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Egyptian Art: Cultural Snippet
Egyptian Art: Cultural Snippet
Cultural Snippet
Egyptian culture developed along the
banks of the Nile river more than
3000 B.C.
Religion influenced every part of
Egyptian life.
Pharaohs or Egyptian rulers were
worshiped as gods and pyramids
were built as tombs.
Egyptians believed in life after
death and preserved bodies using
mumification.
Hieroglyphics & Painting
Sculpture & Architecture
Pottery
Jewelry
Characteristics of Ancient Egyptian Art
• heavily influenced by everyday life, especially religion and life after death
• all art looked similar to preserve a sense of stability amongst the people
• The Egyptians strictly upheld the style of frontalism, adhering carefully to stylistic rules
• the subject's head is always drawn in profile with the full eye shown
• The upper body is depicted from the front and the legs face in the same direction as the
head with one foot in front of the other
• The person in the picture sits or stands stiff and rigid in a formal posture, but the face is
calm and usually slightly tilted toward the sky.
Stele of Nefertiabet
From Giza
c. 2590 BC (4th Dynasty)
Painted limestone
H 37.5 m; W 52.5 m
Hieroglyphics and Painting
•Besides pyramids and sphinxes, the
Egyptians are known for
hieroglyphics, or a form of picture
writing.
•Hieroglyphics use small pictures
which represent different words,
actions, or ideas.
•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 Wall painting of Nefertari
afterworld or protective deities
Egypt West Bank Tombs
Ancient Egyptian Architecture
Scant tree growth prevented the extensive use of wood as a building material.
• Both sun-dried and kiln-dried bricks were used extensively. Fine sandstone, limestone, and granite
were available for obelisks, sculpture, and decorative uses.
•
All dwelling houses, built of timber or of sun-baked bricks, have disappeared
• Only temples and tombs have survived. Their walls were immensely thick and built using durable
materials like stone
• The belief in existence beyond death (reincarnation) resulted in existing architecture of utmost
impressiveness and permanence.
• Even during periods of foreign rule, Egyptian architecture clung to its native characteristics,
adopting almost no elements or influence from other cultures.
Egypt, El Giza, Great Pyramid also known as "Pyramid of Cheops" or
"Khufu's Pyramid" 2600-2480 BCE, The base of the pyramid covers
about 13 acres. To build the Great Pyramid it took an about
2,300,000 dressed stone blocks (averaging 2.5 tons each) -- more
than any other structure ever built. The blocks were moved on log
rollers and sledges, and then ramped into place.
Photo, overview of the Sphinx
• The Sphinx is another example of a Pharaoh (Khafre)
demonstrating his power.
•The massive size and the head of Pharaoh Khafre on the body
of a lion was intended to demonstrate the power of the
pharaoh.
•Carved from stone at the site and stands at 65 feet tall.
Bust of Nefertiti
Seated Man Seated Scribe Sebek em hat
The Large Sphinx
Found at Tanis
Pink granite
Relief Sculpture
• Virtually all the wall-sculptures of the Ancient Egyptian Empire are in the form of bas-relief (low-relief)
• Relief-composition merely meant arranging the figures in horizontal lines so as to record an event or represent an
action.
• The principal figures were distinguished from others by their size - gods were shown larger than men, kings larger
than their followers, and the dead larger than the living.
Ancient Egyptian Pottery
Pottery was used by the ancient Egyptians in much the same way we use modern kitchen
containers or plastic,
Nile silt ware - Nile clay. After being fired, it has a red-brown color. This type of pottery was used
for common, utilitarian purposes, though at times it might have been decorated or painted. Blue
painted pottery was somewhat common during the New Kingdom (1,550-1,069 BC).
Marl Clay – made from material found around Qena in Upper Egypt. This type of pottery was
usually thought superior to the common Nile mud pottery, and so it was often used for decorative
and other functions.
Ancient
Egyptian
Funerary Masks
& Coffins and
Jewelry
Tutanhkamun pendant
Art of Egypt
The British Museum – Ancient Egyptian Exhibition
• Ancient Egyptian Civilization