Art of Ancient Egypt
Art of
Ancient Egypt
By Phuong Anh
By Phuong Anh / 7 Orange
Art of Ancient Egypt
-Content Symbolism
 Painting
 Art forms:
- Architecture
- Music
- Pottery
- Sculpture
By Phuong Anh / 7 Orange
Art of Ancient Egypt
-IntroductionAncient Egypt was one of the greatest civilizations in the
ancient history, but besides all of the great things that ancient
Egyptians have done in the past, have you ever even think
about the ART of ancient Egypt ?
Besides the amazing things that makes ancient Egypt great,
the history of art in Egypt is also quite remarkable, although
not much, that’s why some people have difficulties looking for
the right book when it comes to art of ancient Egypt, but
that’s not such a trouble anymore, correct? You have
technology and computers now, so it should be easy, right?
But try looking for all that information on the internet; it is any
easier than looking for a book?
In this book, you will read about the basic information about
the art of ancient Egypt. Ancient Egypt is about symbolism,
paintings and art forms like architecture or sculpture. Although
you may not find many details for adults, but this book is a fine
book for any young people who want to know about the
history of art of ancient Egypt…
By Phuong Anh / 7 Orange
Art of Ancient Egypt
Symbolism
By Phuong Anh / 7 Orange
Art of Ancient Egypt
-SymbolsSymbolism also played an important role in establishing a
sense of order. Animals are also often seen in symbolic figures
in Egyptian art. Colors are also used: red skin implied strong
tanned youth, where as yellow skin was used for women or man
who worked indoors; blue or gold indicated divinity because of
its unnatural appearance and association with precious
materials; and black for royal figures expressed the fertility of
the Nile from which Egypt was born. Stereotypes were used
to indicate the origins of foreigners.
By Phuong Anh / 7 Orange
Art of Ancient Egypt
*Some of ancient Egyptian common symbols*
-AnkhThis is the symbol of eternal life. Many of the Egyptian gods and goddess
are often seen holding the Ankh, sometimes holding it to someone’s lip; this is
considered to be an offering of “The Breath of Life”. The Breath of Life is
believed to be the breath that the dead will need in the afterlife.
-UdjatThis symbol is the eye of Horus. The legend about this symbol
was once in an argument, Horus’s eye was tore off by his brother,
though it was restored later on. Even though after restoration,
Horus offered his eye as a present to the God of Underworld,
Osiris, to help him rule the underworld, so it is believed that the eye
of Horus became the moon. Apart from this legend, this symbol is
also known as the symbol of healing and restoration.
-Winged DiskThe Winged Disk was the form that the God Horus Behudety takes in a battle with Seth.
According to the Egyptian mythology, God Thoth used his magic and turns God Horus
into a disk with magnificent wings, and then Goddess Nekhbet and Uazet joined him in snakes
form at his sides in the battle.
The disk with magnificent wings, you can also see two snakes on the sides, which is Goddess Nekhbet and Uazet.
By Phuong Anh / 7 Orange
Art of Ancient Egypt
-Feather of MaatThis is a very common Egyptian symbol and the ‘Maat’ can be seen in Egyptian
paintings and art since the Pharaoh also wore it. It was a common belief that this
feather was kept on the heart of a person after they
died. If the heart weighed more than the feather, it meant
that the heart was filled with sin and as a punishment; it
will be bait for Ammit. If the heart weighed less than the
feather, it meant that the heart was free of sin and that
person’s soul would have access to the world of Osiris.
Feather of Maat also meant morality, stability, balance
and justice.
See that the person is wearing what looks like
wings, which is the ‘Maat’ and also wearing the
‘Feather of Maat’ on their head.
By Phuong Anh / 7 Orange
Art of Ancient Egypt
Painting
By Phuong Anh / 7 Orange
Art of Ancient Egypt
-PaintingAlthough painting remained an accessory to architecture,
sculpture and relief, all of the Egyptian reliefs were painted,
and less prestigious works in tombs, temples and palaces
were just painted on a flat surface. Many ancient Egyptian
paintings have survived due to Egypt's extremely dry climate.
The paintings were often made with the intent of making a
pleasant afterlife for the dead. The themes included journey
through the afterworld or protective deities introducing the
dead to the gods of the underworld, such as Osiris. Some
tomb paintings show activities that the dead were doing when
they were still alive and wished to carry on doing for eternity.
By Phuong Anh / 7 Orange
Art of Ancient Egypt
Art forms
-ArchitectureBy Phuong Anh / 7 Orange
Art of Ancient Egypt
People tend to think that Egyptian building styles stayed
the same for the whole period of Egyptian history, but that’s
not true. Ancient Egypt architecture was the noblest of the
ancient arts, although Ancient Egypt architecture began
humbly in the adornment of tombs and the decoration of
homes.
In the early part of the Old Kingdom, the Egyptians built
mainly mastabas, a kind of tomb with a flat roof which looks
just like a house. Then throughout most of the Old Kingdom,
the Egyptians built the pyramid tombs, which are very well
known now. And of course they also built smaller buildings like
houses and butcher shops. In the Middle Kingdom, the
mastaba tomb came back again, but they didn't build any more
pyramids. Then in the New Kingdom there was a lot of
building that was not tombs like palaces for the pharaohs and
especially temples for the gods too.
-MusicBy Phuong Anh / 7 Orange
Art of Ancient Egypt
People in Egypt have probably been playing music since
the early Stone Age, long before there is any definite
evidence of it. The earliest definite evidence of music from
Egypt comes from about 3100 BC, at the beginning of
the Old Kingdom.
Because there wasn't any way of recording music or writing
down notes in ancient Egypt, we don't know what Egyptian
music sounded like, from pictures, we do know what kind of
instruments the Egyptians had used like guitars and harps.
And by the New Kingdom period, there were bronze
trumpets too. As some picture shows, a lot of Egyptian
musicians were women, and music was a good opportunity for
women to work at a skilled job. But sometimes Egyptian
women musicians had to wear thin or revealing clothes, and
dance as well as singing. And some musicians were probably
slaves. Musicians often performed at religious festivals, and
they also played at private parties as well.
-PotteryBy Phuong Anh / 7 Orange
Art of Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egyptians were among the first people to make
pottery, beginning at about 4000 BC. Probably Egyptians
started making clay pots in order to keep wheat and barley in
so it wouldn’t get wet. The earliest Egyptian clay pots have
geometric designs on it at first, and were made by hand. By
about 3500 BC, Egyptian pottery has designs on it that are
very much like the designs on earlier rock carvings. They show
people, boats, and animals, and sometimes look like later
Egyptian paintings too.
Some Egyptians has always thought of pots as being like
people in their shape. The part the pot stands on is the foot, the
main part is the body, the part where the pot curves in is the
shoulder, the narrow part near the top is the neck, and the very
edge is the lip.
-SculptureBy Phuong Anh / 7 Orange
Art of Ancient Egypt
Egyptians began to carve sculptures in Egypt about 4500
BC, about the same time as in West Asia or the other parts
of Africa. These early sculptures are small figurines, mostly
of women, but nobody knows why Egyptian artists started
making these sculptures. By the time of the Old Kingdom,
about 2900 BC, Egyptian artists began to carve life-size
stone sculptures. Initially these statues were sitting down,
which is a lot easier to carve.
Picture gallery
By Phuong Anh / 7 Orange
Art of Ancient Egypt
Symbolism
Painting
By Phuong Anh / 7 Orange
Art of Ancient Egypt
Architecture
By Phuong Anh / 7 Orange
Art of Ancient Egypt
Music
Pottery
By Phuong Anh / 7 Orange
Art of Ancient Egypt
Sculpture
By Phuong Anh / 7 Orange