The Art History of Ancient Egypt

The Art History of
Ancient Egypt
Farming & ART
The first farming communities are born along the Nile River in
Egypt, North Africa and in Mesopotamia, East Asia along the Tigris
and Euphrates Rivers , 10,000-12, 000 years ago. Farming gave people
extra food which gave us extra time to develop skills in the arts and
other areas because we didn’t have to always search for food.
Egypt: Old Kingdom 2800-2200 B.C./B.C.E.
The upper and lower kingdoms are united, pyramids begin to be built
Architecture
The First Pyramids have stepped sides because they
are easier to build.
The Step Pyramid of Zoser: 2600 BC/BCE like most
pyramids it is a part of a group of buildings with
temples and smaller tombs.
There are 110 pyramids in Egypt.
•The Great Pyramids at Giza, The largest pyramid in
the world is for the Pharaoh Khufu, 2530 BC/BCE.,
482 feet high necropolis (tomb city) in ancient
Memphis near the modern capital Cairo
•covers 13 acres and aligns with the cardinal
directions: North, South, East, & West.
•All are built of limestone blocks in mathematical
prescision, originally smooth & polished to shine,
some have royal boat pits and queen pyramids.
Egypt: Old Kingdom, 2800-2200 B.C./B.C.E.
Sculpture
Sphinx, sandstone, c.
3000 B.C.E. c., 65' h.
faces E. to life &
resurrection. Buried until
the c.1800s A.D. when
rediscovered by
Napoleon's French
invading troops.
Mycerinus &
his Queen,
Stylized
portrait,
clean lines,
simplified
not
naturalistic
Seated Scribe,
Unusual in its
naturalistic style
(more like real
life)
Painted Relief
(partial carving),
Hippopotamus Hunt
in Tomb, uses
hierarchical
perspective
(important figures
are larger)
Egypt: Middle Kingdom, 2050-1750 B.C./B.C.E.
Broken-up by Unpopular Eastern Invaders
Frontalism
Ancient Egyptian painting and relief style is called frontalism. It uses a combination
of front and side views. The head is drawn in profile (side view), the whole eye is
facing the viewer from the front, and the torso also faces front. The legs are turned
to the side with one foot in front of the other. There are different "rules" for
drawing animals, slaves, pharaohs and gods.
Beni Hasa Rock-Cut Tomb. Hidden by
digging them into mountain faces , to
protect these unpopular pharaohs’ final
resting places from robbers . This
rectangular architecture with columns
influences future buildings. No more
pyramids are built in ancient Egypt.
Fig-pickers, tomb wall painting. During
the Middle Kingdom art shows less skill
and time put into it. This shows the
troubled times of the Middle Kingdom.
Egypt: New Kingdom 1550-1070 B.C./B.C.E.
The Empire is Reunited & Power Returns to One Ruler
Dancers and
Musicians, art reflects
the luxurious wealthy
lifestyle that came
from peace & good
governing New
Kingdom
Temple to Amon-Ra (God) 1279-1212
B.C. with four 65' h. portraits of
Pharaoh Ramses II, dwarfing Amon-Re
over the door. Ramses II was a great
builder, military man, & had over 100
children.
Nefertiti limestone bust
painted in the Amarna Style
(Middle Eastern/Asian
invaders, sister-in-law or aunt
to Tutankhamen, was a middle
Eastern Princess married to an
Egyptian Pharaoh to create
political alliance
Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut, 1450 B.C.
the first great female ruler in history, the
only female Pharaoh. She made art more
delicate and brightly colored. Notice the
building is rectangular and uses columns.
New KINGDOM
1550-1070 B.C.E
Tutankhamun
Death Masks & Furnishings of Tutankhamen’s tumb, gold & precious
stones, Pharaoh 1333-1323 B.C., found in 1922 with over 5,000
objects in it, famous because it is the only tomb in the Valley of the
Kings (miles of over 62 burial chambers) that was not robbed.
Review: The Art History of Ancient Egypt
List the #s on your paper. Write the corresponding letter/s next to the #s.
A
D
B
C
E
1. Middle Kingdom influences it
2.Temple to Amon-Ra 9. The New Kingdom
3.The Sphinx
10. Pharaoh Tutankhamun
4.A tomb
11. Showed leisure of the times
5. Ramses II
12. Largest pyramid in the world
6. Shows frontalism
13. Near the modern capital Cairo
7. At Giza
14. Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut
8. The first pyramids
15. Near the ancient capital Memphis
16. The only unrobbed tomb
17. Pyramid of Pharaoh Khufu
18. Part cat part human
19. 2800-2200 B.C./B.C.E
20.Hidden for 2000 years
21. The 1st major female ruler
22. The only female Pharaoh
23. An unpopular king
Review
1. List one fact about the Sphinx.
2. What event made the Middle Kingdom? How did it effect the arts?
3. What shape were the walls of the first pyramids (see Zoser)?
4. What event/invention made it possible to give people extra food which
provided extra time to develop skills in the arts?
5. What were the pyramids used for?
6. What is the Egyptian figure painting style called? Name one thing that
makes it special.
7. What is the name of the first great female ruler and the only female
pharaoh?
8. List 2 things about the New Kingdom?
+_______
Review Answers
1 pt.
10
Nose shot off, found by Napoleon’s troops, 65’ tall,
sandstone, faces east
2 pt.
Empire broken-up, Asia invades, stopped making pyramids, no money no time for art
1. List one fact about the Sphinx.
2. What event made the Middle Kingdom? How did it effect the arts?
3. What shape were the first pyramids (see Zoser)?
1 pt.
steps
4. What event/invention made it possible to give people extra food which
provided extra time to develop skills in the arts?
1 pt.
farming
1 pt.
Pharaoh's Tombs/buried people
5. What were the pyramids used for?
6. What is the Egyptian figure painting style called? Name one thing that
makes it special.
Frontalism, side view of face and legs, front view of torso and eye
2 pt.
7. What is the name of the first great female ruler and the only female
pharaoh?
1 pt.
Hatshepsut
8. List 2 things about the New Kingdom?
2 pt.
Reunited, expanded, King Tut is one ruler among others…