Egyptian Art

Egypt, Gift of the Nile

Egypt

• Early Settlements began around 10,000 B.C.

• People gathered in small groups, then grew into communities. They lived off of fish, small game and plants.

• 5000 B.C. North Africa climate became dry and forced life style change: Agriculture and control of Nile.

Riverside communities formed alliances and eventually conquered neighbors.

By 3500 B.C. Egypt consisted of two separate nations: Upper & Lower

Around 3100 B.C., Upper (in South) conquered Lower (North).

Egypt : the 1st State

Symbols• Upper Egypt : White bowling pin hat.• Lotus.• Lower Egypt: Red chair like hat.• Papyrus.• Horus: Living Pharaoh• Osiris: Dead Pharaoh• Upper Egypt: Vulture• Lower Egypt: Cobra

Palette of Narmer Pre-Dynastic 3150-3125 B.C.

Burial of Kings and Royaltyand High Officials

First mastabas were bench like structures made of mud brick. Burials were deep below earth with false chambers and doors to foil potential robbers. They contained offerings to the Ka and rooms for ka statues. Saqqara necropolis* for King Djoser had the first stone cut (limestone) pyramid. * Burial chamber, Temple, Houses for Priests,etc

Group of Mastabas Saqqara 4th Dynasty

Step Pyramid of King Djoser3rd. Dynasty

• Imhotep is the first architect’s name in history.• Step pyramid, first cut of stone.• Deceased was mummified (70 day process )• using natron.• Lungs, liver, stomach, and intestines were• placed into canopic jars.• Black to red or white.• Book of the Dead tucked between legs.

Sakkara Pyramid King Djoser

Ka statues, Relief Sculpture and Panel Painting

• The Ka was the spiritual counterpart of the deceased.

• All decorations were for the enjoyment of the Ka.

• The statues looked exactly like the deceased. In the event that the body was removed, the Ka would recognize himself and could leap into the statue.

King Djoser 4th Dynasty

Plan of Funerary DistrictSaqqara

Papyrus-Shaped Half Columns Funerary District

King Djoser, Saqqara

Portrait Panel of Hesy-ra Saqqara 2600 B.C.

Hesy-ra was a scribe in his life.He is pictured with writing tools.

Palette of King Narmer established the canon for representing the human body.Heads are in profile to best represent theNose, chin, and forehead. Full eye, profileHips and feet but full torso.Social rank determines size.

Giza Pyramids Menkaure 2533-2515 B.C.

Khafre 2570-2544 B.C. Khufu 2601-2528 B.C.

Pyramids at Giza4th Dynasty

• Square base and four sloping triangles.\• Maybe sloping sides were meant for

ascension up to the Sun god Ra.\• Kufu’s pyramid is the largest. • 13 acres• 2 ½ ton blocks• Built by unemployed farmers during the

inundation (July to Nov.) Paid in food and clothing.

Giza Structure Pyramid of Khufu

Sphinx at Giza 2570-2544 B.C.

65 feet tall

Carved from live rock

Khafre 2500 B.C. Giza Ka Statue

Horus( Symbol for Pharaoh on earth) stands behind Khafre head.On side panel of throne, Lotus and Papyrus are entwined to show the unification of U and L Egypt.

Diorite stone imported from Nubia.

Menkaure and His Wife Khamereneby 2515 BC

Double portrait discovered in Menkaure’s Valley Temple.Traces of red (Menkaure) and white (Queen) on statues.

Prince Rahotep and Wife Nofret 2580 BC

Men are always painted in red.Women are always painted in white.

Because natron turned the mummy black, embalmers painted the bodies red or white.

Seated Scribe 2400 BC, Saqqara

Scribe profession required difficult arduous training.

Ti watching Hippo Hunt 2510-2460 B.C.

Tomb decoration for Ti’s Ka shows him watching a hippo hunt.

Hippos were considered dangerous as they destroyed crops. In Egyptian mythology, Seth the evil god of darkness disguised himself as a hippopotamus.

Lady Sennuwy 1920 B.C.

Tomb of Nebamun (musicians and dancers) 1350 B.C.

Tomb Nebamun Thebes 1350 B.C.

Middle Kingdom• Middle Kingdom endured turbulent times • including an invasion of the Hyksos,• an Asiatic people, who ruled for over• 200 years.• They were expelled by the Kings of the 18th

• Dynasty.• Contribution of the Hyksos:• They introduced the chariot and the horse to

Egypt.

Queen Hatshepsut18th Dynasty, New Kingdom

• Married her half brother.• When he died, she became• Co regent with stepson• Thutmose III for 20 years.• She built funeral temple• at Deir el-Bahri a• union of architecture and• landscape with terraced• trees, cliffs and flowing water and many • statues .

Temple of Hatshetsup

Complex was carved into a mountainside.

Queen Hatshepsut Temple Deir El-Bahri 1478-1458 B.C.

Akhenaten and the art of the Amarna Period.

Amenhotep IV was a the King of the 18th Dynasty.His power was eclipsed by the powerful priests of Amun.He destroyed the priesthood, and changed his name to Akenaten.His monotheistic religion honored only the sun god Aten, who was to be worshipped only through him, his divine priest.He changed the center of worship from Thebes to Tell-el-Amarna.Akenaten built a new temple to Aten at Karnak.

Nefertiti 1340 BC,Akenaten’s wife who gave him six daughters.

Akhenaten and family 18th Dynasty 1355BC

Royal couple receives blessing of sun god Aten.Ends of rays are Ankhs which give them the “breath of life.”

Amenhotep IVAkhenaten 1348-1336 B.C.

Was this distortion and elongation of features natural?

Was this just the artists’ interpretation?

Were the heads molded intentionally to represent the royalty?

Dynasty of Akhenaten

Queen Tiy

Akenaten’s mother.

Daughters of Akhenaten

Tutankamen,18th Dynasty

• King Tut was a minor king who died at 18.• He was son of Akenaten and 6th daughter.• He returned to polytheistic religion and

moved court back to Thebes.• In 1922, his grave was found by Harold

Carter, archaeologist, with the support of his patron Lord Carnavon.

• He lay inside 3 coffins and the last sarcophagus was over 240 lbs of gold.

King Tut 18th Dynasty

Hunefer’s Judgment• Anubis, the god of embalming and cemeteries, leads the

deceased to the weighing station where his good deeds will be matched to the feather of Maat.

• The Ibis headed god Throth will record the decision.• Anmut (hippo, lion, crocodile combo) “the• eater of the dead” awaits the verdict.• Hunefer passes with flying colors and Anubis • introduces him to the green faced Osiris, King • of the Underworld.• Osiris’ four sons whose heads are on the canopic jars• stand on a lotus blossom.• At top, Hunefer kneels before the nine gods of Heliopolis

and the five personifications of life-sustaining principles.

Book of Dead of Hunefer 1285 B.C. The Weighing of the Heart and Judgment of Osiris

Egyptian Temples• Egyptians were a religious people.• Their chief deity was Amun.• Their temples stressed stability, monumentality• and durability.• They were eternal made of sandstone with• gold throughout.• They used post and lintel construction with • capitals of papyrus.• Only a few could enter the sacred rooms and • hypostyle hall.

Temple Amun at Luxor 1350 B.C.

Pylon of Ramesses Temple of Amun-Mut-Khonsu, Luxor

1279-1212 B. C.

Sun rises from central doorway at dawn.