Egyptian Art
Style
• The definition of style when used in art is:
– an artwork, artist, or movement that follows a
distinctive method, form, and set of rules
– For example any loose brushy, dripped or poured
abstract painting is called expressionistic.
– Often a style is linked with a particular historical
period, set of ideas, or movement.
Style Example
Abstract Expressionism
Jackson Pollock
Wassily Kandinski
Egyptian Art
• Government Controlled Rules of Art
• 3100 BCE through 31 BCE (Roman Conquest)
Egyptian art is said to be timeless.
For nearly 3,000 years artists used many of the
same artistic rules made by priests.
Where do we see Egyptian Art?
Most Egyptian art is found on the
thousands of burial tombs
and temple walls scattered across Egypt.
What purpose did it have?
The Egyptians held the belief that the
preservation of the body was not enough.
If the likeness of the person and all aspects of
life and the Egyptian beliefs of the afterlife
were preserved upon the walls it would help
the ka in the afterlife.
This concept also applies to all of the statues,
jewelry, furniture, and etc. that were placed in
the tomb.
Stylistic Rules
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Used to decorate tombs and temple walls
Linear Picture Plane
Horror vacui
Hierarchical scale
Geometric Regularity
NEPOHB: Natural & easy position of the human body
a.
b.
c.
d.
Head in profile
“Full face eye”
Full torso and legs
Two “inside” feet
Linear Picture Plane
All of the forms are in line.
No background or foreground
YES
No
Horror vacui
“Fear of empty spaces”
Art crowded with figures or decorations.
YES
No
Hierarchical scale
Art showing more important figures
larger than less important figures.
YES
No
Geometric Regularity
Use of basic shape and a repetition of patterns
YES
No
NEPOHB
Natural & easy position of the human body
Everything (all parts of the body)had to be
represented from its most characteristic angle
(all at the same time).
Consider the effect which this idea had on the
representation of the human body.
Head in Profile
The head was most easily seen
in profile so they drew it sideways.
YES
No
“Full Face Eye”
If we think of the human eye we think of it as seen
from the front. Accordingly, a full-face eye was
planted into the side view of the face.
YES
No
Full Torso and Legs
The top half of the body, the shoulders and chest, are best seen from
the front, for then we see how the arms are hinged to the body.
Conversely, arms and legs in movement are much more clearly
seen sideways.
YES
No
“Two Inside Feet”
Egyptian artists found it hard to visualize either foot
seen from the outside. They preferred the clear
outline from the big toe upwards.
YES
No
Egyptian Art Review
Not all the rules listed will appear on every piece
of art. However, a majority of the rules were
used. The rules were also consistently followed
for 3000 years creating a unique style of art that
we can clearly associate with the Ancient
Egyptians.
*Many of the “Yes” photos are not from the Egyptian style of art.
They were used to represent the singular concept.