Transcript The Old Kingdom - HCC Learning Web

Pharaohs and the Afterlife:
The Art of Ancient Egypt
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Things to notice:
• The evolution of Egyptian art and culture and its
relationship to the Nile.
• Recognize stylistic conventions of Egyptian art.
• Egyptian funerary art forms and reasons for the
development of these monuments.
• The architectural evolution from pyramid to the tomb
temple and burial monuments
• The aspects of the New Kingdom as reflected in its art.
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Ancient Egypt
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There is a continuity in Egyptian culture that
doesn't exist in Mesopotamian cultures:
- Egypt has a natural boundary, the intense
desert surrounding the country.
- Egyptian civilization grew up along the Nile
- the lifeline and highway of the country
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The Nile and Egyptian Unification
• Examine the dependence on the Nile River, and the
importance of the unification of upper and lower
Egypt.
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Upper Egypt up the Nile (south)
is mountainous, desert.
Lower Egypt down the Nile is
flat and open - delta and huge
marshland.
Upper and Lower Egypt were
rival kingdoms in their early
history.
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The Nile Delta
The yearly Nile
floods deposited
rich topsoil.
Pre-Dynastic, Early Dynasties, and the
Old Kingdom
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The Rosetta Stone
The 3rd of a three stone series is a multilingual stele that allowed
linguists to begin the process of hieroglyph decipherment. It is a
single passage written in three different languages (Hieroglyphic,
Demotic, and in classical Greek).
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Stylistic Conventions of Egyptian Art
There are several conventions of ancient
Egyptian culture that strongly affected the art of
ancient Egypt:
1. The Pharaoh (King) is divine.
2. Representation of the figure is based upon presenting
the most identifiable view of each part of the body.
3. Preparation for the Afterlife is of extreme importance.
4. The soul or ka lives on after the death of the body.
Tombs contained everything the deceased might want or
need in the afterlife and much of our knowledge of the
culture comes from tomb paintings.
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Palette of Narmer
3100 - 3000 B.C.
The Palette of Narmer is a commerative work of
art that is based on real palettes used for
grinding kohl (eye makeup) for protection from
the intense sun. Kohl is the very black, heavy
eye makeup that you saw Elizabeth Taylor
wearing in "Cleopatra".
The Palette of Narmer illustrates a very important
foundation for the description of the human figure in
Egyptian art - the idea that there is a regular system for
the proportion and description of the figure.
Such a regularized, systematic approach to a problem is
called a canon. Throughout the 3000 year history of
ancient Egypt the description of the figure remains
remarkably constant, with little deviation.
This is one reason that the public at large is able to
identify a work of art as coming from Egypt - it is easily
identified.
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Although, if they chose to, Egyptian artists were fully
capable of very naturalistic description of the human
figure, and the world at large around them, when it
came to the Pharaoh and other important figures they
worked in a conceptual, symbolic manner. The most
obvious manifestation of this we also saw in
Mesopotamia - the various parts of the body are
presented in their most recognizable views.
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Early Funerary Art Forms
• Describe funerary art forms and practices in the Old
Kingdom.
• Understand the importance of the Stepped Pyramid
by Imhotep and the mortuary precinct at Saqqara.
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The Old Kingdom (2686 – 2181 BCE)
- commissioned sculptures kings, gov.- usually Funerary Architecture
The Old Kingdom is the period when the pyramids were built and
when the Pharaohs consolidated both their image as gods with the
divine right to rule and their rule of the now unified kingdoms of
Upper and Lower Egypt. Unlike the kings of Mesopotamia the
Pharaohs went one better - they saw themselves as gods incarnated on
Earth to rule.
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Mastabas are an early form of rock or mudbrick tomb used before 3000 BCE.
Mastaba means "bench" referring to the shape of the structure. They have a
burial chamber underground linked to the above ground monument by a vertical
shaft. In the ante-room of the monument there was a niche for a statue of the
deceased.
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Section (left), plan (center), and restored view (right) of typical Egyptian
mastaba tombs.
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After pyramids were being built for the Pharaoh
mastabas were still used by members of the royal family
and the royal court all of whom wanted to be buried as
close to the pyramid of the Pharaoh as possible. In the
pyramid complexes there may be hundreds of mastabas
that belong to the family and retainers of that particular
pharaoh.
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Organs were removed (with the exception of the
heart) and stored in canopic jars, allowing the body
to be well-preserved.
Djoser's pyramid was the first masonry structure of
its size and the first pyramid built, although, it was
a bit tentative, which is seen in its form.
The design, that started out as a very large
mastaba, went through six revisions in the building
process.
It is solid and didn't actually serve as a tomb as did
later pyramids.
It was designed by the architect Imhotep, who was
later deified.
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There are several other examples of "experimental" or
"developmental" pyramids throughout Egypt, including the Bent
Pyramid at Dashur and the Step Pyramid of Sneferu (seen
below).
Because of un-sound masonry techniques the casing slid off
leaving the slope of debris around its base.
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There are 47 pyramids of Pharaohs known
throughout Egypt.
Not only did the pyramids serve as tombs for
the Pharaohs who built them, they also served to
stimulate the Egyptian economy and to focus
the energies of a large kingdom that was just
getting used to being unified.
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By the 4th Dynasty (Old Kingdom) the transition was
made from stepped pyramids to true pyramids.
The Pharaohs believed they were the sons of the Sun
god Re- the incarnation of Re on earth
- the pyramid is Re's fetish (an object possessing
magical power)
- It is represented as pyramidal stone called a benben
- The pharaoh is preserving his spirit in a giant benben!
What political or religious ramifications might this have?
Do you think the priests of the cult of Re might have had
anything to do with the choice of the pyramid as a tomb?
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The Great Pyramids
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Pyramids of Giza (Menkure, Khafre, Khufu left to right )
The Great Pyramid of Khufu (Cheops in Greek) 2530 BCE
Khafre's Pyramid (Chephren (in Greek),Khufu's son), The Pyramid
which is the Place of Sunrise and Sunset, c. 2500 BCE
The Pyramid of Menkure (Mycerinus in Greek) The Divine Pyramid
c. 2460 BCE
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The pyramid complexes of
Khufu and Khafre each
included 5 boat pits
containing royal boats.
Khufu's and Menkure's each
had 3 queens pyramids.
Each also had a Valley
Temple and a Mortuary
Temple connected by a
covered causeway - now
buried beneath new
construction since the 18th
c.
Workers worked on the pyramids during the flood
season when they couldn't work the fields.
The massiveness of the tombs did no good, by the end
of the Old Kingdom they had all been pillaged
no mummies or artifacts associated with the kings has
ever been found
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Ancient Egyptians believed a human soul is made up
of five parts:
the Ren (name)
the Ba (individual personality)
the Ka (life force)
the Sheut (shadow)
the Ib (heart)
In addition to the components of the soul there is the
human body (called the ha, occasionally a plural haw,
meaning approximately sum of bodily parts).
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Other Sculptural Forms
• Egyptian realism and the canon seen in Old
Kingdom sculptural forms of the human figure.
• What important differences are observed in the two
objects presented here?
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Menkure built the third of the
great pyramids at Giza. Here
he faces the future of eternity
with his wife Khamerernebty.
He seems very resolute. As
with Khafre he is very formal
and rigid.
The statue, like that one above of Khafre
was intended to be set against a wall. Both
pieces are very frontal. Note how there is
stone left behind Menkure's left leg to help
support it. He appears to be taking a step
forward but look at his hips....
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Can you put your weight
on your left foot with it
extended like this and
keep your hips from
rotating with it? … Try
it!
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Alternate View
Seated Scribe
People of lower social status
than the royal family, are
depicted as more relaxed, and
lively -> more lifelike.
© 2005 Saskia Cultural Documentation, Ltd.
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Sphinx
Sphinx is perhaps a portrait of Khafre, it is aligned with
Khafre's pyramid and faces east - the rising sun (life and
resurrection).
It's carved from living sandstone.
The sphinx was buried in sand until the 19th century
when it was discovered by some of Napoleon's troops
and archeologists (who also, it might be added, blew off
its nose with a cannon ball!)
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It is now commonly recognized that the sphinx may be
much older than the pyramids, pre-dating 3000 BCE.
In November 1994 a "secret" (i.e. previously unknown)
entry is found in the side of the sphinx!
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• Describe Egyptian funerary art forms from these
periods and state reasons for the development of
these monuments.
• Explain possible reasons for the decline in the power
of the pharaoh in the Middle Kingdom.
• Understand the evolution of burial monuments and
why this occurred in the Middle Kingdom.
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THE MIDDLE KINGDOM 2050 - 1750
The First Intermediate Period (2150 - 2050) was
a time of political instability.
Pharaohs didn't have the power they did during
the Old Kingdom and central rule falls apart.
Large pyramids were no longer built - it was
recognized that they couldn't protect the former
king and his treasure from grave robbers
By the end of the Old Kingdom all of the royal
pyramids had been completely looted!
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Instead of large tombs, such as
the pyramids, smaller tombs are
cut into the cliffs - rock-cut
tombs that are, as the name
describes, cut out of the living
rock of cliff sides. Rock-cut
tombs will become the preferred
type of tomb during the Middle
Kingdom. To the right is an
elevation section and plan
drawing of a tomb.
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After the Mesopotamian invasion of Egypt in the
Second Intermediate Period of 1750 – 1570, It was
during the New Kingdom that tombs (and temples)
cut into rock walls became the most popular.
During this period the Valley of the Kings was
heavily utilized.
Pharaohs of the 18th Dynasty restored the grandeur
and power of Old Kingdom Pharaohs. They
established an empire that extended further south
in Africa and into the Middle East. The economy
was enriched by the empire building and New
Kingdom life was rich and luxurious (if you weren't
a slave or peasant).
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THE NEW KINGDOM 1550 - 1075
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• Describe early events in the New Kingdom which
bring new influences into the art.
• Discuss how the Hyksos changed the culture of
Egypt and show their location of origin
• Understand aspects of the New Kingdom as
reflected in the art of ancient Egypt.
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The Grand Mortuary Temples
Describe the grand tombs and mortuary
temples of Hatshepsut and Ramses II.
First, who is Hatshepsut?
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Hatshepsut was the mother (or aunt?) of
Thutmosis III ( or Tutmosis).
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•
Hatshepsut
Dynasty 18 female ruler; one of the
few women to rule Egypt (along
with the little-known Sobekneferu
and Twosret and the notoriously
famous Cleopatra
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Hatshepsut with offering
jars, from the upper court
of her mortuary temple,
Deir el-Bahri, Egypt, ca. 1473–1458 BCE.
Red granite, approx. 8’ 6” high.
She was the first great female
ruler in history and served
as Pharaoh while Tutmosis
was young. Tutmosis III
went on to become the 1st
great warrior Pharaoh and
began the expansion of
Egypt's empire into the
middle east.
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Pylon temples such as
this one have large,
monolithic facades, the
"pylons" that you can
see behind the statues
and the obelisk, the
large pointed column.
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clerestory
Painting and the Tomb of Nebamun
• Examine materials and methods of painting in the
New Kingdom. Compare the style to the earlier
Egyptian conventions.
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Akhenaten and the Amarna Period
Akhenaten (Amenophis IV) ruled 1353-1335
• What are the reasons for the artistic revolution of
the Amarna Period.
• Examine the artistic elements in the figures of
Nefertiti and Tiye (Ty).
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During the New Kingdom the priesthood of Amen had
become more powerful than the Pharaoh
Akhenaten renounced the age old cult of Amen and
abolished it! He changed his name from Amenophis to
Akhenaten.
Akhenaten created a revised religious order based upon
the worship of one god (monotheism)
- the Aten (Aton), the Disk of the Sun
- Aten is the representation of the sun at sunset
- The Scarab Beetle is the representation of the sun at
sunrise, Re - the falcon - is the representation of the sun
at noon
This was a source of major upheaval in the political and
the religious world
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He built a new royal city at Tel el Amarna and
created a whole sense of aesthetics now referred to
as the Amarna Style.
He built a new royal city at Tel el Amarna and
created a whole sense of aesthetics now
referred to as the Amarna Style
Art of the Amarna Period is more naturalistic
than earlier works - curvilinear, sinuous, more
relaxed, though it also exaggerates these
qualities too
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In this intimate family portrait (compare
with the standing portrait of Menkaura and
his wife!) the Pharaoh and Nefertiti are
being blessed by the Aten. Aten stretches
out its arms to caress the royal family. A
nice example of hierarchical perspective,
notice how small the daughters are.
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Following his death the priesthood of the cult of
Amen reasserted itself and destroyed the city of
Amarna as well as most traces of Akhenaten and
the artwork.
But, there is new evidence Nefertiti may have
been in an authoritative role at one point. Some
suggest she served as King after Akhenaten and
later gave the throne back to the clergy.
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King Tut
• Compare the different images of the Pharaohs
Akhenaton and Tutankhamen. How do you
account for these differences?
• Why does the art revert back to the earlier
conventions?
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Tutankhamen
(nephew (or half-brother) of Akhenaten)
roughly 1333-1323
Tutankhamen's rock cut tomb in the
Valley of the Kings was discovered,
relatively intact in 1922 by British
archeologist Howard Carter.
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It had been broken into, but resealed - then it
was covered by debris from a later tomb.
This covering by excavation debris is what
allowed the tomb to remain intact.
Carter recovered 5000 objects and the mummy fully intact
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The gold death mask
(above) was the inner most
protective covering - inside
3 nested coffins.
It shows a sense of the
young king's personality
unlike other art of the
ancient world.
Serpent goddess of Lower
Egypt & vulture goddess of
Upper Egypt on his
headdress protect him.
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Innermost coffin of Tutankhamen, from his
tomb at Thebes, Egypt, Dynasty XVIII, ca.
1323 BCE. Gold with inlay of enamel and
semiprecious stones, approx. 6’ 1” long.
Egyptian Museum, Cairo.
When the first, outer, coffin was opened
the second coffin was covered with
garlands of flowers.
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He was a young king who only ruled for a few years
and died when he was about 18.
He may have died as a result of political/religious
intrigue resulting from the backlash by the priests of
Amen following the death of Akhenaten. When he
was born his name was Tutankhaten (from
Akhenaten's monotheistic religion) - but we know
him as Tutankhamen!
One of the first things he did as Pharoah was to
restore the old religious system that Akhenaten had
replaced with Aten worship.
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Tutankhamen's
Throne (back)
Shows Tutankamen and
his young wife being
blessed by Aten as she
anoints him with oil.
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