02 Egyptian Art 3,000-300 BC

02-01 Egyptian Art Old & Middle Kingdoms

 

02-01 Notes on Egyptian Art Old & Middle Kingdoms

Egyptian Art – Old, Middle Kingdoms & Beyond

Overview:

This document was created by Google NotebookLM based on my notes and it provides a summary of Egyptian art, history, and culture, as presented in the provided excerpts, with particular emphasis on the Old and Middle Kingdoms. The source offers insights into Egyptian artistic conventions, daily life, religion, key historical figures, and the cyclical nature of Egyptian power. The quotes are from my notes.

Key Themes and Ideas:

  • Art as a Reflection of Life and Beliefs: Egyptian art was deeply intertwined with daily life, religion, and culture. It served as a powerful tool for understanding these aspects of the civilization: “However, for us it is an enormous outpouring of art that informs us about their day-to-day life, their religion and their culture.” The art wasn’t necessarily ‘art for art’s sake’; it served a purpose, whether commemorative, religious, or functional.
  • Stylistic Conventions: Egyptian art adhered to specific and enduring stylistic conventions. Figures were often represented to emphasize key characteristics, with a combination of profile and frontal views: “Figures were represented to show their key distinguishing features, statues were front facing and wall paintings of important figures showed heads in profile, the torso front facing and feet, one forward in the same direction as the head.” These conventions lasted for millennia.
  • The Nile’s Central Role: The Nile River was the lifeblood of Egypt. The annual inundation was crucial for agriculture, dictating the seasons of Inundation, Growth, and Harvest. The Nile’s fertility defined the land itself: “The Red land was the desert and so red was a negative colour and the Black Land was the fertile land where crops grew and so black and green were positive colours.” The river also served as the primary means of transport.
  • Religion and the Afterlife: Religion permeated every facet of Egyptian society. The belief in everlasting life was central, leading to sophisticated mummification practices and elaborate tombs filled with provisions for the afterlife. “It was believed that to achieve everlasting life the body had to be preserved and so the Egyptians became masters of mummification. Death was seen as a new beginning and an everlasting afterlife.” Many gods with specific purposes were worshipped, like Amun, Sekhmet, Osiris, Isis, Seth, Horus, and Ra.
  • Political Unification and the Pharaoh: The unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under Narmer was a pivotal event, establishing the pharaoh as a god-king. The pharaoh’s role was central to maintaining order and ensuring the prosperity of the kingdom. “Narmer was the king who created Egypt by unifying Upper and Lower Egypt and this work celebrates his victories.”
  • The Old Kingdom – Age of the Pyramids: This era is defined by monumental construction, particularly the pyramids at Giza. The pyramids were testaments to the power and resources of the pharaohs and the advanced organizational skills of Egyptian society. King Djoser and his architect Imhotep were innovators in stone construction: “In the third dynasty the great innovator was King Djoser (2650 BCE) who built his legacy not in mud bricks but in stone.”
  • Intermediate Periods of Instability: Egyptian history wasn’t a continuous upward trajectory. Periods of instability, like the First Intermediate Period, were marked by famine, civil war, and a weakening of central authority. “2180 BCE was the beginning of the dark ages for Egypt. The people turned to magic, we have a linen mask from this period suggesting individuals claimed magic powers to change events.”
  • The Middle Kingdom – Reunification and Expansion: The Middle Kingdom saw the reunification of Egypt under rulers like Mentuhotep II. This era was characterized by renewed prosperity, trade, and military expansion, especially into Nubia. “2050 BCE was the dawn of the Middle Period and the rise of Thebes for the next 2,000 years.”
  • The New Kingdom – Zenith of Power and Wealth: The New Kingdom, initiated by Ahmose I, marked a period of immense wealth, power, and artistic flourishing. The power of Karnak grew as pharaohs added to the structure: “The Valley of the Kings and the funerary temples were on the opposite, west bank of the Nile from Thebes and the Karnak Temple. The power of Karnak grew and grew as each pharaoh added to the structure and tried to outdo previous pharaohs.”
  • Decline and Invasion: Despite periods of strength, Egypt was vulnerable to decline and invasion. The Third Intermediate Period saw the country fragmented and subject to foreign powers. The Late Period witnessed brief resurgences, but ultimately, Egypt was conquered by Alexander the Great and later became a province of Rome.
  • Egyptian Influence and Legacy: The text notes the influence of Egyptian culture on invaders and subsequent rulers who sought to emulate Egyptian traditions: “The culture of Egypt seduced and absorbed invaders to a greater or lesser extent.” It also suggests Egyptian art influenced Greek art.

Key Figures Mentioned:

  • Narmer: Unified Upper and Lower Egypt
  • Djoser: Pharaoh during the Old Kingdom, known for his Step Pyramid
  • Imhotep: Djoser’s chancellor and architect, later deified
  • Khufu, Khafre, Menkaure: Pharaohs who commissioned the pyramids at Giza
  • Mentuhotep II: Reunified Egypt at the start of the Middle Kingdom
  • Amenhotep III Pharaoh during the New Kingdom who commissioned a large funerary temple
  • Akhenaten: Pharaoh who introduced monotheism and new art styles
  • Tutankhamun: Well-known pharaoh whose tomb was discovered largely intact
  • Rameses II: Prolific builder and military leader
  • Alexander the Great: Conquered Egypt in 332 BCE
  • Cleopatra VII: The last pharaoh of Egypt

Important Locations:

  • Giza: Site of the Great Pyramids
  • Saqqara: Necropolis of Memphis, including the Step Pyramid of Djoser
  • Thebes (Luxor): Major city and religious centre, home to Karnak and the Valley of the Kings
  • Memphis: Capital of Egypt during the Old Kingdom
  • Alexandria: Founded by Alexander the Great, became a major city in the Ptolemaic period
  • Valley of the Kings: Burial site for pharaohs during the New Kingdom
  • Deir el-Bahri Site of Mentuhotep II’s temple, built on the west bank of the Nile guarding the entrance of the Valley of the Kings.
  • Karnak: Major temple complex dedicated to Amun-Ra

Conclusion:

The provided material offers a valuable glimpse into the rich and complex history of ancient Egypt. It highlights the enduring nature of Egyptian culture, its artistic conventions, religious beliefs, and the cyclical patterns of power, decline and invasion. It also indicates the important link between religious beliefs, customs and how those in power seeked to utilise those elements to stabilise their rule.

02-02 Egyptian Art New Kingdom

02-02 Notes on the Egyptian Art New Kingdom

Egyptian Art – New Kingdom, Late & Ptolemaic Periods

Introduction:

This document summarises a talk by Dr. Laurence Shafe on Egyptian art, specifically focusing on the New Kingdom (c. 1570-1069 BCE), Third Intermediate Period (c. 1069-525 BCE), Late Period (525-332 BCE), and Ptolemaic Period (323-30 BCE). The talk builds upon a previous presentation covering the Old and Middle Kingdoms. It’s important to note that parts of the presentation from June 2023 onwards are generated by ChatGPT as an assistant researcher, and the notes are cross-checked with publicly available sources like Wikipedia, Tate, National Gallery, etc.

Key Themes and Periods:

  • New Kingdom (c. 1570-1069 BCE): The “golden age of ancient Egypt,” marked by prosperity, power, and expansion into the Levant and Nubia. Key pharaohs include:
  • Ahmosis I (r. 1560-1555 BCE): Founder of the New Kingdom, best known for defeating the Hyksos and reuniting Egypt. He re-established Thebes as the capital and commissioned monumental constructions, including a pyramid at Abydos.
  • Hatshepsut (r. 1479–1458 BCE): A female ruler who reigned as king for over a decade. She is described as the “first well-recorded great woman in history.” Known for her temple at Deir el-Bahri, which “looks modern, ordered and clean,” and her monolithic obelisk at Karnak. She is often portrayed in a masculine way, “represented with dark masculine skin and with a beard.”
  • Amenhotep III (r. 1391-1353 or 1388-1351 BCE): Reign marked by prosperity, diplomatic success, and artistic splendour. The Colossi of Memnon are remnants of his vast mortuary temple.
  • Akhenaten (r. 1353/51-1336/34 BCE): A “revolutionary pharaoh” who introduced the worship of Aten, a single god, and moved the capital to Amarna. His art represents a “fundamental break with the old art.” His wife, Nefertiti, is famous for her stunning bust.
  • He abandoned Egypt’s polytheism and “directed teams of workers to chisel out the names and images of all the other gods.”
  • He is described as everything from “enigmatic” and “revolutionary” to a “heretic”, “fanatic”, and “possibly insane.”
  • Tutankhamun (r. 1332-1323 BCE): A boy king who reversed Akhenaten’s religious reforms and restored the old religion. He is famous today because of the discovery of his intact tomb in 1922. His funerary mask is a highlight of Egyptian art, and includes a “protective spell from the Book of the Dead.”
  • Ramesses II (r. 1279-1213 BCE): Often regarded as the greatest pharaoh, known for his military campaigns and monumental building projects, including the Great Temple at Abu Simbel and the Ramesseum. The Ramesseum was a vast temple complex where archaeologist Flinders Petrie discovered the “Ramasseum magician’s box”.
  • Tomb Art (New Kingdom Focus):
  • The tomb of Nebamun, a scribe, provides examples of non-royal art. The wall paintings include full-face depictions, which contrast with the profile view, a traditional style. The dance scenes reveal beeswax was added “to the women’s hair and clothes to make them shimmer.”
  • Book of the Dead:
  • The book of the Dead is described as “Book of Coming Forth by Day”, and are procedures and spells associated with correctly entering the afterlife and living with the gods. The version in the tomb of Hunefer is the best preserved. It contains “190 chapters of spells or prayers that enable the dead to pass through stages of the afterlife.”
  • The key concepts are the Ka, the person’s vital force, and the Ba, a mobile spirit released after death. “Judgement involved the weighing of the heart against maat.”
  • Third Intermediate Period (c. 1069-525 BCE): A period of conflict and chaos that followed the New Kingdom. Illustrative examples include the coffin set of Nauny, a royal princess and Chantress of Amun.
  • Late Period (525-332 BCE): A final flourishing of native Egyptian art, including periods of Persian, Nubian, and Assyrian rule. The Nubian Kingdom of Kush became a leading power. The Late Period was ended with the conquest of the Persians by Alexander the Great and the establishment of the Ptolemaic Period.
  • Ptolemaic Period (323-30 BCE): Founded by Ptolemy I, one of Alexander the Great’s generals. A period of prosperity and cultural patronage that came to an end with the Roman conquest of Egypt after Cleopatra’s death. Cleopatra’s beauty may have been a construction. It is “possible her alleged beauty was invented by those in Rome who wished to denigrate her by claiming she used her beauty to seduce Mark Anthony.”
  • Animal Mummification: A major industry during the Late and Ptolemaic Periods. “It is estimated that some 70 million of these mummies were produced over a thousand years.” Mummification served religious, offering, and commercial purposes.
  • Rosetta Stone: Discovered in 1799, the Rosetta Stone “played a key role in the decipherment of Egyptian hieroglyphs.” Because it contains Egyptian hieroglyphics, Demotic script, and Ancient Greek, it could be used to decipher Egyptian hieroglyphics and Demotic script since Greek was known.
  • The influence of Alexander the Great: Alexander spent only a few months in Egypt, but he “consulted the oracle at Amun-Ra and was pronounced the son of the god Amun”.
  • Roman Period (After 30 BCE): Sarcophagi with realistic portraits reflect the influence of Greek and Roman art and mark the end of ancient Egyptian culture.
  • Coptic Period (1st Century AD and beyond): The introduction of Christianity in Egypt. The Coptic language is a direct descendant of ancient Egyptian.

Conclusion:

The talk covers a vast span of Egyptian history and art, highlighting the cyclical nature of power, religious change, and artistic conventions. While artistic conventions were followed for three thousand years with few exceptions, Akhenaten and Nefertiti, in contrast, “remain as a mystery inside the enigma of ancient Egypt.”