Egypt

Old Kingdom 3100-2185 BC

Middle Kingdom 2133-1786 BC
New Kingdom 1580-1085 BC

ArtistasMagician

New
Vocabulary
Ka
Palatte
Mastaba
Pylon

CivilizationinEgyptorganizedearlier,butfirst
dynasties3000BCthestartoftheoldkingdom
Pharaohwassupremerulerandagodbasisofall
civilizationandofartwork
Knowledgeofcivilizationrestsolelyintombs
Preoccupationwiththecultofthedead(likeNeolithic)
butnofearofthespiritsofthedead
Eachpersonmustprovideforthehappinessofhis
afterlifewouldreproducedailylifeintombsfortheirKa
(spirit)toenjoyblurringoflinebetweenlifeanddeath
Tombwaslikeafterlifeinsurance

Utilitarianusedtoprepareeye
makeup(toprotectfromsunglare)
KingNarmerunitedupperand
lowerEgyptwearsthecrownof
upperEgypt
Paletteisfirstknownworkof
historicalart(asopposedtopre
historic)andisnotfunerary
Symbolsinclude:Papyrus(lower
Egypt),falcon(Horus),barefeet,
lowerfigures

PaletteofKingNarmer,c.3000BC

OtherSide

appearsbarefootagainand
marchestoinspectdecapitated
enemies.
Pharohisstrongbulltrampling
enemyandknockingdowna
citadelbullstailisapartof
pharohgarbfor3000years
Centersectionisasymbolfor
unificationusedtoholdeye
makeup
Bothpanelshaveastrongsense
oforderorganizedintobands
Artistworksforclarityfirst
Only3viewsfrontal,profile,
fromabove
Strivestoshowpharaohinmost
completewaybutthisprevents
anyfeelingofmovement

TombArchitecture
relatesonlytoPharaohandhighofficials

StepPyramidofZoser,
2600bc
BuiltonaMastaba(Arabicforbench),burialchamberdeep
undergroundwithashaftlinkingittothepyramid,meanttoserveasa
greatmonument

StepPyramidofKingZoser,3rdDynasty,2600BC
Partofahugefunerarydistrictwithtemplesandotherbuildings,
scenesofreligiouscelebrationbeforeandafterdeathboth
symbolicandpractical

DesignedbyImhotep1stknownartistinrecordedhistory

Columns
Egyptianarchitecturebeganwithmudbricks,wood,reeds
Imhotepusedcutstonemasonry
stylewassimilartolessenduringmaterialcolumnsarealways
engagedratherthanfreestandingjustlikebundlesofreedsused
tolooklike
nowcolumnshadanexpressivepurposeratherthanjust
functionalhadaprofoundimpactonGreekarchitecture
taperingflutedcolumnsweredesignedforharmonyandelegance,
notjusttoholdthingsup
PapyruscolumnsarelinkedwithlowerEgypt

GreatPyramidsatGiza,4thDynasty
EgyptiandeadwerealwaysburiedonthewestsideoftheNile,wherethe
sunsets
BurialChamberisinthecenterofthepyramidratherthanunderneath
Originallycoveredinsmoothstone,builtoverthecourseof75years
FunerarydistrictismuchmoreorganizedthanZosersurroundedby
mastabasandsmallerpyramids
Pyramidshapecamefromcultofthesungod,Re,alsofromstepshape

TheGreatSphinx,PyramidsatGiza
Nexttopyramids(closesttoChefron)servesasguardian
65feettall,carvedfromonestone
DamagedduringIslamictimes,buthadfeaturesofChefron
Endoftheperiodofhugescalemonuments

ChefronfromGiza,2500BC

Servedasabackupincase
mummiesweredestroyed
Madeofcarvedofextremely
hardstonecalleddiorite
showsenthronedkingwiththe
falconofthegodHorus
Showstheartistscubicviewof
thehumanfigurecreatedby
drawingthefrontandsideview
ofthefigureontheblockofstone
andthenworkinginwarduntilthe
viewsmet

figureisimmobileandfirmthe
bodyisimpersonalbuttheface

hassomeindividualtraits

Standing(commonpose),bothhave
leftfootforward,yettheyarenot
movingforward
Noemotionoutwardlyortowards
eachother
sameheight,provideacomparison
ofmaleandfemalebeauty

MycerinusandQueen

Mostposeswereseatedor
standinganotherposeadded
inthe4thcenturyBC
thescribeposecrosslegged
onthegroundscribeisa
lowercourtofficialmost
scribesweresonsofpharaohs.
Alertexpressioninface,
individualizedtorsoflabby
andmiddleaged
Servestrueforthehistoryof
artthelowertherankofthe
subject,themorerealismis
used

SeatedScribe

Tombpaintings(nonroyal)
landscapeswerepopular
backgroundisveryactive
Tiismuchlargerthanothers
showsimportance
Tiisntengaginginactivityhes
watchingalsoshowsimportance
Actionisgoingonafterdeathbody
doesnotrespond,butthespirit
appreciatestheactivity
Scenesarenotnostalgic,they
describelifecycleactivities
Successofthehuntsymbolizes
triumphoverevil

TiWatchingaHippo

TheMiddleKingdom

Collapseofcentralized
pharaonicpowerattheendof
thesixthdynasty=Egypt
enteredpoliticaldisturbancefor
700years
powerbylocaloverlordswho
revivedrivalryofthe
north/south
after12thcentury,invadedby
Hyksos,ofAsiaticoriginand
ruledfor150yearsuntil1570
BC
Portraiturefacesaretroubled
ratherthanserenehaveself
awarenessveryrealistic
physicallyandpsychological

PortraitofSesostris,1850BC

New Kingdom...
500yearsfollowingHyksos18th20thdynastiesareagoldenageofEgypt
extendedbordersintoPalestineandSyriaperiodknownastheempiretremendous
tradeandarchitecturalprojectscenteringonnewcapital,Thebes
divinityofkingsnowconnectedwithgodAmunwhowasfusedwithRa(sungod)
andwastheultimatedeitypriestsofAmungrewinwealthandinpowerand
500yearsfollowingHyksos18 20 dynastiesarea3 goldenageofEgyptextended
bordersintoPalestineandSyriaperiodknownastheempiretremendousarchitectural
threatenedpowerofpharaoh
projectscenteringonnewcapital,Thebes
divinityofkingsnowconnectedwithgodAmunwhowasfusedwithRa(sungod)and
AmenhotepIVtriedtogainmorepowerbydeclaringtheexistenceofonlyonegod,
wastheultimatedeitypriestsofAmungrewinwealthandinpowerandthreatened
powerofpharaohAmenhotepIVtriedtogainmorepowerbydeclaringtheexistenceof
thesungodAtenchangedhisnametoAkhenaten,closedtheAmuntemples,and
onlyonegod,thesundiskAtenchangedhisnametoAkhenaten,closedtheAmun
movedthecapitaltocentralEgypt
temples,andmovedthecapitaltocentralEgypthisattemptsatmonotheismdidnot
outlasthisreign(13651347BC)countrybecamebasedonpriestsuntil
hisattemptsatmonotheismdidnotoutlasthisreign(13651347BC)country
becamebasedonpriestsuntiluntiltakenoverbyGreekandRomans
NewKingdomartcoversmanystyles
th

th

rd

Built1480BC
againstrockycliffs,
BuiltbyHatshepsut,
thefirstgreatfemale
ruleroftenportrayed
asamaninportraits
dedicatedtoAmun
linkedbyrampsand
colonnadestoasmall
chamberdeepinthe
rock
greatexampleof
architecturewithin
naturalsettingramps
echoshapeofcliffs

TempleofHatshepsut,1480BC

Moreimperial
palacesbuilt
Dedicatedto
Amun,supreme
God
Anexampleofthe
formofmostNew
KingdomPalaces
EntranceisaPylon
Closedoffbywalls
FacestheNile
Columnsmade
muchheavierthan
neededandwere
elaboratelycarved

TempleatLuxor,1390BC

Howhasstyle
changed?

MaiandhisWife

Howhasthesocietysvisionofbeauty
changed?
Moreandrogynous,weakerlooking
why??

Akhenatendone15yearslater

Afamousexampleofthe
AkhenatenStyle
Newsenseofstylethat
unfreezestheimmobilityof
Egyptianart
Wasunfinishedandfoundin
thesculptorsstudio

QueenNofretete,1360BC

Styleandreligionreturnedtotradition
TutankhamenwasAkhenatenssondiedatage18
Threenestingcoffins

Oweshisfametotheundisturbed
contentsofhistomb!!

CoffinofTutankhamen