Many ancient Egyptian paintings have survived due to Egypt's extremely dry climate. The paintings were often made with the intent of making a pleasant afterlife for the deceased. The themes included journey through the afterworld or protective

deities introducing the deceased to the gods of the underworld (such as Osiris). Some tomb paintings show activities that the deceased were involved in when they

were alive and wished to carry on doing for eternity.!

Ancient Egyptian art refers to the canonical 2nd and 3rd Dynasty art developed in Egypt from 3000 BC and used until the 3rd century.!

Ancient Egyptian Painting

Egyptian art had a number of strict conventions for representing the human body that allow their works to be immediately recognizable to even the most

untrained eye. These conventions were methods used to represent every figure, from slaves to gods.!

Tomb of HuyThese paintings, created by an Egyptian artist, comes from the tomb of Huy, an Egyptian official who lived during the reign of Tutankhamun (1336-1327 BC); Dynasty 18, Thebes, Qurnet Murai

Egyptian paintings are painted in such a way to show a profile view and a side view of the animal or person. For example, the painting below shows the head from a profile view and the body from a frontal view. Their main

colors were red, blue, black, gold, and green.!

Tomb wall depicting Queen Nefertari, the great royal wife of pharaoh Rameses II.!

Symbolism also played an important role in establishing a sense of order. Symbolism, ranging from the pharaoh's regalia (symbolizing his power to maintain order) to the individual symbols of Egyptian gods and goddesses, is omnipresent in Egyptian art. Animals were usually also highly

symbolic figures in Egyptian art. Colors were more expressive rather than natural: red skin implied vigorous tanned youth, whereas yellow skin was used for women or middle-aged men who worked indoors; blue or gold indicated divinity because of its unnatural appearance and

association with precious materials; the use of black for royal figures expressed the fertility of the Nile from which Egypt was born.!

Anubis finishing mumification, Tomb of Amennakht

Dead Man standing in the barge of the sun worshiping the phoenix, symoble of the sun god of

Heliopolis, Tomb of Irinefer

Nebamun hunting in the marshesThis is a fragment of a scene from the tomb-chapel of Nebamun, Thebes, Egypt, Late 18th dynasty, around 1350 BC.One of the most famous of all ancient Egyptian paintings, this shows a young, fit Nebamun on a reed boat with his wife and daughter nearby.The marshes are bursting with animal life, including easily identifiable birds

(egrets, Egyptian goose and a pied wagtail among others), fish (tilapia) and a tabby cat. During the project, the cat was discovered to have a gilded eye.

Yet another convention of Egyptian art was to depict gods, including the pharaoh, and other important figures much larger in size than everyone else in the scene. This was a simple way to indicate status.!

Detail of Nebamun hunting in the marshesThe artist made Nebamun stand out from other figures by painting his skin white and stippling over it with red, making him appear

brighter.Paint was applied with brushes of different sizes made from the fibrous branches of date palms.

Eighteenth dynasty painting from the tomb of Theban†governor Ramose in

Deir el-Madinah

Non-royal members of Egyptian society, however, are frequently portrayed in more natural poses ñ as are animals ñ and often they are shown completely in profile. Royal figures are rarely depicted exerting themselves. Their composite stance does not allow for much movement and thus they stand immobile and perfect for all eternity. In contrast, farmers, slaves ñ workers in general ñ are commonly shown in action. They pick grapes, hunt birds and plough fields quite energetically. Royal members of Egyptian society, the pharaohs in particular, thus come across as impervious to the world around them. It is

important to recall that pharaohs were divine, and their impassiveness is that of transcendent beings. Regardless of class, women tend to have fairer skin, as befitting indoor people, while men, including

kings, are darker-skinned from the outdoor life.

Some of the most beautiful tomb scenes are of banquets with young dancing girls, particularly dating to the New Kingdom tombs at Thebes. Other scenes depicted throughout Egyptian history of dancing are all fascinating, particularly given the

ancient Egyptian artistís structured approach to depicting their actions

The only notable exception in the Egyptian style comes during the reign of the New Kingdom Pharaoh Akhenaten (1365-1347 B.C.E.). He preferred artists to render him and his wife,

Nefertiti, as realistically as they could.!

The tomb of Nefertari, wife of pharaoh Ramesses II, was discovered in 1904. It was found plundered and with much of the painted surface of the walls flaked off. These paintings, however, have been quite successfully

restored. Atum (right), creator of the world, is depicted holding the ankh, the symbol of everlasting life, in his right hand. Osiris (left), ruler of the dead, holds the symbols of kingship, the crook and the flail. According to Egyptian religious belief, Osiris was violently murdered by his brother,

thus accounting for his mummy-like appearance.

Atum and Osiris. Dynasty 19, c. 1279-1212 B.C. Wall painting from the tomb of Nefertari (wife of Ramesses II). Valley of the Queens, near Deir el-Bahri, Egypt.