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The influence of Egyptian art
Egyptian art and religion
Painting and sculptures of egyptian time
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Recommended: The influence of Egyptian art
The popularity of and the fascination with Egyptian Art come from the pyramids, mummies, and hieroglyphs. The theme of the exhibition is about racial types in Ancient Egyptian Art it will survey the various naturalistic facial features found in the non-royal sculptures. In contrast, the Royal portraits are extremely symbolic in representing human figures with the combination of human gods and animal forms that tend to portray idealized, conventional faces of Egypt. Utilizing objects from the permanent collection at the Brooklyn Museum of Art, this exhibit will display 25 portraits of nobleman, officials, and local individuals in order to hint at a variety of racial subdivision such as the Hykos, Nubian, Persian and Roman influence in the artistic representations of the Ancient Egyptian portraitures.
Politically and geographically, Ancient Egypt was divided into two zones, Delta and the Nile Valley also known as the upper and lower Egypt. The name of the country can be derived from the ancient Greek word for the Nile Valley in Arabic which is called al-Misr, meaning the “two regions.” The title of my exhibit is Al-Misr: The Identity Within. This exhibit is a play on the dual meaning of the country's name and the exotic language that exposes the nature of civilization over time. The opening night for the exhibit will be in the beginning of the year/month, in consideration with the time of festivities and celebration for the ancient Egyptians (January 1st -May 20th, 2012). The special gallery on the third floor (Morris and Mayer Schapiro Wing), will showcase a diversity of ethnicities that have shaped the civilization over thousands of years and it will set out to shatter a conventional belief of a commonly recognized features o...
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...ter a conventional belief of the contemporary interpretation of the Egyptian facial representation. The goal is to incorporate realistic portraits of non-royal Ancient Egyptian members, in hopes to stir a dialogue among both scholar, and non-scholarly crowds. The main issue with this exhibit was that some of the pieces were spread out which did not allow comparative advantages however I would argue that from a distance one may catch a keen difference from the corner of one's eye easier than if you were to blatantly examine two very similar pieces. The interpretation of Ancient Egyptian facial features has been spurred and morphed by Hollywood for too many years and it is time for us to explore the origins of such depictions. This exhibit clearly challenges our interpretations of a people we did not know and may prove us contradictory students of history with time.
The Ancient Egyptian sculpture, “Statue of Nykara and His Family”, was sculpted during the late fifth dynasty. The sculpture is a depiction of Nykara, his wife, Nubkau, and son, Ankhma-Re. The statue is in poor condition with pieces of limestone missing and chips on the three subject’s faces and bodies. The painted limestone shows the conventional colors for the male and female subjects. There is a clear discoloration among Nykara and his son’s bodies. The brownish red color they once were has eroded to a light yellowish color, which resembles the purposeful color of Nykara’s wife. The hieroglyphs on Nykara’s seat insinuate that the sculpture is meant to be viewed from the front view. This is also evident by the way the three subjects are facing forward in frontal view. There are hieroglyphs on both the chair and base of the statue near Nykara’s wife and son’s feet.
These two statues are famous to the Egyptian art era. They represent the woman’s position and the man’s position at that day and age. Traditionally, the rulers of Egypt were male. So, when Hatshepsut, Dynasty 18, ca. 1473-1458 B.C., assumed the titles and functions of king she was portrayed in royal male costumes. Such representations were more for a political statement, rather than a reflection of the way she actually looked. In this sculpture, she sits upon a throne and wears the royal kilt and the striped nemes (NEM-iss) headdress with the uraeus (cobra) and is bare chested like a man. However, she does not wear the royal beard, and the proportions of her body are delicate and feminine.
Assmann, Jan. The Mind of Egypt: History and Meaning in the Time of the Pharaohs.
The Head of Augustus, that is located in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, is a combination of Roman and Egyptian art. The Roman technique used to sculpt Augustus’ head is highly valued, but it is the Egyptian faience practice that makes this work of art significant. To best understand why this sculpture was created under the influence of these two cultures, a brief review of history is discussed.
The statue of King Menkaure and his Queen exhibits with clarity the Egyptian devotion of art to a cannon of proportions. Its strictly frontal view point, the rigid poses of the figures, and a faithful accordance to rules and established customs can be interpreted as manifesting the nature of the Pharaoh’s authority over his subjects while at the same time exemplifying the highly regulated, hierarchical structure of ancient Egyptian society. The measured grid of verticals and counterbalancing horizontals, the stiff artificial postures and the overall idealized anatomical shapes of the bodies combined with naturalism is indicative of Egyptian taste for art and a representation of the character of Egyptian culture.
The New Kingdom in ancient Egypt, from 1550 – 1070 BC, was a time of extraordinary wealth, power, and the continuation of the arts in the classic ancient Egyptian style. Characterized by the abstract and impersonal depiction of humans, along with the strength of the Egyptian Empire, the New Kingdom is considered the peak of power and prosperity in ancient Egypt. “Fragmentary lid from the coffin of Wadj-shemsi-su” is a piece created in this time period that was originally part of a portrait located on the top of the king’s coffin. Because the coffin would carry the king’s mummified body in his tomb, the portrait depicts the pharaoh as being prepared for the Underworld, as well as being the ideal body for the spirit of the king to flow through. The objective of the coffin’s portrait is also to convey the power of the kingdom, putting emphasis on the king’s image and the immense wealth that accompanies him. In addition to the piece’s function as a coffin, “Fragmentary lid from the coffin of Wadj-shemsi-su” embodies the strength and wealth of the New Kingdom through the piece’s human face, use of bright colors, and geometric detailing.
Egyptian art is infamous across the world - classified by the monumental pyramids, and the Sphinx. Although these are both valid forms of Egyptian art, they do not make up the entire artistic history of the country. On the contrary, perhaps the most replicated example of classic Egyptian art, from the Old Kingdom, can be found in their rendering of the human form. An interest in portraiture developed early in Egypt. (Gardner, 75) Whether painted on pottery, or cut into rock, the figures all had notably Egyptian characteristics. "The seated statue is one of only a very small number of basic formulaic types employed by the sculptors of the Old Kingdom." (Gardner, 75)
The Egyptians and the Athenians were two separate civilizations that lived during different times. Many of their art pieces that we find now are similar, but very different at the same time. During this essay I will be comparing and contrasting two statues that are from two different civilizations. We will see how the Athenians took many of the Egyptians techniques into their art, but we will see their unique style as well.
The Egyptian culture was a culture that lasted about 3,000 years and was located near the Nile River. The Nile River provided most of the resources for the Egyptians; therefore, a lot of the artwork was based on representing these bountiful resources. Another major influence of the artwork that was created was the kings and gods that were held at such high standards (Stokstad and Cothren, 50). There is one king in particular that was known in history for his great accomplishments, this king was King Narmer. The Egyptian’s expressed their respect for this king through a palette known as The Palette of Narmer. This piece is one of the firsts of Egyptian times that sets the morals for Egyptian artwork; it was created in the Early Dynastic time period. The Palette of Narmer tells a vast political story of the history of Egypt and the king, King Narmer.
Scott, N. The Daily Life of the Ancient Egyptians. The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, New Series, Vol. 31, No. 3, The Daily Life of the Ancient Egyptians (Spring, 1973), pp. 123-170
Over the history of man, there have been many prosperous empires that ruled in different parts of the world. Babylon and Egypt are two of these empires that ruled almost 500 years apart, but had one thing in common, great artistic works. Wall paintings such as the Babylonian work Investiture of Zimrilim, and the Egyptian Queen Neferati Making an Offering to Isis are examples of the great works of their times. Both pieces are rich in meaning and background, share many similarities, but differences can be seen in their style due to the time periods.
The ancient Egyptians are known for many of the incredible aspects of their culture and everything they have produced. Some of the well known ancient Egyptian relics are the ones like the ancient pyramids, the Great Sphinx of Giza, mummies, and their many forms of art. Ancient Egyptian art is one of the most recognized styles of art. The most commonly known types of ancient Egyptian art are types like paintings, ceramics, and sculptures. Not only is Egyptian art beautiful, but it carries a huge deal of value and significance with it. A great portion of the time, the art has some kind of religious meaning to it. Consequently it is very difficult to discuss the art itself without delving into the various gods and goddesses presented in it. Something that particularly struck me about ancient Egyptian art was their proneness to use animals in their art. Not only do they use the animal’s full figure, but they also put individual parts on human bodies. This intrigued me because not many cultures have art that embrace animals to this extent. I will be exploring why the ancient Egyptians depict animals in their art repeatedly, and considering what they meant to them.
Wynn, Lisa L Pyramids and Nightclubs: A travel ethnography of Arab and Western imaginations of Egypt, from King Tut and a Colony of Atlantis to rumors of sex orgies, urban legends about a marauding prince, and blonde belly dancers. University of Texas Press, 2007.
W. Raymond Johnson, The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology, (1996), pp. 65-82, Date viewed 19th may, http://www.jstor.org/stable/pdfplus/3822115.pdf?&acceptTC=true&jpdConfirm=true
Hawass,Zahi. Egyptology at the Dawn of the Twentity-first Century. Cairo: The American University in Cairo Press, 2000.