Re-read the sections on Akhenaten and Tut in Echoes. Focus Questions Did religion play a mostly positive or a mostly negative role in Egyptian society? Under what circumstances should a nation s religious beliefs and practices be revised? Was Akhenaten a good leader? What was the relationship between art and religion in ancient Egypt?
Introduction to Egyptian Art Photos accessed February 16, 2016 from https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ ancient-art-civilizations/egypt-art/beginnersguide-egypt/a/egyptian-art
Egyptian art can be summarized as: 1 Conservative 2 Religious 3 Pharaoh-centered
Two examples of art during this period of Egyptian history: 1. Sculptures - mostly very large statues of pharaohs. 2. Tomb reliefs and wall paintings - these were designed to reveal the character of the deceased to the gods.
Realism was not a priority in Egyptian art. There was little attempt to reveal an accurate perspective. Much Egyptian art appears to us to be disproportionate. Mathematical precision was more important to them. Information was being conveyed, that s all. Almost all art was produced for religious purposes.
Egyptian artists were not creating products to be admired by millions of people.
From https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ancient-artcivilizations/egypt-art/beginners-guide-egypt/a/egyptian-art The function of Egyptian art These images, whether statues or relief, were designed to benefit a divine or deceased recipient. Statuary provided a place for the recipient to manifest and receive the benefit of ritual action. Most statues show a formal frontality, meaning they are arranged straight ahead, because they were designed to face the ritual being performed before them.
Statuary, (the art of making statues) whether divine, royal, or elite, provided a kind of conduit for the spirit (or ka) of that being to interact with the terrestrial realm.
What we see in museums Generally, the works we see on display in museums were products of royal or elite workshops; these pieces fit best with our modern aesthetic and ideas of beauty. Most museum basements, however, are packed with hundreds (even thousands!) of other objects made for people of lower status small statuary, amulets, coffins, and stelae (similar to modern tombstones) that are completely recognizable, but rarely displayed.
Limestone funerary sculptures of Prince Rahotep and his wife Nofret. Photo: Dr. Amy Calvert
Painted sunk relief of the king being embraced by a goddess. Tomb of Amenherkhepshef of New Kingdom.
Hard stone group statue of Ramses II with Osiris, Isis, and Horus in the Egyptian Museum, Cairo (New Kingdom). Photo: Dr. Amy Calvert accessed February 16. 2016
Painted wooden model of the deceased overseeing the counting of cattle in the Egyptian Museum, Cairo (Middle Kingdom
Tomb painting
Picasso s (Spain - 1930 s) Guernica
Francisco Goya - Spain late 1600 s
Reflections: There was a strong religious theme of Egyptian art: 1. Do you think the same could be said of Renaissance art? Contemporary art? 2. To what extent does contemporary art reflect our values? What are these values? 3. Egyptian artists were not supposed to be innovative but just conveyers of information. What about now? Do artists lead us? Are they progressive? Do they attempt to change people s beliefs & values? Try to include examples in your response.
2 day library research assignment 1. Research and create a 2-3 page biography describing the events and accomplishments of any ancient Egyptian figure that interests you. 2. Research and create a 2-3 page report about: Egyptian art Egyptian religion The Pyramids Everyday life in ancient Egypt (this could also be in the form of a comic strip poster). 3. Create your own Egyptian style tomb painting that depicts the kind of person you were, your values, the activities you enjoyed in life and wish to continue in the afterlife.