Egyptian Flashcards
What does ancient Egyptian art/architecture tell us about their cultural attitudes toward death?
The Ancient Egyptians believed in immortality, and that death was just a little bit of an interruption. They mummified bodies so that a person’s ka could return back to them, and their tombs were so elaborate and decorative with riches so that the person would be provided for in the afterlife
Hoe does Egyptian art relate to Mesopotamian art?
- perfection in the human figure
- composite view
- art was used to worship gods and goddesses
How does the idealization of the human body relate to social and political structure?
Pharaohs and other rulers were often depicted as ideal figures in order to represent that they were a strong, capable leader to their people. It may also have had something to do with the fact that they wanted to appear almost godlike, so that the people would see them as a strong leader
Who were the patrons of art?
The patrons of art were the pharaohs
Idealization in Egyptian art vs Naturalization in Egyptian art
Most examples of Egyptian art are examples of idealization, such as Menkaure and Khameremebty, the bust of Nefertiti, etc… The Seated Scribe is more naturalistic bc he doesn’t have a perfect body, and is seen doing his profession. The statue of Akhenaton also doesn’t have an ideal body
How do Pharaohs Hatshepsut and Akhenaten relate to the arts?
Under Hatshepsut, the Funerary Temple of Hatshepsut was built. Under Akhenaten, there was a religious upheaval, and therefore a corresponding revolution in Egyptian art; art was more realistic, and there was a lot of representation of the sun god
Imhotep, Step Pyramid of Djoser
- part of an acropolis; 6 mastabas, each side faces one of the sides of the compass
- tomb to house remains of the deceased
- Imhotep began the tradition of large scale tombs
Pyramids of Gizeh
- Khufu (large), Khafre (medium), Menkaure (small)
- where Egyptian’s are reborn as the sun is reborn
- encased in limestone
- convey a sense of power and durability
- west side of the Nile
- similar to Orion’s belt
Menkaure and Khamerernebty (?)
- Menkaure’s left leg is forward, but no distribution of weight
- K appears calm, while M has clenched fists which refer to his power = balance
- ideal bodies and a lack of emotion
- K could possibly be a fertility figure
Seated Scribe (Kai)
- displays different kinds of art
- not royalty, the sculpture took liberties
- more realistic; body isn’t ideal, he is ding his profession, sits on the ground
- found in his mastaba
Funerary Temple of Hatshepsut
- axial plan = central, symmetrical walkway
- 200 statues in the round
- extensive relief that shows Hatshepsut’s divine birth and coronation
- low level (Sphinx), upper (standing up)
Akhenaten, Nefertiti, and their three Daughters
- the sun is emphasized, bc Akhenaten advocated for only one god, the sun god
- children are held in a very intimate way
Gold Death Mask of Tutankhamen
- similar to Old Kingdom, Menkaure
- Tut ruled for ten years
- changed things to how they were before Akhenaten
- in the guise of Osiris
Hieroglyph
a character of the ancient Egyptian writing system
Hypostyle
having a roof supported by pillars, typically in several rows
Ka
the supposed spiritual part of an individual human being or god, which survived (with the soul) after death and could reside in a statue of the person
Mastaba
an ancient Egyptian tomb rectangular in shape with sloping sides and a flat roof, consisting of an underground burial chamber with rooms above it in which to store offerings
Pharaoh
a ruler in ancient Egypt
Register
a vertical level in a work that consists of several levels, especially where the levels are clearly separated by lines
Narrative art
Art that tells a story, such as a relief
Relief
where the sculpted elements remain attached to a solid background of the same material
Hatshepsut
The first great female monarch of Egypt
damnatio memoriae
A term that means condemnation of memory, meaning that the person shouldn’t be remembered. This happened to Hatshepsut when Thutmose III wanted to erase her
Akhenaten
Abandoned the worship of most Egyptian gods in favor of Aton, the sun god. This religious revolution led to a revolution of art and architecture as well
canon of proportions
used canon of proportion based on the fist, with 18 fists from ground to hairline
naturalism
a style and theory of representation based on the accurate depiction of detail
Old Kingdom vs New Kingdom
The Old Kingdom was when the pyramids of gizeh were built and the great sphinx; The New kingdom was the most glorious period of Egypt’s, and kings began calling themselves Pharaoh’s
Stylized
depict or treat in a mannered and nonrealistic style
