Art & Architecture of Ancient Egypt
Mask of Tutankhamun's
mummy
Pharaoh of Egypt Reign ca.
1332–1323 BC,
18th Dynasty
The Palette of Narmer (Left View). Early Dynastic period, c. 2950 BCE.
The Palette of Narmer (Left View). Early Dynastic period, c. 2950 BCE.
The Palette of Narmer (Right View). Early Dynastic period, c. 2950 BCE.
Serekh (area where the royal name is inscribed)
“Dip” or impression for grinding cosmetics
Link: Excellent formal and contextual analysis of the Palette of Narmer
Egyptian Symbols.
The Egyptian Canon of Proportions
Leonardo da Vinci, c. 1487
Ideas to keep in mind for Ancient Egyptian Art
1) conventions for royal portraits in Ancient Egypt
2) link between gods and kings, often realized in
temple architecture and temple art
3) Ancient Egyptian belief in the afterlife, “ka,”
which was manifested in the design of funerary
architecture and funerary art
Ancient Egyptian Art
Dynastic Period: 2950 – 2575 BCE
Old Kingdom: 2575 – 2150 BCE
Middle Kingdom: 1975 – 1640 BCE
New Kingdom: 1539 – 1075 BCE
Third Intermediate Period/Late Egyptian Art: 1075 - 332 BCE
Ancient Egypt: Early Dynastic Art
c. 2950 – 2575 BCE
Mastaba to Pyramid.
Mastaba Tomb, Saqqara
The Step Pyramid and Sham Buildings, Funerary Complex
of Djoser, Saqqara. Height of pyramid 204’.
Djoser Pyramid, Saqqara
Meidum Pyramid, c 2600 BCE
Great Pyramids, Giza. Fourth Dynasty, c. 2575–2450 BCE.
Height of pyramid of Khufu, 450'.
Model of the Giza Plateau.
Menkaure and a Queen. Fourth Dynasty, 2490–2472 BCE. Height 54 1/2”.
Seated Scribe. Fifth Dynasty, c. 2450–2325 BCE. Height 21”.
Butcher. Fifth Dynasty, c. 2450–2325 BCE. Height 14 5/8”.
(l) Tomb decoration depicting
Annubis mummifying and (below)
scene from a Book of the Dead
Met TOAH Link to a Book of the Dead Scroll: Section from the "Book of the Dead"
of Nany, Third Intermediate Period, Dynasty 21, reigns of Psensennes I–II, ca. 1040–945
B.C.Egyptian; Western ThebesPainted and inscribed papyrus
Brooklyn Museum sends a mummy for
a CT scan. They’ve just discovered that
the mummy Prince Pasebakhaienipet
has his heart still in place and a piece of
reed stuck in his throat.
Link to the Brooklyn Museum Mummy video
Worker graves at Giza – video clip from History Channel
“Chasing Mummies” here shows a worker cemetery.
Karnak Temple is a vast
temple complex in Luxor
dedicated primarily to
Amun and dating from as
early as 2000 BC.
Large Kneeling Statue of Hatshepsut
Period: New Kingdom
Dynasty: Dynasty 18
Reign: Joint reign of Hatshepsut and Thutmose III
Date: ca. 1473–1458 B.C.
The Rosetta Stone
Egypt, Ptolemaic Period, 196 BC
Examples of the Egyptian demotic script on the left and Egyptian hieroglyphics on the right
flanking classical Greek script in the middle. On the Rosetta Stone itself, the ordering of the
scripts is Egyptian hieroglyphics on the top, followed by the demotic script with Greek script on
the bottom.
Definitions
“Convention”
An artistic convention is a method or style of conveying or portraying something that is widely
used and recognized as meaning a certain thing (or conforming to a certain style).
“Contour”
Contour drawing shows the outline of the subject, and not the volume or mass of an object.
Link to Wiki entry on Ancient Egyptian Pantheon
“Under King Djoser’s Burial Chamber” link here