🎨Art History I – Prehistory to Middle Ages Unit 5 – Ancient Egyptian Art: Sculpture & Architecture

Key Concepts and Timeline

• Ancient Egyptian art spans over 3,000 years from the Early Dynastic Period (c. 3100 BCE) to the Ptolemaic Period (30 BCE)
• Art served religious and political purposes, glorifying gods, kings, and the afterlife
• Old Kingdom (c. 2686-2181 BCE) marked by the construction of the Great Pyramids and the Sphinx
  • Established canonical forms and conventions in art that persisted for centuries
• Middle Kingdom (c. 2055-1650 BCE) saw a resurgence in artistic production after a period of decline
  • Innovations in sculpture, such as the block statue and the seated scribe
• New Kingdom (c. 1550-1069 BCE) was a golden age of Egyptian art and architecture
  • Monumental temples (Karnak, Luxor) and elaborate tomb complexes (Valley of the Kings) constructed
• Late Period (c. 1069-332 BCE) characterized by a return to traditional forms and motifs
  • Increased influence from foreign cultures, particularly the Greeks and Romans

Major Sculptural Works

• The Great Sphinx of Giza, a monumental limestone statue with a human head and a lion's body, likely depicting Pharaoh Khafre (c. 2558-2532 BCE)
• Seated Scribe, a painted limestone sculpture from the Old Kingdom, depicting a lifelike figure engaged in writing (c. 2450 BCE)
• Khafre Enthroned, a diorite statue showcasing the pharaoh's power and divine status (c. 2520 BCE)
• Bust of Nefertiti, a painted limestone bust of Queen Nefertiti, renowned for its elegance and beauty (c. 1345 BCE)
  • Discovered in the workshop of sculptor Thutmose in Amarna
• Colossal statues of Ramesses II at Abu Simbel, depicting the pharaoh in a seated position, symbolizing his power and eternal presence (c. 1279-1213 BCE)
• Ka statue of King Hor, a wooden sculpture embodying the king's life force, or ka, for the afterlife (c. 1783-1650 BCE)

Iconic Architectural Achievements

• The Great Pyramid of Giza, the oldest and largest of the three pyramids, built as a tomb for Pharaoh Khufu (c. 2551 BCE)
  • Originally stood at 481 feet tall and was the tallest man-made structure for nearly 4,000 years
• Pyramid of Khafre and Pyramid of Menkaure, completing the Giza pyramid complex (c. 2520 BCE and c. 2490 BCE, respectively)
• Karnak Temple Complex, the largest religious building ever constructed, dedicated to the god Amun-Ra (c. 2055-100 BCE)
  • Features the Great Hypostyle Hall with 134 massive columns
• Luxor Temple, a large New Kingdom temple complex connected to Karnak by the Avenue of Sphinxes (c. 1400-1200 BCE)
• Temple of Hatshepsut, a mortuary temple for the female pharaoh Hatshepsut, featuring innovative terraced design (c. 1479-1458 BCE)
• Abu Simbel, two massive rock-cut temples built by Ramesses II, featuring colossal statues and intricate reliefs (c. 1264 BCE)

Materials and Techniques

• Sculptors worked with a variety of materials, including limestone, granite, diorite, wood, and precious metals
• Stone sculptures were created using copper chisels, bronze saws, wooden rollers and sleds, and abrasive sand
  • Artisans would begin with a rough block of stone and gradually refine the form
• Lost-wax casting technique used for small-scale metal sculptures and jewelry
  • Involved creating a wax model, encasing it in clay, melting the wax, and pouring molten metal into the mold
• Reliefs carved into stone surfaces using chisels and mallets, with varying depths to create a sense of dimension
  • Sunken relief: figures cut into the stone surface
  • Raised relief: figures projecting from the background
• Paintings created using mineral pigments mixed with water and applied to stone, wood, or papyrus
  • Used a limited palette of colors, each with symbolic meanings (e.g., blue for the Nile, green for vegetation, yellow for the sun)

Symbolism and Iconography

• Hieroglyphic writing system incorporated into art, conveying names, titles, and prayers
• Divine kingship a central theme, with pharaohs depicted as intermediaries between gods and humans
  • Pharaohs often shown wearing the double crown, symbolizing their rule over Upper and Lower Egypt
• Gods and goddesses represented with human bodies and animal heads, each associated with specific attributes and roles
  • Horus, the sky god and protector of the pharaoh, depicted with a falcon head
  • Anubis, the god of mummification and the afterlife, portrayed with a jackal head
• Ankh, the symbol of life, often held by gods and pharaohs in sculptures and reliefs
• Was scepter, representing power and dominion, frequently depicted in the hands of kings and deities
• False beard, a symbol of divine authority, worn by pharaohs in ceremonial depictions

Cultural and Religious Context

• Ancient Egyptian art deeply intertwined with religion and the belief in the afterlife
• Tombs and mortuary temples designed to ensure the pharaoh's successful journey and eternal life in the afterworld
  • Filled with sculptures, reliefs, and paintings to magically provide for the deceased's needs
• Temples served as houses for the gods, where daily rituals and festivals were performed by priests
  • Reliefs and inscriptions on temple walls recorded the pharaoh's interactions with the gods and his role in maintaining cosmic order
• Art production was largely controlled by the state and the priesthood, serving to reinforce the power of the pharaoh and the religious hierarchy
• Artistic conventions, such as the use of a grid system and the combination of frontal and profile views, maintained for thousands of years
  • Reflected the Egyptian belief in the importance of order, stability, and continuity

Influence on Later Art

• Ancient Egyptian art had a profound impact on the art of neighboring cultures, particularly in the Near East and the Mediterranean
• Greek and Roman artists drew inspiration from Egyptian sculpture and architecture
  • Adapted Egyptian motifs, such as the sphinx and the obelisk, into their own artistic traditions
• Egyptian Revival style emerged in Europe and America in the 19th century, following Napoleon's campaigns in Egypt
  • Influenced architecture, decorative arts, and graphic design
• 20th-century artists, such as Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse, found inspiration in the simplified forms and bold colors of Egyptian art
  • Incorporated Egyptian elements into their avant-garde works
• Contemporary artists continue to engage with ancient Egyptian art, reinterpreting its symbols and motifs in new contexts
  • Yinka Shonibare's "Scramble for Africa" series uses Egyptian imagery to comment on colonialism and cultural identity

Key Figures and Patrons

• Imhotep, the architect and high priest credited with designing the first pyramid, the Step Pyramid of Djoser (c. 2670 BCE)
• Pharaoh Khufu, the builder of the Great Pyramid of Giza, the largest and most famous of the Egyptian pyramids (c. 2551 BCE)
• Senenmut, the chief architect and advisor to Queen Hatshepsut, responsible for the design of her mortuary temple (c. 1473-1458 BCE)
• Amenhotep III, a New Kingdom pharaoh known for his extensive building projects and patronage of the arts (c. 1390-1352 BCE)
  • Commissioned the Colossi of Memnon, two massive stone statues guarding his mortuary temple
• Akhenaten, the controversial pharaoh who introduced a new artistic style focused on naturalism and the worship of the sun god Aten (c. 1353-1336 BCE)
• Ramesses II, one of the most celebrated pharaohs, known for his monumental building projects and patronage of the arts (c. 1279-1213 BCE)
  • Commissioned the Abu Simbel temples and the Ramesseum, his mortuary temple
• Ptolemaic rulers, the Greek dynasty that ruled Egypt after Alexander the Great, blending Greek and Egyptian artistic traditions (305-30 BCE)
  • Commissioned the Temple of Edfu and the Temple of Philae, dedicated to the goddess Isis