Unraveling the Mysteries of Ancient Egyptian Art

Ancient Egyptian art has and always will play an important role in the development of art. Due to the length of time Egyptians lasted, there are many different artistic styles attributed to their existence. The ancient Egyptians were one of the most innovated civilizations ever seen throughout world history. However, their culture is still not fully represented and there are still mysteries yet to be discovered. Many Ancient Egyptian works of art have more than just a decorative meaning. They are able to tell a story or represent the culture of the Egyptian people. An example of art with a significant meaning and artistic value is the Bust of Sekhmet. It is from New Kingdom Egypt during the reign of Amenhotep III, which was from 1390 to 1353

The New Kingdom period of Ancient Egypt began in 1550 BCE and is also known as the Egyptian Empire period due to Egyptians expanding their borders and power. One of the most famous Egyptian dynasties was prevalent during this time period; the Eighteenth Dynasty. Amenhotep III was the ninth king of the Eighteenth Dynasty and was well known for a time of united harmony (“The New Kingdom”). He was able to obtain significant allies, which in turn gave him protection and a powerful empire. This time of peace gave Amenhotep III the ability to admire and create new works of art. He was a follower of the ancient Egyptian religion which involved many gods and goddesses, but a new religious cult was emerging during his reign that followed the sun god Aten. However, Amenhotep III focused many of his projects on the traditional religious beliefs and deities (Mark 2011). The Bust of Sekhmet is an example of the traditional Egyptian religion. Sekhmet is known as the goddess of war and vengeance who protected the Pharaohs of Egypt. The word “sekhem” can be translated to mean “power.” She was the

It began when Amenhotep III’s son, Akhenaten, took control of Egypt. He abandoned the customary religion and started to worship one god named Aten. Akhenaten’s reign was called the Amarna period and not only did it change the culture, but it had an important impact on artistic styles as well. In general, a major difference that was brought about during this revolutionary phase was stopping the representation of traditional Egyptian deities, such as Sekhmet. Other modifications can be seen through the comparison between the traditional Bust of Sekhmet seen in Figure 1 and the new art style used for the head of Nefertiti seen in Figure 2 (“Nefertiti”). Nefertiti was the wife of Akhenaten and was one of the most powerful women in Egypt at the time. The head of Nefertiti shows how the new artistic style stepped towards an idealized naturalism. This is seen through the natural facial structure with the elongated neck and the extended headdress of Nefertiti. The Bust of Sekhmet is certainly an idealized look, however, the structure is far from a natural representation. This is one example of the difference between the two styles of sculpture. Another example can be seen through the amount of detail and decorative beauty put into each structure. For the head of Nefertiti, there is a much greater amount of detail. This can be seen in the patterns