egyptian art(christine's report)

8/9/2019 Egyptian Art(Christine's report)

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INTRODUCTION TO PYRAMID


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The combination of geometric regularityand keen observation of nature ischaracteristic of all Egyptian arts.

Everything had to be represented fromits most characteristic angle. Egyptiancrafts in all the statues, paintings,

jewelry and pottery seem to fall intoplace as if they obeyed one law. Noone wanted anything different, no one

asked him to be 'original'. On the

Characteristics of Egyptian Art


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STATUE


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Statues comprised a set of very strictlaws, which every artist had to follow,artists were ranked according to exactimplementation of these laws. So ithappened that in the course of three

thousand years or more Egyptian artchanged very little- Heavy set figures, large heads,

round plump faces, showing no facialexpression, emotion or any suggestionof movement


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-eyes gazing straight ahead, arms gluedto their sides

- Seated statues had to have theirhands on their knee

-Men statues had to be made usingdarker materials than women- legs close together and feet parallel,sculptures of the Pharaohs were usually

represented as either standing with theleft foot advanced, or seated on a cubicblock represented as a throne.

- Emphasis on symmetry


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painting


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Paintings that decorated the walls ofthe tombs in Egypt were intended to

keep alive the history. The picturesand models found in Egyptian tombswere connected with the idea of

providing the soul with helpmates in theother world. These wall-paintingsprovide in extraordinarily vivid picture

of life as it was lived in Egyptthousands of years ago. And yet,looking at the art for the first time,

may find rather look strange.


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What mattered most was not prettiness

but completeness. It was theartists' taskto preserveeverything as clearlyand

permanentlyas possible. So theydid not

set outto sketch natureas itappearedtothem from any fortuitous angle. They

drew from memory,according to strict

rules whichensuredthateverything thathadto go into the picture would stand

outin perfect clarity


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FrontalismFrontalism - strict rules- The image was frequently identifiedby inscription, resemblance with thedepicted was not necessary,infirmities and old age are rarelyshown. Most images are glowing

examples of prosperity, youth, andgood health.


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- The head ofthe character was always

drawn in profile, while the body is seenfrom the front.

- Although the face is to the side, the

eye is drawn in full.- The legs are turned to the same side

as the head, with one foot placed in

front of the other.- The head is at right angles to the

body.


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- Every figure in paintings, stands or

sits with a formal, stiff, and rigid

posture. The stance of the body is

severe, but the faces are calm and

serene.- Slaves and animals were painted

more natural and relaxed, and with a

smaller scale in drawings to show theirlimited importance.


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- There was little attempt at plastic or

spatial illusionism-

no attempt at linearperspective.

- artists made colors from raw

materials around them and therefore

worked in a limited number of shades.

- Color was applied in flat tones - strict

rules often applied to the use of a

particular color for particular purpose.

For example, men's skin was colored

red while women's was yellow.


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Religious Use


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Jewelry was valued not for beautyonly, but for the magical protection it

provided

- Egyptians didn't make a distinctionbetween amulets and ornamental

jewelry. Amulets were worn from

infancy through death


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- Due to this religious role, jewelry

items were much needed by thedeceased in his afterlife journey, and

jewelry was buried with the dead.

- In fact ancient Egyptians preparedthemselves from early life to theirdeath day by collecting as much

protective jewelry as possible to beburied with them.


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esign rules

- As with other forms of Egyptianart design of jewelry followed strict

rules to fulfill it's religious role. Anychange in the representation ofreligious symbols resulted in a loss ofprotective value. it was undesirableto change the designs of any objectssuch as the royal cartouches or crookand flail


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- Every material had a religious value

- Minerals and metals were identifiedwith specific deities as well as withspecific spiritual and therapeutic

values. Copper and malachite wereidentified with Hathor- Color Code - Every Color had a

certain mythological meaning, and theuse of colored gems was confined tothis code


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Hand made red waresproduced in Nubia

without a potter'swheel, they were madeby hollowing out a lump

of clay and pinching itto give it's final formArtifacts were then

dried in the sun andfinally varnished with astone, to achieve a

smooth shiny surface

Pre-DynasticPeriod


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- A flattool was usedto press the clay

againstthe otherhand,this simple

procedure producedthin-walledvessels.

Pottery was then decorated with

engraveddrawings ofboats and

crocodiles. It was then firedin simple

kilns.

Early Dynastic Period


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- invention of the potter wheel(rotated by hand). the clay wasprepared more carefully achievingbetter consistency, and the kilns wereimproved. As a result pottery wasmore symmetrical and the surface hasa homogenous color. Enamel wasapplied to smoothen the surface andcolor the earthenware, it consisted ofslip (a mixture of water and clay).

Old Kingdom


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egyptian art(christine's report)

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