Lecture 4 Art of Ancient Egypt (5) PDF

Office Hours 1  In-Class Activity Grading What does a ✔ mean? A ✔ = Satisfactory. It means the in-class activity has been properly completed. Please note that a ‘satisfactory’ mark does not mean that your answers are right or wro...

Office Hours 1  In-Class Activity Grading What does a ✔ mean? A ✔ = Satisfactory. It means the in-class activity has been properly completed. Please note that a ‘satisfactory’ mark does not mean that your answers are right or wrong. It recognizes that a good effort has been made to properly complete the activity. A ✔- - = Below Satisfactory. It means the in-class activity is incomplete. 2 REVIEW: Art of the Ancient Near East 3 Art of Ancient Egypt 4 Ancient Egypt Old Kingdom Egypt (c. 2950-2150 BCE) New Kingdom Egypt (c. 1539-1075 BCE) 5  Ancient Egypt A civilization arose in the valley and delta of the Nile in Egypt around the same time as city-states in Sumer. Farming communities cooperated to control the Nile river's flow and thereby formed alliances. After about 3500 BCE, Egypt became politically unified under a succession of kings. 6  Pyramids at Giza Pharaoh (king) Ka (soul or life force) Erected by (from left) Menkaure, Khafre, and Khufu. Great Pyramids, Giza. c. 2575–2450 BCE, Dynasty 4. Granite and limestone. Height of pyramid of Khufu 137 m. 7 Pyramids at Giza 8  Pyramids at Giza Erected by (from left) Menkaure, Khafre, and Khufu. Great Pyramids, Giza. c. 2575–2450 BCE, Dynasty 4. Granite and limestone. Height of pyramid of Khufu 137 m. 9  Pyramids at Giza Erected by (from left) Menkaure, Khafre, and Khufu. Great Pyramids, Giza. c. 2575–2450 BCE, Dynasty 4. Granite and limestone. Height of pyramid of Khufu 137 m. 10 11  Pyramids at Giza Physical characteristics of the pyramids? Erected by (from left) Menkaure, Khafre, and Khufu. Great Pyramids, Giza. c. 2575–2450 BCE, Dynasty 4. Granite and limestone. Height of pyramid of Khufu 137 m. 12  Death and the Afterlife in Ancient Egypt In Ancient Egypt, death was a huge industry – it is said that people spent more resources on their afterlife than on their actual life For the rich and powerful, the preparation for death involved: 1) Establishing a place to be buried (a tomb) 2) Gathering together treasures and functional objects to be buried in the tomb (items that could be used in the afterlife to allow for a happy and prosperous eternal existence) 3) Preparing the dead body for burial 13 Model of the Giza plateau. From left to right, temples and pyramids of Menkaure, Khafre, and Khufu. 14 15 16 Model of the Giza plateau. From left to right, temples and pyramids of Menkaure, Khafre, and Khufu. 17 While the interior spaces of the Pyramids of Giza have been stripped of all their original decoration, other tombs that have been found intact suggest that the walls had been covered with images intended to help the deceased pharaohs in their afterlife. 18  In-Class Writing Activity (To be completed in groups of 2-3 students) Each answer must be written as a paragraph. Your paragraphs must be written in your own words in complete sentences. 1. What are the physical characteristics (form) of the Sumerian ziggurat? 2. What are the physical characteristics (form) of the the Egyptian pyramid? 3. What is the function of the Sumerian ziggurat? In your answer, explain the connection between the structure’s physical characteristics and its function (purpose). 4. What is the function of the Egyptian pyramid? In your answer, explain the connection between the structure’s physical characteristics and its function (purpose). Nanna Ziggurat, c. 2100-2050 BCE. Mud brick. Great Pyramids. Erected by (from left) Menkaure, Original height 20-30 m. Ur (modern Muqaiyir), Khafre, and Khufu. c. 2575-2450 BCE, Dynasty 4. Iraq. Granite and limestone. Height of pyramid of Khufu 137 m.  EGYPTIAN CANON OF PROPORTIONS Ancient Egyptians established a standard way of presenting the human figure that used a grid of squares that created a system of proportions Each part of the body was given a set number of squares in relation to other parts The body was shown in composite view with very little individualization The size of the figure was related to status Lower classes were often shown in more natural positions Reflects interest in consistency and 20 continuity 21  Ti Watching a Hippopotamus Hunt, c. 2450-2325 BCE, Dynasty 5. Painted limestone relief. Height approx. 114.3 cm. 22 Ti Watching a Hippopotamus Hunt, c. 2450-2325 BCE, Dynasty 5. Painted limestone relief. Height approx. 114.3 cm. 23  Descriptive Terms Naturalism (or naturalistic): refers to a representational style that closely imitates the visual appearance of something in the natural world. Idealization (idealized): refers to a representational style that transforms the visual appearance of something in the natural world (like the human body) to make it conform to ideals (like cultural standards). 24 25 Seated Scribe, c. 2450–2325 BCE, Dynasty 5. Painted limestone with inlaid eyes of rock 26 crystal, calcite, and magnesite mounted in copper. Height 53 cm. Found near the tomb of Kai, Saqqara. Khafre, c. 2520-2494 BCE, Dynasty 4. Gneiss (material). Height 1.68 m. 27 Statue of Khafre from the valley temple of his pyramid complex Khafre, c. 2520-2494 BCE, Dynasty 4. Gneiss (material). Height 1.68 m. 28 Khafre, c. 2520-2494 BCE, Dynasty 4. Gneiss (material). Height 1.68 m. 29 Statue of Khafre from the valley temple of his pyramid complex Khafre, c. 2520-2494 BCE, Dynasty 4. Gneiss (material). Height 1.68 m. 30 Who is represented? How do we know? 31  Term: artistic convention Menkaure, and a Queen, probably his principal wife Khamerernebty II, c. 2490–2472 BCE, Dynasty 4. Graywacke with traces of red and black paint. Height 142.3 cm. From Menkaure Valley Temple, Giza, Egypt. 32  Eternal office (position) of the pharaoh in Egyptian civilization vs. the individuality of individual pharaohs Menkaure, and a Queen, probably his principal wife Khamerernebty II, c. 2490–2472 BCE, Dynasty 4. Graywacke with traces of red and black paint. Height 142.3 cm. From Menkaure Valley Temple, Giza, Egypt. 33