Key Concepts

CONCEPTS OF DEATHThe Egyptian fascination with the afterlife is the focus of much of the art of this region and time period. Refer back to the discussion in Chapter 2 about the use of art in the service of religion. Look up the Book of the Dead for additional background.

THE AMARNA REVOLUTIONThe artistic revolution of Akhenaten is a major concept in the survey of Egyptian art, and one likely to appear on the AP* exam. Students should be able to explain how art of Dynasty 18 differed from the art that preceded it. Constructing a table of characteristics is a useful way to help students learn and understand the changes.

PATRONAGE AND SYMBOLISMThe concepts of patronage and symbolism in ancient Egyptian art should be compared with examples from the Near East (Chapter 2a).

EGYPTIAN MYTHOLOGYStudy the importance of the afterlife in Egyptian mythology in conjunction with this chapter can be useful in helping to see the pervasiveness of this concept. The story of Osiris is a good example. The annual flooding of the Nile serves as a loaded metaphor for this cycle of death and rebirth. Be able discuss how Egyptian pharaohs used symbols associated with Osiris in their own funeral trappings—for example, the inner coffin of Tutankhamun's sarcophagus.

CHRONOLOGYThree major periods of Egyptian history:

Pre-Dynastic Period 4350-3150 BCE

Early Dynastic Period 3150-2670 BCE

Old Kingdom 2670-2150 BCE Middle Kingdom 2150-1800 BCE

New Kingdom 1550-1070 BCE (includes Amarna period-1370-1350 BCE)

Citadel of Saragon II 720-705 bce

Temple of Horus 237-47 bce

White Temple 3200-3000 bce

Ziggurat @ Ur 2100 bce

Step Pyramid of Djoser 2630-2611 bce

Gizeh 2520-2494 bce

Rock Cut Tomb @ Beni Hasan1950-1900 bce

The Rosetta Stone

In 1799, Napoleon took a small troop of scholars, linguists and artists on a military expedition of Egypt and found the Rosetta Stone (named for the Rosetta coast of the Mediterranean where it was discovered)

Composed of three languages: Formal Egyptian Hieroglyphic

Demotic (Late Egyptian)

Classical Greek(which they knew how to read)

This stone became the key to unlocking the meanings behind Egyptian hieroglyphics!

Old Kingdom

Middle Kingdom

New Kingdom

Lower Egypt in the Northern part ofthe Nile Valley was opulent, urban,and populated.

Upper Egypt was the southern,upstream part of the Nile Valley. It was dry, rocky, and culturally rustic.

The Predynastic periodin Egyptian art refers tothe earliest or Prehistoricart of Egypt.

This particular imageseems to be a funeraryscene depicting people,animals and boats.

These stick-like figuresare very similar to thoseof the Neolithic paintingsfrom Çatal Hüyük.

Boats- symbolize thejourney down the river oflife and death

The lower center of this image depicts a heraldic groupingof two animals flanking a human figure. The imagesuggests an influence of Mesopotamian art. It isinteresting to note that Mesopotamian culture could have made its way over a thousand miles up the Nile

Profile views of his head, legs and arms with front views of his eye and torso = composite view (characterized Mesopotamian art and even some Stone Age paintings)

Hierarchal ScaleRelief Sculpture

Attendants wrangle elongated necks of two feline/snake composite creatures to form the circular depression that would have held eye makeup. The intertwining represent unification

Palette of King Narmer, Hierakonpolis, Egypt , Predynastic, ca. 3000-2920 BCE. Slate, approx. 2' 1 high

Victory Narrative & Propaganda

The Palette of King NarmerHierakonpolis, Egypt, Early Dynastic 3000-2920 BC

Predynastic Egypt was divided geographically and politically into

two regions: Upper and Lower Egypt

Upper Egypt was the southern, upstream part of the Nile Valley. It

was dry, rocky, and culturally rustic.

Lower Egypt in the Northern part of the Nile Valley was opulent,

urban, and populated.

The Palette of King Narmer is one of the earliest historical artworks

preserved.

It was, at one time, regarded as commemorating the foundation of

the first of Egypt’s thirty-one dynasties around 2920 BC (the

last ended in 332 BC)

This image records the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt into the

“Kingdom of Two Lands” at the very end of the Predynastic

period.

Egyptians prepared eye makeup on tablets such as this for protecting their eyes against irritation and the sun’s glare. This palette is not only important because of its historical content, but it also serves as a blueprint of the formula for figure representation that characterized Egyptian art for three thousand years.

Establishes Canon of Proportion: acceptable method of representation

Descriptive (Composite) view

Symbolism Horus: Falcon king’s protector Papyrus=lower Egypt Bowling Pin= Upper Egypt Top: Goddesses of Hathor Betw: Narmer’s name & royal palace Register format King Narmer & prisoners Unification: Intertwined felinenecks Bull: icon for king King is divine deity deified

•Meaning "house for eternity" or "eternal house")

•Mastabas were constructed out of mud-bricks (from the Nile River) or stone.

•The above-ground structure was rectangular in shape, had sloping sides, a flat roof, was about four times as long as it was wide, and rose to at least 30 feet in height.

• The mastaba was built with a north-south orientation.

•This above ground structure had space for a small offering chapel equipped with a false door to which priests and family members brought food and other offerings for the soul of the deceased.

• A second hidden chamber housed a statue of the deceased that was hidden within the masonry for its protection.

IMHOTEPStepped Pyramid of Djoser Saqqara, Egypt Dynasty III,ca. 2630-2611 BCE.

The first monumental royal tomb, built in stone by the architect Imhotep for King Djoser at Saqqara, comprised a:

• Stepped pyramid( series of mastabas)• Temple•Additional storage buildings •A large, rectangular enclosure surrounded by a high wall

IMHOTEP first known artist of recorded history who achieved lasting architectural structures

Cardinal Points

Resembles Mesopotamian Ziggurats

Gigantic size symbolize godlike power

Underground galleries resembling a palace

Stairway to Heaven LOL

Restored plan of the mortuary precinct of Djoser Saqqara, Egypt Dynasty III, ca. 2630-2611 BCE.

•Djoser's funerary temple was one of many buildings arranged around several courts.

• Most were dummy structures with stone walls enclosing fills of rubble, sand, or gravel.

•The buildings imitated in stone masonry various types of temporary structures made of plant stems and mats erected in Upper and lower Egypt to celebrate the Jubilee Festival.

•Wall is 37 ft high- 5,400 ft long

•Compared to Cemetery at Ur where there was no wall

Entrance Portico

First appearance of stone columns in the history of architecture (Influenced Greeks)

The translation into stone of structural forms previously made out of plants Columns resemble bundles of reeds - Papyrus columns are associated with

lower Egypt Engaged rather than supporting than free-standing Fluted Capitals IMHOTEP

Fluted columns & papyrus capitals

Engaged (attached) Columns

Imhotep, Stepped Pyramid and mortuary precinct of Djoser, Saqqara Egypt Dynasty III

Each person must provide for the happiness of his

afterlife- would reproduce daily life in tombs for their

Ka (spirit) to enjoy- blurring of line between life and

death

Tomb was like afterlife insurance

3000 BC -the start of the old kingdom

Pharaoh was supreme ruler and a god- basis of all

civilization and of artwork

Knowledge of civilization rest solely in tombs

Imhotep: First recognized artist or architect in history

Built on a mastaba, burial chamber deep underground with a shaft linking it to the pyramid, meant to serve as a great monument

Part of a huge funerary district with temples and other buildings, scenes of religious celebration before and after death

Columnar entrance corridor to the mortuary precinct of Djoser, Saqqara, Egypt

Egyptian architecture began with mud bricks, wood, reeds- Imhotep (first artist

whose name was part of recorded history) used cut stone masonry

Style was similar to less enduring material - columns are always engaged rather than

free-standing

Now columns had an expressive purpose rather than just functional

Tapering fluted columns were designed for harmony and elegance, not just to hold

things up

Images of Papyrus columns are associated with lower Egypt

Façade of the North Palace of the mortuary precinct of Djoser, Saqqara, Egypt Dynasty III Ca. 2630-2611

This is an example of an

engaged column

Notice that they are less functionalthan they are decorative.

Great PyramidsGizeh, Egypt, Dynasty IV

Burial Chamber is in the center of the pyramid rather than underneath

Originally covered in smooth stone that would be reflective in the sun.

(Almost blinding to the eyes.)

Funerary district is much more organized than Djoser- surrounded by mastabas and smaller pyramids

Fourth Dynasty pharaohs considered themselves to be the sons of the sun God Re and his

incarnation on Earth.

Egyptians always buried their dead on the west side of the Nile, where

the sun sets.

The largest of the pyramids is about 450 feet tall and has an area of

almost 13 acres. It contains almost 2.3 million blocks of stone, each

weighing about 1.5 tons.

The Great Pyramid at Gizeh is the oldest of the seven wonders of the ancient world

Great Pyramids Gizeh, Egypt Dynasty IV. From left:Menkaure, ca. 2490-2472 BCEKhafre, ca. 2520-2494 BCEKhufu, ca. 2551-2528 BCE

•Great Pyramids were built in the course of 75 years.

•Giant monuments to dead pharaohs

• Each pyramid had an enjoining mortuary temple.

•Burial Chamber is in the center of the pyramid rather than underneath.

•Originally covered in smooth stone that would be reflective in the sun.(Almost blinding to the eyes.)

•Funerary district is much more organized than Djoser- surrounded by mastabas and smaller pyramids

•Fourth Dynasty pharaohs considered themselves to be the sons of the sun God Re and his incarnation on earth.

•Egyptians always buried their dead on the west side of the Nile, where the sun sets.

•The largest of the pyramids is about 450 feet tall and has an area of almost 13 acres. It contains almost 2.3 million blocks of stone, each weighing about 1.5 tons

The Great Pyramid at Gizehis the oldest of theseven wonders ofthe ancient world

Section of the Pyramid of Khufu, Gizeh, Egypt

Tomb Raiders tunnels are marked in this schematic

drawing by the dotted lines.

The thieves were unable to locate the carefully sealed

and hidden entrance, so they started their tunneling

about 40 feet above the base and worked their way into the structure until they

found the ascending corridor.

Many of the royal tombs were plundered almost

immediately after the funeral ceremonies had

ended.

The immense size of these pyramids was an invitation

to looting.

Great Sphinx, Gizeh, Egypt, Dynasty IV ca. 2520-2494 bc

The Sphinx

65 feet tall

The Sphinx commemorated the pharaoh and served as

an immovable, eternal silent guardian of his tomb.

This guardian stood watch at the entrances to the

palaces of their kings. It gives visitors coming from the east the illusion that it rests on a great pedestal.

The face of the Sphinx is thought to be an image of

the pharaoh Khafre.

65 feet tallThe Sphinx commemorated thepharaoh and served as an immovable,eternal silent guardian of his tomb.

This guardian stood watch at the entrancesto the palaces of their kings. It gives visitorscoming from the east the illusion that it restson a great pedestal.

Very generalized features, although some say it might be a portrait of Khafre

•Carved in Situ from a huge rock•Body of a lion, head of a Pharaoh and/or god•Sphinx seems to protect the pyramids behind it•Originally brightly painted to stand out in the desert

POP QUIZ!now it’s time for a

What function did the PALETTE of NARMER serve, andwhy was it important?

What was the name of the first recorded architect in Egyptian history?

What were the names of the three Egyptian rulers to whom the Great Pyramids were built?

ANSWER: Imhotep (designed Djoser’s mastaba)

ANSWER: Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure

Khafre, Gizeh, Egypt, Dynasty IV Ca 2520-2495 BC

Made of carved of extremely hard stone

called diorite which would have been brought

seven hundred miles down the Nile from royal

quarries in the south

This sculpture shows the enthroned king with the falcon of the god Horus

Demonstrates the artist’s cubic view of the human

figure- created by drawing the front and

side view of the figure on the block of stone and

then working inward until the views met

The figure is immobile and firm- the body is

impersonal but the face has some individual

traits

Sculptures such as this would serve as home for

the Ka to exist should the mummies be

destroyed.

Khafre

The intertwined lotus and papyrus plants between the legs of Khafre’s throne are

thought to be symbolic of the united Egypt.

The Falcon god Horus extends his protective wings to shelter Kafre’s head.

Khafre wears the royal fake beard fastened to his chin and wears the royal

linen nemes ( the royal headdress worn by the pharaoh containing the uraeus cobra

of kingship on the front.)

His proportions are idealized and are appropriate for representing majesty.

This sculpture is indicative of the block statue standard of Egyptian sculpture.

Menkaure and KhamerernebtyGizeh, Egypt Dynasty IV, ca 2490-2472 BC

Standing (common pose), both have left foot forward, yet they are not moving forward-

Figures are sculpted in the same height, provide a comparison of male and female beauty.

The stone from which they were created still is still visible, maintaining the block form.

These figures were meant to house the ka .

This was the stereotypical pose that symbolized marriage. Notice how the figures are idealized and emotionless. The artists depiction of these two people is indicative of the formula for depicting royalty in Egyptian Art.

Seated ScribeSaqqara, Egypt, Dynasty IV Ca 2450-2350 BC

The Scribe is a high court official- most scribes were sons of pharaohs. (Alert

expression in face, individualized torso- flabby and middle-aged)

Old kingdom also invented the portrait bust- whether it was an abbreviated

statue or had some greater significance is unknown

Notice the realism depicted in this sculpture, when compared to that of

the Pharaohs. His depiction in this manner is a result of his lower

hierarchy in Egyptian society than that of a Pharaoh.

It has been said that it could take up to 10 years for a scribe to learn the

language of hieroglyphics that contained nearly 700 characters.

Ka-AperSaqqara, Egypt, Dynasty V Ca 2450-2350 BC

Here Ka-Aper assumes the traditional pose of an official, but

notice the attention to detail in the face. The artists has imbedded rock crystal into the eyes of the

sculpture for added life.

This image is an example of combining the high status pose

with specific portraiture information that would be associated with a person of lower status than the

Pharaoh.

The fifth Dynasty in Egypt produced many wooden statues such as this one with an increased realism and

relaxed formality.

This is only the wooden core for the statue which was, at one time,

covered with painted plaster.

The walking stick and baton (missing from his right hand) were

symbolic of his rank as an official.

Relaxed formality and increased realism

Ka-Aper assumes the traditional pose of an official

Attention to detail in the face

Imbedded rock crystal into the eyes of thesculpture for added life

Example of combining the high status pose with specific portraiture information that would be associated with a person of lower status than the Pharaoh.

The fifth Dynasty in Egypt produced many wooden statues such as this one with an increased realism and relaxed formality.

This is only the wooden core for the statue which was, at one time, covered with painted plaster.

The walking stick and baton (missing from his right hand) were symbolic of his rank as an official

Ka-AperSaqqara, Egypt, Dynasty V

Ca 2450-2350 BC

Menkaure and WifeGizeh, Egypt Dynasty IV, ca 2490-2472 BC

Mastaba of TiPainted relief in the mastaba of Ti, a government officialTi was the royal hairdresser during the early V Dynasty, as well as the controller of the farms and stock that belonged to the royal family.

Ti’s boat glides through the gigantic papyri, which flower into a fan of birds and foxes

Hunt takes place as a memorial to the deceased; success in the hunt is a parallel with the fight against evil

Because of his notability, Ti is shown as being much larger (H-SCALE)

He stands away from the action of the hunt to supervise

Papyrus flowers appear, as do animals and birds, water and hippopotamus at bottom

Egyptian tombs tell of who (and how) the deceased was in life, so that he/she would continue this lifestyle in the hereafter.

Interior hall of the rock-cut tombs of AmenemhetBeni Hasan, Egypt, Dynasty XII, ca 1950-1900 BC

About 2150 B.C., the Egyptians challenged the pharaoh’s power, and for more than a century the

land was in a state of civil unrest and near anarchy.

In 2040 B. C. the pharaoh of Upper Egypt, Mentuhotep I, managed to unite Egypt again under

the rule of a single king and established the so-called Middle Kingdom

(Dynasties XI - XIV)

Rock-cut tombs of the Middle Kingdom largely replaced the Old Kingdom mastabas and pyramids.

The columns in this tomb serve no supportive function.

Notice the fluting on the columns. It is clear that the columns are not supporting the ceiling of the tomb,

as many of the columns were broken, yet still attached to the ceiling in some cases.

The Middle Kingdom

Rock-cut tombs of the Middle Kingdom largely replaced the Old Kingdom mastabas and pyramids.

RESERVED COLUMNS- not weight bearing.

Carved around and were already attached to top and bottom.

The columns in this tomb serve no supportive function.

Notice the fluting on the columns. It is clear that the columns are not supporting the ceiling of the tomb, as many of the columns were broken, yet still attached to the ceiling in some cases.

FLUTED COLUMNA groove (or channel) used decoratively as

along the shaft of a column. There are usually many such flutes running parallel.

Built 1480 BC (New Kingdom)

against rocky cliffs, dedicated

to Amun.

linked by ramps and colonnades

to a small chamber deep in

the rock-

This is a great example of

architecture within natural

setting- ramps echo

shape of cliffs and the

horizontal rhythm of light and dark

in the columns mimics that of

the cliffs above.

Queen Hatshepsut became the Pharoah when her husband Thutmose II had died. The heir to the throne was to be given to his twelve year old son, but he was too young to rule. Hatshepsut then assumed the role of King, and became the first great female monarch whose name was recorded.

Many of the portraits of Hatshepsut were destroyed at the order of Thutmose III (the son too young to rule), as he was resentful of her declaration of herself as pharaoh.

Queen Hatshepsut’s Funerary Temple

Hatshepsut with offering jars, Deir el-Bahri, Egypt, ca 1473- 1458

This statue has been carefully reassembled after its destruction. Most of the statues of

Hatshepsut had to be reassembled due to their destruction, as ordered by Thutmose III.

Thutmose III was the son of Hatshepsut’s husband (from a minor wife) and had to share

the throne at one point with Hatshepsut.

The female Pharaoh is seen here in a ritual that honors the sun god. A pharaoh could only be

seen kneeling before a God – but never anyone else.

Her depiction as pharaoh is clear, as she is seen wearing the royal male nemes headdress and the pharaoh’s ceremonial beard. The uraeus

cobra that once adorned the front of the headdress was hacked off by the agents of

Thutmose III.

The figure is represented as anatomically male, but other statues have been found that represent

her with woman’s breasts.

Seated Queen Hatshepsut

Early 18th Dynasty, joint reign of Hatshepsut and Thutmose III (1479-

1458 B.C.)

Western Thebes, Deir el-Bahri

Limestone, painted

Temple of Ramses IIAbu Simbel, Egypt, Dynasty 19 Ca 1290-1224 BC

Ramses was Egypt’s last great warrior pharaoh and ruled for two thirds of a century.

This monument was moved in 1968 to protect it from submersion.

Ramses was very proud of his accomplishments and proclaimed his greatness by placing four colossal images of himself on the temple façade.

The temple is dedicated to the most important gods of the New Kingdom, Ptah (the creator god of Memphis), Amun-Re (the great god of Thebes) and Re-Harakhte (sun god of Heliopolis), as well as to the Pharaoh Ramses II himself.

The four colossi, statues of Ramses II (c. 1290-1224 BCE), are more than 20 meters high and about 4 meters from ear to ear.

The New Kingdom

A statue of Re-Harakhte with the falcon head is in a niche over the entrance.

The god is flanked by low relief depictions of Ramses II who presents him with a tiny statuette of Maat--goddess of Truth and Justice. The cornice above the entrance has a frieze design of uraei (the sacred asp) and above the cornice there are twenty-two high relief statues of seated baboons with their hands raised in worshipping the sun.

Smaller sculptures between the legs and at the base of the colossi represent members of the royal family:

"Princess Nebt-taui, Princess Bant-anat and an unidentified princess on the southernmost colossus; Queen Tu'e, the King's mother, Queen Nefertari, his wife, and his son prince Amen-hir-khopshef to the left of the doorway; and beside the statues to the right, Queen Nefertari, twice represented, and Prince Ramses"

Abu Simbel, Egypt, Dynasty XIX, Ca 1290-1224 BC

Between 1964 and 1968, the entire site was carefully cut into large blocks (up to 30 tons, averaging 20 tons), dismantled, lifted and reassembled in a new location 65 meters higher and 200 meters back from the river, in one of the greatest challenges of archaeological engineering in history. [3] Some structures were even saved from under the waters of Lake Nasser

Interior of the Temple of RamsesAbu Simbel, Egypt, Dynasty XIX, ca 1290-1224 BC

These atlantids were 32 feet tall and were carved from the cliff. They contain no load-bearing function (similar to

those of Beni Hasan).

The tomb is decorated with paintings and reliefs depicting Ramses and his royal sons with the major deities of

Egypt.---Osiris, Isis, Hathor, Horus, and Thoth decorate the tomb walls.

This tomb was robbed within a half century after its construction. The royal burials have not been found.

Temple of Amen-Re, KarnakEgypt, Dynasty XIX Ca 1290-1224 BC

This temple is mainly the product of the Eighteenth Dynasty pharaohs, but some of the

Nineteenth Dynasty pharaohs contributed to it as well. Contributers include: Thutmose I and II,

Hatshepsut, and Ramses II.

This temple is a great example of the hypostyle hall. ( One roof supported by many columns).

The central section of the roof is raised. This architectural feature is called a

clerestory. The function of this was to allow light to filter into

the interior.

The columns were decorated with a

series of sunken relief sculpture.

Temple of HorusEdfu, Egypt, ca 237-47 BC

The façade of this temple depicts Horus and Hathor witnessing an

oversized King Ptolemy XIII striking down undesired enemies.

The architecture of this temple is still rooted in the basic scheme that architects had worked out

more than a thousand years before.

This type of temple with a simple massive gateway or pylon with

sloping walls is known as a pylon temple.

The temple of Edfu is the largest temple dedicated to Horus and

Hathor

The Temple at LuxorLocated at the east bank of the Nile River in the city today known as Luxor (ancient Thebes) and was founded in 1400 BCE. For centuries Thebes was once known as the capital of the known world

Fowling scene, from the tomb of Nebamun, Thebes, Egypt, Dynasty XVIII, ca 1400-1350 BC

Nebamun’s official title in Egypt was “scribe and counter of grain”.

He is shown standing in his boat, hunting birds in a papyrus swamp.

Notice the hierarchy of scale.

This was created in the tomb to ensure the recreational enjoyment in the afterlife.

Notice the contrast between this work and that of the relief sculpture in the tomb of Ti. ( how are their poses different, and how does it speak to their importance)

The technique used in the creation of this painting is known as Fresco Secco. The artists would let the plaster dry prior to painting on it. This contrasts the true fresco technique on wet plaster.

Fowling Scene, from the tomb of Nebamun.Thebes, Egypt, Dynasty 18 ca 1400-1350 BCE. Fresco on Dried Plaster.

Imaginary hunt rather than a realistic one.

Nebamun's wife is dressed in finery as if attending a banquet, and the child would not likely have accompanied Nebamun on such a trip.

Instead, the scene shows an idealized family outing in the land of the spirit world.

As the hieroglyphic inscription below Nebamun's raised arm explains, he is "taking recreation and seeing what is good in the place of eternity."

Fowling Scene of Nebamun

(New Kingdom)

Nebamun was a scribe and counter of grain

Painted in a Fresco Secco (where the plaster is applied and dried first)

The deceased is vigorously engaged in activity, not just looking on.

His wife and daughter are also enjoying the activity with him

Ti on a Hippo Hunt (Old Kingdom)

Ti was an official in the 5th Dynasty

Painted limestone relief

The deceased is looking on, not participating – sign of high-status

This erotic scene of relaxation and wealth is something for Nebamun to enjoy for all eternity.The richly-dressed guests are entertained by dancers and musicians, who sit on the ground playing and clapping. The words of their song in honour of Nebamun are written above them:

The earth-god has causedhis beauty to grow in every body...the channels are filled with water anew,and the land is flooded with love of him.

Some of the musicians look out of the paintings, showing their faces full-on. This is very unusual in Egyptian art, and gives a sense of liveliness to these lower-class women, who are less formally drawn than the wealthy guests. The young dancers are sinuously drawn and are naked apart from their jewelry

A rack of large wine jars is decorated with grapes, vines and garlands of flowers. Many of the guests also wear garlands and smell lotus flowers

Akhenaton, From the temple of Amen-Re, Karnak, Egypt, Dyanasty XVIII 1353-1335 BC

New Kingdom

Akhenaton is infamous for his religious revolution in Egypt during

the eighteenth Dynasty.

The revolution in religion gave way to an artistic revolution in which the

figures became elongated and androgynous in their appearance.

The pharaoh Amenhotep IV abandoned the worship of most of the Egyptian Gods in favor of the

God Aton ( the god of the Sun). In honor of the new monotheistic

religion, Amenhotep IV changed his name to Akhenaton.

He then moved the capital city of Egypt down the Nile River to the city

of Thebes, now called Tell el-Amarna, where he built his own city

and shrines.

Bust of AhkenatonTell el-Amarna, Egypt, Dynasty 181353-1335 BCE

White Limestone. 21 inches tall.

The god Aten was referred to as "The mother and father of all human kind,"

it has been suggested that Akhenaten was made to look androgynous in artwork as a symbol of the androgyny of the god.

Akhenaton and NefertitiFrom the tmeple of Amen-Re,

Karnak, Egypt, Dyanasty XVIII 1353-1335 BC

Akhenaton’s god was unlike any other Egyptian God in that it was not depicted by

animal or human form. Instead, Aton was depicted only as a sun disk emitting

live-giving rays.

Stylistic Changes during the Amarna Period

included:

Effeminate body with curving contours

Long full- lipped face, heavy- lidded eyes, and a dreamy

expression.

The body of Akhenaton is oddly misshapen with weak

arms, a narrow waist, protruding belly, wide hips,

and fatty thighs.

Two Seated PrincessesBas Relief (low-relief)

Tell el-Amarna, Egypt, Dynasty 181353-1335 BCE

White Limestone. 9” x 9”

Bust of NefertitiTell el-Amarna, Egypt, Dynasty XVIII1353-1335 BC

Nefertiti, the queen of Akhenaton, exhibits the features indicative of the Amarna Style.

The delicate curving contours demonstrate a clear stylistic difference from that of the traditional Egyptian depiction of royalty.

Nefertiti’s name means, “The Beautiful One is Here”.

The subject’s likeness has been adjusted to the new standard of spiritual beauty.

Features to be noted in this piece are the serpentine narrow neck that supports the heavy weight of the royal crown.

Queen Tiye Dynasty XVIII ca 1353-1335 BC

Tiye was the mother of Akhenaton.

The depiction of age is present here which is a new development in the style of art.

Depictions of royalty did not illustrate the age of the subject prior to the Amarna period.

This image clearly demonstrates the relaxation of the artistic rules.

Tutankhamen inherited the throne when he was 8 and high officials made many of the decisions for the young ruler.

The first order was to reestablish the cult and priesthood of Amen and restore the temples and inscriptions of his name.

Once Akhenaton’s religious revolution was undone, artist returned to the old conservative manner.

Tutankhamen only ruled for only 10 years, and died when he was 18 years old. His death and funeral were sudden, it was no accident!

The evidence of his murder lies in bone fragments found in his skull, and the lacking attention to detail in his burial tomb. The lacking detail suggests a hurried burial, which is a suspicious considering the status of Tutankhamen.

Scientific studies of the remains of Tutankhamen have lead researchers to believe that he had two rare spinal cord diseases. His spinal cord had a slight curve to it and the vertebrate were non-flexible where they met his skull.

Death mask and innermost coffin of TutankhamenThebes, Egypt, Dynasty XVIII 1323 BC

Death mask and innermost coffin of TutankhamenThebes, Egypt, Dynasty XVIII 1323 BCDiscovered by Howard Cater, Tutankhamun's

mummified body was found within three coffins or sarcophagi, each one within the next.  The largest is still in the original tomb in the Valley of the Kings along with his mummy

It is idealised and hieratic, the features mystically regular, a face turned into imperishable metal and stone. His perfect golden skin, Tutankhamen has blue petals of lapis lazuli in imitation of the kohl make-up he would have worn in life; his symmetrical, neatly folded gold headdress is crowned with the cobra and vulture, symbols of Lower and Upper Egypt. With his false beard and god's repose he personifies Osiris, lord of the dead.

Iconography and symbols are key to understanding the artists and the subject . The shape of this mask itself is reminiscent of the cobra, representative of his power and fierceness . Also , the lines along the sides of the nemes seem to reflect the image of sunrays

The funeral mask of Tutankhamun was placed over the face of the young pharaoh. The pharaoh wears the royal headcloth called the "nemes". It is patterned with stripes of blue glass and gold. The "nemes" is only worn by pharaohs.

The coffin is made of solid gold. Note the vulture Nebket that spans the chest of the mummy with its wings.

A goddess protects the feet and the face is obviously the work of the same craftsman/artist that made the mask.

Tutankhamun is holding the crook and flail that symbolized royal power in ancient Egypt.

He was buried in three coffins, all fitted one inside the other.

Tutankhamun's mummy is still in his tomb in the Valley of the Kings

Last Judgment of Hu-Nefer Thebes, Egypt, Dynasty 19 1290-1280 BC

Hu-Nefer was the royal scribe to the pharaoh Seti I. This tomb painting depicts the jackal-headed god, Anubis, leading Hu-Nefer down the hall of judgment. His soul has been favorably weighed and he is being brought by Horus to the

presence of the green-faced Osiris.

This formula for imagery in Hu-Nefer’s tomb demonstrates a return to the Old Kingdom funerary illustrations.

Mentuemhet,Karnak, Egypt, Dynasty XXVI 650 BC.

The Late Period in Egyptian art demonstrates a return to the conservative. Pharaohs are again depicted as they were

during the Old Kingdom, idealized and emotionless.

Only the double wig, characteristic of the New

Kingdom, and the realism of the head, with its rough and almost

brutal characterization, differentiate the work from that of

an earlier age.

Conservatism was Egypt’s character trait, perhaps the principal trait. The ancient

Egyptian’s resistance to significant change for almost

three thousand years is one of the marvels of the history of art.

Ben-Ben is a pyramidal shaped stone or fetish of the Egyptian God Re

The Benben stone, named after the mound, was a sacred stone in the solar temple of Heliopolis.

It was the location on which the first rays of the sun fell.

It is thought to have been the prototype for later obelisks and the capstones of the great pyramids were based on its design.

Ashlar Masonry

Carefully cut and regularly shaped blocks of stone used in construction, fitted together without mortar

Atlantid

A male figure that functions as a supporting column. See also caryatid.

Block StatueIn ancient Egyptian sculpture, a cubic stone image with simplified body parts

Senmut & Princess Nefrurê

CanonA rule, for example, of proportion.

Strict & Rigid.Set by Palette of Narmer

The ancient greeks considered beauty to be a matter of "correct" proportion and sought a canon for proportion, for the human figure and buildings

Engaged columnIn architecture, a column-like, nonfunctional form projecting from a wall and articulating it visually

FlutingVertical channeling, roughly semicircular in cross-section, and used principally on columns and pilasters

Hypostyle Hall

a hall with a roof supported by column

Necropolis

Literally this means "city of the dead"

In Egypt it describes the Valley of the Kings and Queens, areas devoted to burial

Pylon

The wide entrance gateway of an Egyptian temple, characterized by its sloping walls

Luxor

Karnak Eduf