Ancient Egyptian Art - to Glorify Their Gods and to Preserve the Values of the Day - Essay Example

The Art of Ancient Egypt The Art of Ancient Egypt Table of Contents The Art of Ancient Egypt 3 Introduction 3 Craftsmen and Artists of Egypt 3 Painting Rules 4 Use of Pigments 5 Ancient Egyptian Art and the Afterlife 5 Painting and Sculpture in Ancient Egypt 6 Relief Carvings 6 Tomb Reliefs 6 Conclusion 7 Bibliography 8 The Art of Ancient Egypt Introduction Egyptian culture has received the honor of being probably the best-known form of ancient art in the Mediterranean basin. It became a major contributor to late Neolithic art even before the advent of the Greek civilization. There are features that are particularly and uniquely associated to Egyptian ancient culture. Such include the ancient Egyptian architecture which is the world famous for its extraordinary Egyptian pyramids (Leprohon, 2000235-7, pp. 235-7). Other features that are considered unique to the art of ancient Egypt include the writing scripts that are based on the use of symbols and pictures. And meticulous hieratic painting style as well as stone carving. The civilization of Egypt was widely shaped by its geographical position as well as its religious, political, and social customs of that period. There was a humble opportunity of the Egyptian art to develop, without any hindrance and interference for many years, in its location as it was protected by its desert borders and sustained by the waters of the River Nile. The ancient Egyptians used their art for two main purposes which are either to glorify their gods and to preserve the values of the days. This research paper is, therefore, aimed at identifying some of the artistic categories of the ancient Egypt and what they meant to the Egyptians. Craftsmen and Artists of Egypt Paid artisans who were trained and worked as part of a team were responsible for doing the ancient Egyptian art. The leading master craftsmen was able to work in various art branches, but has anonymous part in decorating tombs and production of statues. His work was to guide his assistants during the work and help in training the novices. In all these, his personal contribution was not easy to assess. During this ancient period in Egypt, artists were considered to work together in their various stages of craft (Johnson, 1998, p. 17). One or more of these artists would take care of the initial stages of art while others would curve the intermediate and final stages. Painters too followed in the same manner of division of duties. It was possible to find corrections to the hands of the less-skilled men by more experienced men in cases where there were unfinished scenes left. It was also possible to find most experienced craftsmen becoming very influential people in the society with adequate social importance. Amidst all these praises, the credit for any important work of art went back to the patron who was its commissioner. Painting Rules The religious nature of Egyptians was something that was very easy to tell by the look of many of the ancient Egyptian arts. Most of the artwork depicted many of the Egyptian gods and goddesses such as Pharaoh. The Egyptians also had a lot of respect for order, which made a distinction on the different representation of god and humans through art. When a figure was to be painted, for example, the social status of a person was used to calculate the sizes of the figures. This was not like with the normal linear perspective as would be expected (Feldman, 2000, p. 16). The very formula was used to paint human figure for hundreds of years. For the sculptures and statues, the Egyptian painting rules required that the male statues be painted darker than the female ones. Again, the rules required that the subjects hands were to be on their knees when seated. Just as they also had different gods occupy different positions of deities, was the same way they were depicted and the same guise was used for them also. For example, a falcons head was used to represent Horus, who was the sky god, while jackals head was used to represent Anubis, who was the god of the funeral. Use of Pigments Color use for painting in the ancient Egyptian art was also regulated and used symbolically. Six colors that included green, red, yellow, blue, black and white were mainly used by the Egyptians for painting. These colors were mainly used appropriately for what they stood for. For example, red represented a color for the power and stood for life and victory (Rhoades, 1994, p. 44). Blue represented creation and rebirth; yellow went with the eternal like qualities of sun and gold. Yellow represented Ra and of all the pharaohs. For this reason, all the sarcophagi and the funeral masks were made of gold to refer to the everlasting and eternal pharaoh, who was a god. All sacred things were represented by the white color that was the color of purity. It was, therefore, used in religious objects and tools of the priest. The color of death was a black color which represented the night and the underworld. Ancient Egyptian Art and the Afterlife It is recorded that nearly all the currently surviving ancient Egyptian paintings were found in the tombs that belonged to pharaohs or high ranking government officials. They also portray scenes of the afterlife. They have, therefore, been named as the funerary and have been used to give the narrative about life after death. They also give narrative about food, boat, and servants that could help the deceased with their trip during the afterlife. Papyrus, panels, or walls were the main media where these paintings were executed on in the form of fresco murals. Other items such as boat, granaries, butcher shops, and kitchen were included in the tombs as a sign of guaranteeing the deceased a good future (Gallagher, 2003, p. 174). Another highly symbolic piece of art in ancient Egypt was the Egyptian sculpture that was not intended to be naturalistic or realistic. Various materials such as wood, metal, clay, stones and ivory, were used to make the sculptures and statues. Out of all these, the one that was considered most permanent and plentiful was the stone. Vivid colors were used to paint all the Egyptians sculptures. Painting and Sculpture in Ancient Egypt Relief Carvings The ancient incised figures and scenes of the relief date back to the prehistoric times. During this period, slate cosmetic panels, and wood combs, ivory and bones were buried in their owners graves. They were curved to the outlines of species that resembled the Nile Valley people. For ceremonial purposes, more elaborate ivory combs and handles of flint knives were carved in relief. With the scene standing out from its background. Sculptors were used in the production of mace heads and palettes that were carved in the commemoration of victories and other important events that were dedicated to the gods. The meanings and significance of many details in the sculptures cannot still be determined. However, the sculptures represented the king as a powerful lion or a strong, and these were repeated in the Dynasty times. Tomb Reliefs The early royal relief that used to show the king smiting his enemies or having a ritual pose while striding forward, are somewhat stilted. However, by the 3rd Dynasty, very advanced techniques had already emerged. The stones bear the most surviving examples. However, the wooden panels that were discovered from the tombs of Hesire at Saqqara between 2660-2590 BCE are a manifestation of the excellence achieved by the most experienced craftsmen (Sullivan, 2009, p. 61). The figures are standing and seated and carved according to the Egyptian artistic conventions of the ideals of manhood. These, in different ways, emphasize the elements of the human form. Their heads, legs, and chests are shown in the profile while the visible eyes and shoulders are brought out in such a way as if they are seen from the front. The waists and the hips, on the other hand, are depicted in a three-quarter view. There is a great deal of the technique that is shown in the fine modeling of the muscles around the body and the face. Such excellence is bestows a grace upon what could also seem to be very rigid and severe. The craftsmen were very important people whose care did not stop with the figure of their patrons. Instead, there were hieroglyphs that made up the inscription that provides the name and titles of the deceased that were carved with delicacy and assurance. Conclusion In a nutshell, the ancient Egyptian art is a rich and unique source of art with cultural values that were highly valued in the ancient Egyptian society. Several meanings are inferred from the various pieces of art that were created by the Egyptian craftsmen. The craftsmen worked uniquely in teams and no piece, or art was done by a single artist. The various pieces of Egyptian art were used for two main purposes which were to glorify their gods and to preserve the values of the day. Paintings were also used with various meanings placed on various colors. Men were made darker than the ladies as was the rule used in painting. There were six colors used for painting, and each had its unique meaning. Some pieces of art were discovered from the tombs, and they were used to represent life after death for the deceased. All these show how greatly the Egyptians cherished art as they expressed most parts of their lives through it. Art was, therefore, a major thing in the ancient Egypt as it was the basis of their cultural and religious beliefs. Bibliography Feldman, B., 2000. Art of Ancient Egypt. The San Diego Union- Tribune, p. 16. Gallagher, G., 2003. Hands-on Ancient People: Art Activities about Mesopotamia, Egypt and Islam. School Library Journal, 49(5), p. 174. Johnson, I., 1998. The Art of Ancient Egypt: A Portfolio. Arts and Activities, 122(5), p. 17. Leprohon, R., 2000235-7. Ancient Egypt / Searching for Ancient Egypt: Art, Architecture, and artifacts for the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Arcehology and Anthropology. Journal of the American Oriental Society, 120(2). Rhoades, J., 1994. The Art of Ancient Egypt. Teaching Pre K-8, 24(4), p. 44. Sullivan, 2009. Exploring the Life, Myth and Art of Ancient Egypt. The Booklist, 106(3), p. 61. Read More