Compare and Contrast 4th Dynasty painting and sculpture and the reign of Ahkenaten

The sculptures and paintings produced during the Fourth Egyptian Dynasty set the standard of Egyptian art until the end of the dynastic periods. Egypt was a culture steeped in religion and bound by the ideas of order and balance; and so was their artwork. Because most pieces produced were depictions of reigning pharaoh’s divine relationship with the Egyptian gods and his role as king of Egypt (Hawass), the Fourth Egyptian Dynasty gave life to specific cannon in Egyptian art called the “law of frontality (Egyptian Art).” All gods, pharaohs and noblemen would be depicted based on this standard. These standards left little room for artistic innovation until the reign of Akhenaten at the end of the Eighteenth Dynasty. The pharaoh Akhenaten abandoned the artistic style and religion of the Old Kingdom and created his own called the Armarna Style. Both periods produced beautiful architecture and artwork but the artist of Akhenaten’s reign were given more creative liberties and produced more life-like pieces.

The Fourth Dynasty was a time of peace in Egyptian history and the transition between pharaohs was believed to be seamless allowing for a great amount of artistic work to be produced (Hawass). It is believed that the temple workshops formulated the cannon for which Egyptian art could be fashioned (Hawass). In statue the pharaoh and the royal family were only depicted based on the strictest of guidelines; “the human figure was usually represented with the head in profile, the eye and shoulders in front view, and the pelvis, legs, and feet in profile (Egyptian Art),” known as the “law of frontality (Egyptian Art).” Like the stature of Khafra from Giza, he was carved with in an unyielding frontal pose. Smooth and perfect, his phys...

... middle of paper ...

...ts of Egypt quickly returned to the “law of frontality,” but for a brief period of time during the Eighteenth dynasty they enjoyed a period of free creativity.

Works Cited

Akhenaten: The Rebel Pharoh. Dir. Peter Spry-Leverton.The Learning Channel. 1998. DVD.

“Egyptian Art.” Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th Edition(2013):1-2. Academic Search Complete. Web. 13 Mar. 2014.

“The Peak and Splendour of the Old Kingdom from the Fourth Dynaty to the end of the Sixth.” Zahi Hawass.Web. 15 Mar. 2014.

Davies, Penelope J.E, et al. Janson’s History of Art Eighth Edition Volume 1. Upper Saddle River: Laurence King Publishing ltd, London. 2011. Print.

Documentium. “Inside of the Great Pyramid of Giza”.Youtube.com. National Geographic. Aug. 18 2013. Web. Mar. 10, 2014.

Prisse, d’Avennes. Atlas of Egyptian Art. Egypt: The American University in Cairo Press. 200. Print