By: Maya Pashai
Ancient Egyptian art has influenced and inspired artists worldwide for thousands of years. It is displayed in museum exhibits across the globe and continues to capture the attention of people every day. A few types of Ancient Egyptian art are statues, tombs, charms, amulets, figurines, hand mirrors, whip handles, cosmetic cabinets, ceramics, and papyrus illustrations. Though each piece was unique, all forms of Ancient Egyptian art shared certain characteristics.
Purpose
Despite how amazing their artwork was, all Ancient Egyptian artists remained anonymous. The reason for this is that all Ancient Egyptian art was created solely to serve a practical purpose rather than for aesthetic pleasure. The art belonged to the person who commissioned it, and because it was created for a purpose rather than to express the artist’s vision, the artist was not recognized. All pieces had practical functions, whether they be spiritual, such as a statue created to hold the spirit of a god or a deceased person, or physical, such as a ceramic piece used for drinking, eating, or storage.
Symmetry
While Egyptians did not create their art to be aesthetically pleasing, they still paid great attention to the beauty of their work. In simple terms, the work needed to be beautiful, but its main purpose was to perform a practical function. Ma’at, meaning harmony, was a central value of Egyptian culture. For this reason, Ancient Egyptians greatly valued symmetry and their art was created with a focus on balance.
Detail
Ancient Egyptians paid great attention to specific details when creating their art. The wealthy were able to afford ornate artwork such as hand mirrors, cosmetic cases and jars, jewelry, scabbards for knives and swords, bows, sandals, furniture, chariots, gardens, and tombs. Each piece was very detailed and every aspect of the work had a symbolic meaning. Every image, design, and color was deliberately chosen, either in an attempt to be more realistic or to symbolize an idea. For example, the color white might be chosen to represent purity, or the color red might be chosen to represent vitality.
Techniques
Ancient Egyptians created many different types of art, each with their own techniques. Different colors of paint were made from naturally occurring minerals which were mixed with crushed organic material and an unknown substance (possibly egg whites). To create low reliefs (images carved into the wall) and high reliefs (images standing out from the wall), artists grew grid lines on the wall and then sketched out the design on top. Once the scene was complete, it was carved and painted. Wooden statues were carved from pieces of trees that were glued or pegged together. Sculptors used chisels, woolen mallets, and other tools to turn a block of stone into a statue. Metal statues were made of thin sheets of copper, bronze, silver, or gold cast over wood. Jewelry was made using a technique called cloisonne. Thin metal strips were laid onto the surface of the work and then fired in a kiln to forge them together, creating compartments. The compartments were then filled with jewels or painted scenes. Cloisonne was also used to make items such as pectorals, crowns, headdresses, swords, ceremonial daggers, and sarcophagi. The techniques that Egyptians used to create art allowed their work to retain their vibrancy and integrity for thousands of years.
Images
These Ancient Egyptian pectorals showcase the Egyptians’ focus on symmetry and details. They were created using the cloisonne technique.
The Narmer Palette is a stone slab depicting King Narmer conquering an enemy land. It tells the story of the unification of Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt.
This illustration comes from the Book of the Dead of Hunefer. It depicts the process of the Egyptian god Osiris’s judgement of the dead.
References:
Mark, Joshua J. "Ancient Egyptian Art." Ancient History Encyclopedia. Ancient History Encyclopedia, 26 May 2017. Web. 06 Feb 2021.
Campana, John. "Pectoral of Senusret II." Ancient History Encyclopedia. Ancient History Encyclopedia, 26 May 2017. Web. 06 Feb 2021.
Denisenkov, Dmitry. "Pectoral of Mereret." Ancient History Encyclopedia. Ancient History Encyclopedia, 26 Jul 2017. Web. 08 Feb 2021.
Artist, Unknown. "Narmer Palette [Two Sides]." Ancient History Encyclopedia. Ancient History Encyclopedia, 16 Jan 2016. Web. 08 Feb 2021.
Museum, Trustees O. T. B. "The Judgement of the Dead by Osiris." Ancient History Encyclopedia. Ancient History Encyclopedia, 26 Apr 2012. Web. 08 Feb 2021.
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