PHARAOHS
AND THE AFTERLIFE
THE
ART OF ANCIENT EGYPT
TEXT
PAGES 44-74
1. Briefly describe the role played by the Nile
in the development of Egyptian civilization.
The Nile brings rich soil for agriculture
and annual floods.
2. What is hieroglyphic writing and what was the
significance of the Rosetta Stone?
An Egyptian pictographic
language. The Rosetta Stone is a key to decipher the hieroglyphic writing.
PREDYNASTIC AND EARLY
DYNASTIC
Define or identify the following terms or names :
engaged
column Columns that are attached
to the wall
Horus son of Osiris and Isis,
pharaoh = Horus
Imhotep first known name of an
artist in recorded history
Isis sister and consort of
Osiris
Ka life force
Necropolis large burial area
Osiris God of order and the king
who brought civilization to Egypt. Killed by his brother Seth, god of chaos,
and resurrected by Isis.
Re (or
Ra) God of the Sun
2. The
Palette of Narmer , which was created
about 3000 B.C, is extremely important in Egyptian history and art for several
reasons.
Politically,
it documents:
The
unification of Upper and Lower Egypt
Culturally,
it records two important facts:
a. about
religion: stresses that Pharaoh is
the divine ruler
b. about
writing:
It marks the transition between pre-historical
and historical artworks.
Artistically,
it embodies conventions that will dominate Egyptian official art to the end of
the New Kingdom, namely
a. figures in profile except
for eyes and torso
b. theme of the god-king slaying enemy
c. Subdivided surface
into registers in an orderly way with horizontal lines
that
act as the ground.
2. Draw a simple digram of a mastaba and
describe its function
3. Stone
columns appeared for the first time in the mortuary precinct of Djoser at
Saqqara. How do the shape of these columns relate to
the papyrus plants that were common in Egypt?
They resemble bundles of reeds or papyrus
stalks. The capitals resemble papyrus blossoms.
THE
OLD KINGDOM
1. In
what way do the pyramids of Gizeh differ from King Djoser's pyramid at Saqqara?
The pyramids of Gizeh have three sides
(east, west, and south). But the King Djoser’s pyramid at Saqqara has four
sides.
2. What
is ashlar masonry and how was it used in building the pyramids at Gezeh?
Temple on east side, offering were made for
the deceased king.
3. What
is thought to have been the function of the Great Sphinx of Gizeh?.
Lion with human heads-à act as guardians for protection purpose
4. What
was the primary purpose of the statue of Khafre
(FIG. 3‑12)?
To proclaim the godlike nature of Egyptian
kingship and to last for eternity.
What
does the hawk symbolize?
Pharaoh
List
four stylistic characteristics of the statue.
a. Bilaterally symmetrical
b. Frontal pose
c. Idealized body and
features
d. Compact and solid with few
projecting parts
5. What is meant by the "canon of human
proportions", and what technique did the Egyptians use to apply it to
their figures? "
Each body part was a fixed number of
squares. It drew a grid on the wall.
6. What
features of the Seated Scribe would have been inappropriate for the statue of a
pharaoh?
Signs of age à sagging chest muscles
7. What
subjects were commonly depicted on the walls of Egyptian tombs and what was their purpose?
The deceased, processes of agriculture and
hunting, the Nile, scenes of daily life—but only timeless motifs, not
anecdotal, time-bound motifs, were appropriate for eternal existence.
THE MIDDLE KINGDOM
1. The
pyramid tombs so popular in the Old Kingdom were replaced by _____mountain_____ tombs
in the Middle Kingdom.
2.
In what way does the portrait of
Senusret III reflect the changed political conditions
of the Middle Kingdom?
Its
unprecedented realism in the feature
THE NEW KINGDOM AND THE LATE PERIOD
Define or identify the following
individuals and terms :
Akhenaton Aton’s son and sole
prophet
Amarna
style more elongated and curved
style
Amen‑Re walled temple at Karnak
Aton the universal and only god
declared by Akhenaton
Book of the Dead Papyrus scrolls illustrated with a
collection of spells and prayers. They show the ritual of the cult of Osiris,
including the judgement of the deceased. These scrolls were essential equipment
in the tombs of the well-to-do.
Hatshepsut wife of Pharaoh Thutmos II
Nefertiti Akhenaton’s queen
Ramses
II Reigned from 1290-1224
BCE, created a huge rock-cut temple at Abu Simbel.
sunken
relief reliefs that were cut into
stones
Tutankhamen Akhenaton’s son by a minor
wife
1. Briefly describe a typical pylon
temple and make simple diagrams to illustrate it.
It has a simple and massive gateway with
sloping walls. Bilaterally symmetrical along a single axis leading from an
approaching avenue that runs through a colonnaded court to a dimly lit
sanctuary.
2.
Do the same for the diagram
of a Hypostyle Hall (also note the clerestory).
Columns support the roof, stone slabs
carried on lintels, which rest on cubical blocks which in turn rest on giant
capitals. Central rows of columns raised higher than those at the sides creates a clerestory, which
allows sunlight through openings or grilles.
3. What was the major effect of the new
Amarna style on figural representation?
Figures more effeminate.
4. What three features of Queen
Tiye reflect the relaxation of rules
that is typical of the Amarna style?
Heavy lidded slanting eyes, elongated, and
profile face.
5. Although Ramses II lived after
Akhenaton, the pillar statues that were carved for the interior of his temple
(FIG. 3‑23) ignore many of the stylistic features developed by the Amarna
artists. Compare the figures from the Temple of Ramses II with the pillar statue of Akhenaton (FIG. 3‑32); note particularly
the differences in the proportions of the figures. What
political factors might account for these differences?
The solid, geometric pillars show a return
to the timelessness and eternal nature of the old gods, who were restored after
Akhenaton’s reign.
Akhenaton
Ramses
II
Small, narrow oval head Large,
square head
Elongated, curving and effeminate Broad,
muscular, and
masculine
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