, hacks his body to pieces and takes the throne. Isis and Nephthys gather Osiris’ remains with the help of Anubis (jackal-cemeteries) and put him back together. Isis conceives a son with Osiris--Horus (power of good). Horus defeats Seth and becomes king of the earth. Osiris retires to the underworld to become overseer of the dead

  10. Early Dynastic (Dynasties 1-3) • About 2920 BCE • Egypt’s kings are seen as gods in human form • Kings rejoined their father, Ra, at death and rode across the sky with him in his solar boat everyday • To please gods, Kings built temples and priests took care tending to them Amun (becomes chief god) Hathor=cow (goddess of love & fertility) Bastet = cat (daughter of Ra, protector)

  11. Egyptian “canon” of art • Images based on memory and characteristic viewpoints(twisted perspective) • Mathematical formulas for proportion • Hieratic style • Space is represented with registers • Drawing & contours—simplified • Colors are clear and flat • This appears early and continues for 3000 years!!!!!!!

  12. Palette of Narmer Early Dynastic Period c. 3000-2920 BCE Green schist (slate) 25” Egyptian Museum, Cairo

  13. Known to unify Egypt • His name is on it! • Used for grinding eye paint—to prevent infection and reduce glare • Bas relief • Wears crown of upper Egypt • Shows he dominated Lower Egypt

  14. This side wears red crown of Lower Egypt (unified)

  15. Twisted Perspective • Not realistic poses • Most characteristic angle • Heads-profile • Eyes-frontal • Frontal torso • More important people are Portrayed this way—lesser=more Realistic SIMILAR TO PREHISTORIC & MESOPOTAMIA!

  16. Canon of Proportions • Using square grid, mapped out proportions based on human fist • Known as “Old Kingdom Standard Grid” • 18 units between heel and hairline

  17. Temples and Tombs • Ka—the life force or spirit in every human • Carries on after death and engaged in activities it enjoyed • Elaborate funerary practices to ensure quickly into the afterlife • Fully furnished and well equipped burial chambers

  18. Mastaba • Early Dynastic Egypt • Upper level of society (King & relatives) • Flat-topped one story building with slanted walls erected above an underground burial chamber • First, used mud brick but then around 3rd Dynasty, (c. 2650-2575 BCE) used cut stone (exterior) • Contained a serdab—small sealed room housing the ka statue of the deceased • Vertical shaft dropped down to burial chamber • Deceased in sarcophagus (coffin) surrounded by goods • This chamber sealed off • Can have many underground chambers for whole families • The gold standard

  19. Necropolis (city of the dead) • Located on west bank of the Nile (setting sun) • Kings of the 3rd Dynasty at Djoser • Saqqara • Giza • Both outside of present day, Cairo

  20. Stepped Pyramid of Djoser 2630-2611 BCE 204’ Limestone Great Pyramids of Giza 2551-2490 BCE Menkaure, Khafre, and Khufu Granite and Limestone 450’

  21. Imhotep—1st architect • Both Djoser and Imhotep are inscribed at base • 1st designed as single-story mastaba but later expanded-stacked-STEPPED! • Looks like a ziggurat but different in 2 ways: stairway to Ra Purpose—protecting a tomb

  22. Detail of the façade of the North Palace of Djoser, Saqqara -resembles papyrus Third Dynasty, 2630-2611 BCE

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