The Temple of Ramses II

Ramses II had four gigantic likenesses of himself carved for the outside of his temple. The impact of scale was much more important than accomplishing the refinement of earlier sculpted pieces.[Ramses II also created a huge temple for his favorite wife Nefertiri]

Imhothep

he first known artist of recorded history. He was an advisor to King Zoser, an architect, priest, scribe, and physician - a man of great power who would later be revered as a god.

Step Pyramid of King Zoser
- The first monumental royal tomb

The Great of Giza

The Great Pyramids of Giza
King Khufu
King Kafre
King Menkaure

The Great Sphinx, past and present
It is constructed out of sandstone, 65 feet high, 240 feet long

Stances
Sitting position
Standing position
Scribe position

Looting in pyramids so they started rock-cut

Egypt Pictures

kafre
Figures are carved from a single block of stone.
2. Queen’s symbolic gesture of embrace.
3. The king is depicted in accordance with cultural & political ideals. - athletic & youthful
- shown nude to the waist
- stands in typical Egyptian balanced pose with one foot forward
arms straight to the side with fists clenched
4. The queen mimics his pose.



Ka

A place for the ka to inhibit should mummification fail.

Typical representation:
Large scale - larger than life
Carved “in the round”.
Pharaoh seated on a throne with lotus blossoms & papyrus
[symbols of a united Egypt]
Figure is rigid, facing forward - exhibits “frontality”
Typical physical presentation: pleated kilt, linen headdress,
long thin beard [partially broken off here]

Notice the sun god Horus - represented as a hawk - sits behind his head
in a protective manner.

Egyptian Art: Old Kingdom c. 3100-2100 BC

• A convention of simplification and formalization begins in art and remains essentially unchanged throughout ancient Egyptian history. For example: The stylized approach to the representation of the human figure remains constant as does the consistency in use of the canon of proportions.
• The Narmer Palette:
  Commemorating the Unification of Upper and Lower Egypt - and King Narmer
• The symbol in the middle at the top of each side is Narmer written in heiroglyphs, it is a catfish and a chisel.
• [The event many Egyptians saw as marking the beginning of their civilization 3200B.C.E., Height 25”
  

Principles of Ancient Egyptian art def

Incising: a technique in which a design or inscription is cut into a hard surface with a sharp instrument.

sunken relief: It is carved in this manner because
it is outside and can make use of the harshness of the sun to create dramatic shadows which imply more depth.

Scale of figures in relationship to each other communicates heirarchy.

Kings and deities were represented at nearly the same scale.
A kings is always represented larger than his subjects.

Frontality:

Used primarily in three-dimensional representations. Whether standing, sitting, or kneeling, the figure is facing directly straight ahead, neither turning or twisting. This “frontality” is important to the functionality of the statue. Statues were created to play a significant role in worship of deities, kings, and the dead. These statues were meant as places these beings could manifest themselves in order to receive ritual offerings. Because of this, it was important that they face

Cloisonne: A decorative metal technique in which motifs are defined by thin borders standing out from the surface of the object. Fine stones, enamel, or colored glass are mounted between these borders. Dog tag like

Chasing : A decorative metalworking technique, using a burin to scratch the surface. touching the suface

Repoussee: A metalworking technique combining hammering and chasing to produce a relief decoration. depth in work

Principles of Ancient Egyptian art

• Head, pelvis, and legs are in profile.
• Upper torso and eye are in frontal view.
• Figures are flat, simplified, and stylized. [ All Egyptians represented look very similar as a result of this highly stylized approach.]
• Exhibited a consistent canon of proportions. A relationship established relating the scale of body parts to each other.

incised: a technique in which a design or inscription is cut into a hard surface with a sharp instrument.