Epochy dějin umění I
Egyptské umění
Part I
The Land of Egypt
Kingship and State
Religion
Art and Architecture
Part II
Visual Materials –
Works of art in the historical
context
text by Hana Benešovská
Institute for Art History
Faculty of Arts
Charles University
Winter Term 2017
Doporučená literatura:
1/ Jaromír Málek, Egyptian Art, Faidon Press Limited, London, 1999
2/ Gay Robins, The Art of Ancient Egypt, The Trustees of the British
Museum, London, 1997
3/ Gay Robins, Art, in: Toby Wilkinson (ed.), The Egyptian World,
Routledge, London&New York, 2010, p. 355–365
4/ Rita E. Freed, Art of Ancient Egypt, in: Wilkinson, Richard H. (ed.),
Egyptology Today, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2008,
p. 123–143
5/ W. Stevenson Smith, The Art and Architecture of Ancient Egypt (revised
with additions by William Kelly Simpson), Yale University Press, New
Haven, 1981
6/ Lise Manniche, L’Art égyptien, Flammarion, Paris, 1994
7/ Kate Spence, Architecture, in: Toby Wilkinsn (ed.), The Egyptian World,
London & New York 2010, p. 366–387
8/ Ladislav Bareš, Břetislav Vachala, Miroslav Verner, Ilustrovaná
encyklopedie starého Egypta, Praha, 1997
Pozn.
Presentaci používejte spolu se svými poznámkami a případně jako obrazový
doprovod k článkům Kate Spence, Rity Freed a Gae Robins
The Land of Egypt
The Nile, southern Egypt, near Aswan
The Land of Egypt
Ancient Egypt was created by the Nile: the river was the most
important contributor to economic life. A key aspect of the ecology
of ancient Egypt was the annual inundation of the Nile (between July
and November). Before the High Aswan dam was completed in 1970,
the River Nile flooded each year. These floods brought natural
nutrients and minerals that continuously enriched the fertile soil along
the river and made the Nile valley ideal for farming.
Pyramids in Giza during annual inundation, October 1927
The Land of Egypt
The narrow cultivated area along the river Nile was named kemet,
Black land. The inhospitable, dangerous rocky Eastern and sandy
Western Deserts were designated desheret, Red Land.
The Land of Egypt
The river and its network of canals was also the natural highway for all
communication, linking as the North and the South of the country and
flowing in between a string of towns and villages, temples and
necropolises .
Felucca, a traditional wooden sailing boat
on the river Nile
Water canal near Saqqara
The Land of Egypt
Egypt possessed extraordinary
mineral wealth, mainly limestone,
sandstone, granite, diorite, Egyptian
alabaster, basalt, semiprecious stones
and gold. The country’s abundant
natural resources greatly influenced
its art and architecture.
Red granite, black basalt and white limestone in
the funerary temple of the King Sahura in Abusir,
5th Dynasty, Old Kingdom
The Land of Egypt
•  Vložit mapu lomů a nerostných zdrojů mimo
území Egypta
The Land of Egypt
Open nad cover quarries
in Ancient Egypt
The Land of Egypt
Transport kamene, obelisku
The Land of Egypt
Light and shadow effects in architecture and art (raised x sunk relief)
Open courtyard in the mastaba of general Haremheb,
Saqqara, 18th Dynasty, New Kingdom (left)
The valley temple of the king Rachef (Khephren) in Giza,
4th Dynasty, Old Kingdom (right)
The Land of Egypt
Heraldic plants of Ancient Egypt
The papyrus, covering large expanses
of the Nile delta, was the heraldic plant of
Lower Egypt, just as the blue water lily
symbolized Upper Egypt.
Kingship and state
Predynastic Period (ca. 5500–3150 BCE)
Early Dynastic Period (ca. 3150–2700 BCE)
Dynasties 0–2
Old Kingdom (ca. 2700–2180 BCE)
Dynasties 3–6
First Intermediate Period ( ca. 2180–1994 BCE)
Dynasties 7–11
Middle Kingdom (ca. 1994–1797 BCE)
Dynasty 12
Second Intermediate Period (ca. 1797–1543 BCE)
Dynasties 13–17
New Kingdom (ca. 1543–1292 BCE)
Dynasties 18–20
Third Intermediate Period (ca. 1078–715 BCE)
Dynasties 21–24
Late Period (715–332 BCE)
Dynasties 25–31
Ptolemaic Period (332–30 BCE)
Egypt as a Roman Province (30 BCE–395 AD)
Byzantine Egypt (395–642 AD)
Islamic Egypt (since 642 AD)
Chronology
Kingship and state
The first large region to come under
the control of a single ruler was Upper
(southern) Egypt. The territorial
ambitions of the Upper Egyptian kings
were fulfilled when they incorporated
chiefdoms of Lower (northern) Egypt
into their realm. This was fully
accomplished by the King Narmer
(3000–2972 BCE).
The Narmer palette shows the figure of the king
striking the enemy with a club. This image
remained in use in Egypt until the late Roman
Period as a symbol of a ruler maintaining the
established order of the world by force. The
palette copies the material and shape of earlier
utilitarian palettes for grinding eye paint, but it
is substantially larger and clearly became an
instrument of royal propaganda (Cairo,
Egyptian Museum, CG 14176, schist, h. 64 cm)
Kingship and state
In hierarchical structure of Ancient Egypt,
the king (pharaoh) was the owner of all
the land and the ruler of all the people.
In theory the pharaoh held complete power
in political, economic and other state affairs.
The Egyptian king adopted at his coronation
a title: the king of Upper and Lower Egypt.
Seated statue of the King Khafra embodies a sense of
majesty and power. It is an example of an ideal royal
image of the Old Kingdom. On both sides of the seat, the
plants of Lower (papyrus) and Upper (lotus-flower) Egypt
are knotted in order to symbolise the union of the two parts
of the country in the person of Khafra (Cairo, Egyptian
Museum, CG 15, schist, h. 120 cm)
Kingship and state
Regalia (royal attributes)
red crown, the crown of Lower Egypt (Delta)
Statue of the King Nebhepetre Mentuhotep II
represents the ruler with the dark skin. It may
allude to his identification with the god Osiris (god
of the dead and the Underworld) and thus the
colour of the soil. The heavy forms and brilliantly
contrasting colours are typical of the more
classical tradition of Upper Egyptian sculpture at
the beginning of the Middle Kingdom, 11th
Dynasty (Cairo, Egyptian Museum, JE 36195,
painted sandstone, h. 183 cm)
Kingship and state
Regalia
white crown, the tall crown of Upper Egypt (the Nile
Valley south of the Delta)
double crown, combination of the red crown and
the white crown; symbolizes rule over a united Egypt
(no picture)
shendyt, tripartite kilt worn by the king
Striding statue of the King Raneferef, Old Kingdom, 5th Dynasty
(Cairo, Egyptian Museum, JE 98181, basalt, h. 80 cm)
Kingship and state
Regalia
nemes, striped headcloth worn by
Egyptian kings
false beard
Statue of the King Raneferef,
Old Kingdom, 5th Dynasty
basalt, h. 23.8 cm
Cairo, Egyptian Museum, JE 98177
Kingship and state
Regalia
uraeus, sacred cobra, protector of
the king, often attached to the front
of the crown or nemes
Uraeus, New Kingdom (Cairo, Egyptian Museum,
gold inlaid by semiprecious stones)
Kingship and state
Egypt possessed able and energetic administrators at all levels.
Kingship and state
Scribes were the literate elite of ancient Egypt. The scribe statue was
introduced during the 4th Dynasty, at the beginning as a statue type used
exclusively for the members of the royal family. It shows the man seated
on the ground with his legs crossed. On the kilt stretched taut between his
legs rests an open roll of papyrus. An example from the Musée du Louvre
shows a high official who listens to attentively and writes down the text.
The original reed-pen was lost.
Scribe statue of the boundary official Kai. The empty space between the arms and chest and
the use of lively colours give this statue a great delicacy, Old Kingdom, 4th Dynasty (Paris,
Musée du Louvre, E 3023, found in Saqqara, painted limestone, h. 53 cm)
Kingship and state
Hieroglyphs
The introduction of hieroglyphs was one
of the most important developments in
Egypt, as a tradition of literacy and
recorded knowledge was thus begun.
The hieroglyphic script was used for
monumental inscriptions decorating
temples and funerary architecture.
Writing was an integral part of
decoration, and figures could be
depicted so that they resembled script.
The close connection between
hieroglyphs and images was never lost.
The temple of Medinet Habu in Thebes, Upper
Egypt, New Kingdom, 20th Dynasty
Kingship and state
Hieroglyphs
Although Egyptian hieroglyphs represent recognizable images of people,
animals, birds and various objects, they are not real picture writing. Each
hieroglyph has a phonetic value or plays a specific role in the script.
Kingship and state
Hieroglyphs
The limitation of hieroglyphs for day-to-day recordkeeping led to another,
cursive form, called hieratic. Hieratic signs were simplified and rounded,
as a result from the use of a reed-pen on papyrus, rather then a chisel
on a stone surface.
Religious text on papyrus written
in hieratic. The Book of the Dead
of the priest Hornedjitef, 1st
century BCE (Paris, Musée du
Louvre, N 3081)
Religion
Egyptian religion comprised a diverse system of beliefs about the gods.
One of the most striking features of Egyptian religion was the multiplicity
of its deities, each of which could manifest itself in a variety of forms – as
a living animal or in some vegetal form, also as a man-made image which
could be anthropomorphic (in human form), zoomorphic (in animal form)
or a combination of the two.
Horus, ancient sky god, often shown as a falcon or a man with a falcon’s head, also as an
Eye of the Horus symbol; he was the embodiment of the powers of kingship
Religion
Atum, primordial creator
god represented as
a man wearing a double
crown, symbolizing his
rule over the whole of
Egypt
Anubis, god of embalming, guardian
of cemeteries
Amon, principal
god of Thebes,
represented as
a man wearing
a crown with two
long plumes
Religion
Hathor (left), goddess of
femininity, represented
as a cow or as a woman
with cow’s ears and
horns
Maat, goddess personifying order and
justice in the world
Nut, goddess
personifying the vault
of the sky; here on
the inner side of
the sarcophagus lid,
spanning above the
mummy of the dead
Religion
Thoth, god of writing and
counting, often shown as
an ibis or a man with the
head of an ibis or as
a sitting baboon
Isis, wife of Osiris, mother
of Horus. She was depicted
as a woman with a throne, or
a solar disk and two cow’s
horns, on her head
Osiris, god of the dead,
represented as a mummy;
brother and husband of Isis,
father of Horus
Religion
Re, sungod, the creator and sustainer of the world, who travels in the boat through the sky
by day and through the underworld by night
Religion
Ancient Egyptians did not desire to enter paradise when they died, but
hoped that they would be able to continue an existence similar to that
which they led in their lifetime – Egyptian art reflected this wish. Funerary
equipment and offerings accompanied the corpses in the tombs (royal
pyramid complexes or private mastabas).
Tablet of seven sacred oils,
Old Kingdom
Gees, limestone
models of offerings,
Old Kingdom
Set of copper vessels (censer
with cover, jar, washing set,
bowls), Old Kingdom
Religion
Artificial mummification of the body
was encouraged by the religious
belief in the continuation of the
body as a physical abode
accommodating the spiritual
aspects of the human personality
after death.
Art
Most of the surving Egyptian art we now see in museums were never
on public display in their original context. It was created to express ideas
about afterlife and that many works were made for tombs and temples.
Some would be seen by priests, but many others were sealed forever
in tombs.Thus the Egyptian art was essentially functional – it served
a particular, invariably purpose. It was closely linked to religious, funerary
and other beliefs.
Art
Artists
Temples, palaces, necropolises
(a city of the dead; a vast
graveyard) and large estates
had their own workshops in which
craftsmen and artists
manufactured both the elaborate
works commissioned by
the privileged and the humble
goods required by the farming
population.
Scene depicting sculptors, from the mastaba of
Ptahshepses, Abusir, Old Kingdom, 5th Dynasty
Art
Artists
Egyptian artists are well known for their ability to work in stone (limestone,
sandstone, granite, basalt, greywacke, diorite, quartzite etc.); they used
also wood as well as metal (copper, bronze - often inlaid with gold and
silver, which represents highpoints in both technology and artistry).
Art
Artists
Tools were simple – balls of dolerite, copper or bronze chisels, wooden
mallets. Abrasive of powdered stone produced the final polish. Soft stones
such as limestone and sandstone were brightly painted, while only select
details were painted on harder stones.
Art
Tools (left; wooden mallet, stone hammer and sculptor‘s chisel) and
the sculptor‘s trial pieces, i.e. unfinished statuettes showing different
stages in the work.
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, 4th Dynasty, Old Kingdom
Art
Principles of Egyptian Art
Aspectivity is a basic notion in Egyptian art. It describes a concept of
creating pieces of art without rendering of perspective. The artists made no
effort to show a figure/object/landscape as it appeared, they wanted
the viewer to understand the whole by comprehending the parts (i.e. they
drew what they knew about the objects rather than what they actually saw).
Egyptian artists used the whole range of rules/principles which helped to
retain a strong visual unity of Egyptian art for more than three thousand
years.
Canon of proportions
Composition and symmetry
Two-dimensional representation of figures
False tranparency
Representation of male and female
Hierarchical perspective
.Depiction of a garden with artificial pond, trees,
birds and fish. The painter combined plan and side
view to show as many details as possible in one
picture. Tomb of the official Nebamun, Thebes,
18th Dynasty, New Kingdom
Art
Canon of proportion
Egyptian artists generally worked according to a fixed set of rules known
as the canon of proportion. By placing a grid of equal squares over the
human figure, artists were able to reproduce it in the same way, styles and
forms, regardless of size or material. This contributes greatly to making
Egyptian art so distinctive and recognizable.
Wall painting in the rock-cut tomb
of Sarenput II, Middle Kingdom,
12th Dynasty, Qubbet el-Hawa,
Aswan
Art
Composition and symmetry
Figures were often arranged in an ordered, symmetrical manner within the
available space. Images were divided into registers, rows with figures
standing on the bottom line.
Art
Two-dimensional representation of figures seeks to reproduce every
aspect of it in an immediately recognizable manner, so the human figure
was shown in a compromise between a frontal view focusing on eyes
and chest, and a side view showing head, torso and limbs.
Art
False transparency is a drawing principle which helps the viewer to gain
as precise information as possible about the object. In this process,
artist shows the inside of the object that is concealed from the viewer‘s
eyes (e.g. the content of a chest or a pot).
Art
Faience figurines of hippopotami were placed in the Middle Kingdom tombs,
probably because the animal was linked to the ideas connected with fertility
and procreation. The marshland plants and small animals surrounding
the wild hippopotami in their natural environment were painted on the body
of the statuettes to indicate the beast’s habitat (i.e. opposite principle to
the false tranparency).
Art
Representation of male and female
The male and female were shown using different conventions, which
highlighted anatomical differences between them and their role in society.
Men are shown walking and women standing, to signify the more active role
played by men; women have pale skin, reflecting their indoor domestic
existence whereas men have brick-red skin as a result of working outdoors.
Copper
Abusir, Czech
excavation
Art
Hierarchical perspective – the relative sizes of human figures vary
according to their importance or the requirements of composition. It directs
the viewer‘s attention towards the main element of the scene –
the god/king/tomb owner is usually at least twice as large as the subjects
or the family members.
Art
Hierarchical perspective
Ramses III smiting his enemies, on
the outer face of the first pylon of his
funerary temple at Medinet Habu,
19th Dynasty, c. 1160 BC, New Kingdom
Hierarchical perspective
Art
Hierarchical
perspective
Sety I in a chariot charging the Libyans, on
the exterior wall of the hypostyle hall in
the temple of Amun-Re at Karnak, Thebes,
18th Dynasty, c. 1280 BC, New Kingdom
Hierarchical perspective
Art
Architecture
The royal burial places were built in different places. The royal tombs of the
Old and Middle Kingdom were pyramid complexes; only in the New
Kingdom did the pharaohs chose the cliff faces in the desert wadi (valley,
usually a dry riverbed) today known as the „Valley of the Kings“ as their
burial place.
Pyramid necropolises in Abusir (front) and
Giza, Old Kingdom
Valley of the Kings, Thebes, Upper Egypt,
New Kingdom
Art
Architecture
Pyramid – called mr [mer] by the Egyptians, was a monument erected as
a tomb and stage for royal mortuary rituals.The pyramid complex mainly
consisted of a pyramid and a mortuary/funerary temple on cliff and a valley
temple with a harbour situated down next to the artificial Nile canal.
The architecture, reliefs and statues of the pyramid complexes served one
common purpose: to maintain the king’s posthumous royal status and so
to safeguard his existence after death.
Giza necropolis
Giza necropolis with the pyramids
of Khafra (left) and Khufu (right).
Valley temple of the King Khafra
and the Sphinx in the foreground
Art
Architecture
Pyramids
In the reign of the king
Djoser in the 3rd Dynasty,
Imhotep (architect and
presumably also Djoser’s
son) placed a series of
stone mastabas atop one
another in the graduated
design, forming the Step
pyramid at Saqqara
The true pyramid appeared
in the 4th Dynasty in the
reign of Snofru, who built it
at Dahshur
The Great Pyramid at Giza,
erected by the king Khufu, son
of the Snofru, is the most
outstanding example of the genre.
The pyramids at Giza are the only
surviving „wonder of the ancient
world“
Art
Architecture
Mastaba is a rectangular non-royal tomb made out of dried bricks, with
shafts and burial chambers dug into the ground (substructure). The main
level of the tomb (superstructure) contained an offering chambre (a room
for ceremonies) and an additional room for a statue of the deceased so
that his spirit could witness the service being offered in his name.
Structure of a mastaba (section) of the Old
Kingdom
Reconstructed columned entrance to the
mastaba of Ptahshepses, Abusir, Old
Kingdom, 5th Dynasty
Art
Architecture
Temples
The foundation of temples, assisted
by the goddess Seshat, was one of the
pharaohs’ institutional activities. Temples’
key functions were: the house of the
gods, cult place for the dead, a world
model and mythical place. The innermost
space in a temple was called sanctuary –
here was found the naos, a shrine to
the divine image of a god.
Medinet Habu, the mortuary temple of the King
Ramesses III, colonnade in the second court,
New Kingdom, 20th Dynasty
Art
Architecture
Temples
Terrace temple of
Hatshepsut – the levels rise
in terraces from the court to
the sanctuary. It is style of
temple architecture specific
to Thebes.
The first pylon (the entrance
gateway to a temple or to one
of the open courtyards) of the
temple of Isis on the island
of Philae, 30th Dynasty to
Ptolemaic Period.
Temple of Luxor. The broad
court of Amenhotep III is
surrounded by columns with
closed papyrus capitals, New
Kingdom, 18th Dynasty
Art
Statues were placed in the temples or in the closed statue room (serdab)
in the tomb. No statues were made for purely aesthetic purposes. They
provided the required physical abode for the deceased’s ka (soul or spirit
which continued to exist even after death) or they could serve as a
substitute for the body (i.e. mummified body) should anything happen to it.
Statue had to be sufficiently lifelike and identifiable so
that the ka would recognize its own statue. They were
not generally intended to be a true portrait of an
individual, but rather an idealized image of beauty of
the time. It was through its inscription that a statue or
relief was linked to a specific person.
Art
Through a specific magical ritual statues and reliefs were brought to life so
that they could function in the afterlife in the same way as what they
depicted / functioned in this life.
Cult objects used in the
ceremony of the „Opening
of the mouth“. Found in the
pyramid complex of the
King Raneferef in Abusir,
Old Kingdom, 5th Dynasty
(Cairo, Egyptian Museum,
JE 97340, l. 16.7 cm,
basalt, obsidian, berg
crystal)
Art
Reliefs
Scenes on stone surfaces were often cut into relief before painting. There
were two main types of relief in Egypt: raised relief and sunk relief.
Traditionally, painted raised relief was used on interior walls and sunk relief
on outside ones, since bright sunlight has the effect of enhancing sunk
relief and flattening raised relief.
Various types of relief (sections) Raised relief Sunk relief
Art
Reliefs
Reliefs or wall-paintings in the tomb guaranteed that the material needs
of the deceased would continue to be satisfied in the afterlife. While the
representations on the walls fulfilled this role by their mere existence,
offerings of real food and drink were also brought to the tomb’s altar.
Painted relief showing a couple sitting
around a table of offerings, Saqqara, Old
Kingdom, 6th Dynasty
Offering limestone table from the tomb of
Sankhuptah, found in Abusir, Czech excavation,
Old Kingdom, 6th Dynasty (Cairo, Egyptian
Museum, Reg. No. 2601, l. 99 cm)
Art
The only artworks that seem likely to have been wholly secular were wall
decorations inside palaces and houses or such items of daily use as
decorative cosmetic utensils, jewellery, furniture, stone vases, games and
textiles.
Visual materials
Works of art in the historical context
Works of art in the historical context
Predynastic Period (ca. 5500–3150 BCE)
§ first farmers and cattle-herders permanently settled in the fertile Nile
Valley, forced to seek a new way of live by climatic changes
(progressive desiccation of soil in the Sahara grassland)
§ Neolithic farming settlements gradually united into larger population
centres, such as Hierakonpolis, Gebelein, Nagada and Abydos
§ objects, whose shapes and decoration were primarily inspired in
nature, can be already attributed to a single culture or place
§ earliest Egyptian decorated pottery, stone vases, cosmetic palettes
and sculptures in the round
Circular stone structure at Nabta Playa. It
might be one of the world's earliest known
archeoastronomical devices, a prehistoric
„calendar" marking the summer solstice,
ca. 5th millennium BC
•  Per-nu
seh-netjer per-nu, Lower Egypt per-wer, Upper Egypt
Stylized form of the earliest types of Ancient Egyptian shrines;
seh netjer – closely connected with the death god Anubis in the form of a jackal.
Originally, they were structures made from light plant materials: wood, reed, mats
Reed houses (mudhif) are built up
to the present day in the marshes
of Iraq Southern Iraq
per-nu shrine with the symbol of the goddess Neith
carved on the ebony tablet from Abydos, tomb B19,
Early Dynastic Period
Minshat Abu Omar, Eastern Delta, Egypt, c. 3000 BC
Underground burial chambers with brick-lined walls – one of the earliest forms of brick
architecture.
Works of art in the historical context
Fish-shaped cosmetic palette,
late Predynastic Period, schist,
Paris, Musée du Louvre, E 22730
The cosmetic palettes were used to
grind malachite for cosmetic purposes
Bearded male figure,
late Predynastic Period, ca. 4000–3500 BCE
ivory
Cairo, Egyptian Museum
Works of art in the historical context
Female figure from el-
Mamariya,
late Predynastic Period,
ca. 3000 BCE,
terracotta, h. 29.3 cm,
New York,
Brooklyn Museum of Art
Bearded man from Gebelein,
late Predynastic Period,
ca. 3500 BCE,
breccia, h. 50 cm,
Lyon, Musée d’Histoire Naturelle
These male statuettes are little more than heads on schematically rendered bodies, they
have staring eyes, a conspicuous nose, ears and a long pointed beard. They were
probably the earliest funerary statuettes of private individuals and predecessors
of the sculptures of later Egyptian tombs.
Works of art in the historical context
Painted vase from the Naqada I culture
(white-on-red pottery),
late Predynastic Period, 4000–3500 BCE,
clay
Painted vase from the Naqada II culture
(red-on-buff pottery),
late Predynastic Period, 3500–3000 BCE,
clay, h. 24 cm,
Berlin, Egyptian Museum and Papyrus
Collection, Inv. Nr. 20304
Pottery vases used figurative motifs surrounded by repetitive patterns, such as the boat in
a Nile landscape, surrounded by symbols of hills, by plants and animals. Male and female
figures are usually interpreted as hunters and goddesses. These were the beginnings of
Egyptian painting, which was to flourish on later tomb walls.
Pottery model house, El-Amra
Late Predynastic, Naqada III, 3250–3100 BC
This model illustrates the rectangular houseshape
of the period and the use of timberframed
doors and windows
Hierakonpolis, „City of the Falcon“ (Nekhen) – sacred
enclosure with a primeval mound and a shrine structure („Great
House“) in the centre
Works of art in the historical context
Early Dynastic Period (ca. 3150–2700 BCE) / Dynasties 0–2
§ the establishment of an united state under a single ruler
§ royal cemeteries in Abydos and Saqqara
§ development of a hieroglyphic system
§ principal conventions of two- and three-dimensional art were
established together with a specific royal iconography
§ utilitarian palettes and maceheads of the Predynastic Period
developed into the royal votive objects
Abydos
ABYDOS – royal necropolis of the Early Dynastic
Period
Umm el-Qaab in Abydos
Royal necropolis of the Early Dynastic Period
Tomb Uj (king Scorpion I) representing a royal palace, Predynastic Period, c. 3200 BC
Abydos – tomb of king Den
Abydos – tomb of queen Merneith (reconstruction)
Royal funerary monuments were surrounded by an outer wall, with the tombs of the dead
person‘s servants being placed outside it.
Abydos – tomb stela of the
queen Merneith
(Egyptian Museum in Cairo)
Works of art in the historical context
Palette of the Libyan tribute,
late Predynastic Period,
schist,
Egyptian Museum in Cairo,
CG 14238
Double stela of Nytua and Nitneb,
Early Dynastic Period, ca. 2700 BC,
limestone, l. 48 cm, h. 31 cm,
from Saqqara,
Paris, Musées du Louvre, E 27157
Works of art in the historical context
The Battlefield palette
The decoration is forceful and
dynamic. The lion, representing the
king, kills the enemy. Commemorative
palettes such as this large and richly
ornamented example from the British
Museum, London (EA 20791), were
made in the Late Predynastic Period.
They were placed in temples as
offerings to the divinities.
Fragment of the bull palette,
Paris, Musée du Louvre, E 11255
Late Predynastic Period
The image of the king (here symbolized
by a bull) overcoming his enemies occurs
frequently on palettes
	
  
Works of art in the historical context
The Narmer palette,
Early Dynastic Period,
1st Dynasty, ca. 3000 BCE,
schist, h. 64 cm,
found at Hierakonpolis,
Cairo, Egyptian Museum, CG 14176
Statue of King Khasekhem,
Early Dynastic Period,
2nd Dynasty, ca. 2650 BCE,
limestone, h. 62 cm,
Oxford, Ashmolean museum
Works of art in the historical context
Old Kingdom (ca. 2700–2180 BCE) / Dynasties 3–6
§ first monumental stone building (Dyn. 3) – the Step pyramid of Djoser
at Saqqara
§ peak period of pyramid building (Dyn. 4) – pyramid complexes
of Khufu (Cheops), Khafra (Chephren) and Menkaura (Mycerinus)
at Giza
§ the non-royal tombs (mastabas) had decorated rooms containing
scenes of ‚everyday life‘, crowds of the offering-bearers, and the central
scene of the tomb owner seated before the table of offerings
§ three main types of individual male statues evolved during the Old
Kingdom and continued to be used for the rest of the Egyptian history:
seated statue, standing statue and scribe statue
First monumental stone building – the Step pyramid of Djoser at Saqqara
built by Imhotep, Old Kingdom, 3rd Dynasty, ca 2630 BCE
Step pyramid of Djoser at Saqqara, reconstructed entrance
Step pyramid of Djoser at Saqqara – Heb-sed jubilee courtyard, symbolic shrines
Statue of the king Djoser,
Old Kingdom, 3rd Dynasty,
painted limestone,
Egyptian Museum in Cairo, JE 6008
The figure of Djoser was found inside the serdab
(cellar in arab., the chamber without an entrance in
which the statue of the dead person was placed)
in the king’s funerary temple.
This image of Djoser is regarded as the earliest
royal life-size stone statue. It retains the austerity
and compactness of statues from the previous
period, but on a larger scale.
Works of art in the historical context
Statues of Sepa and Nesa,
Old Kingdom, 3rd Dynasty,
painted limestone,
statue of Sepa (man): h. 165 cm,
statue of Nesa (woman): h. 154 cm,
Paris, Musée du Louvre, A 36, A 37
Statues of Sepa and Nesa are among
the oldest known examples of lifesize
standing sculptures in the round
MEIDUM
Pyramid complex of king Snofru
King Snofru was the founder
of the 4th Dynasty and the biggest
builder of the pyramids. He built
three pyramid complexes,
documenting the transition from
a stepped structure (Meidum)
through the bent pyramid in
southern Dahshur to the first true
pyramid at northern Dahshur.
Bent pyramid of king Snofru at northern Dahshur
Red pyramid of king Snofru at southern Dahshur
Works of art in the historical context
Statues of Rahotep and his wife Nofret,
Old Kingdom, 4th Dynasty, reign of Snofru,
painted limestone,
h. (Rahotep) 121 cm, h. (Nofret) 122 cm,
tomb of Rahotep, Meidum,
Cairo, Egyptian Museum, CG 3 and 4
The high quality of the sculptures clearly
identify them as the product of the royal
court’s artists. The facial features are
sculpted with great realism. The large eyes
are inlaid with quartz and rock crystal and are
decorated with heavy black maquillage
The pyramid complexes in Giza, 4th Dynasty, Old Kingdom
GIZA PLATEAU
Khufu pyramid, cross section
Works of art in the historical context
Stela of Princess Nefertiabet and
her food (details),
Old Kingdom, 4th Dynasty,
reign of Cheops (ca. 2590–2565 BCE),
painted limestone, h. 37.5 cm, w. 52.5 cm,
found in the cemetery at Giza,
Paris, Musées du Louvre, E 15591
Statuette of Khufu,
Old Kingdom, 4th Dynasty,
ivory, h. 7.5 cm,
found at Abydos,
Cairo, Egyptian Museum, JE 36143
Works of art in the historical context
Statue of King Khafra,
Old Kingdom, 4th Dynasty,
diorite, h. 168 cm,
found in his valley temple in Giza,
Cairo, Egyptian Museum,
JE 10062=CG 14
Statue of King Khafra,
Old Kingdom, 4th Dynasty,
schist, h. 120 cm,
found in his valley temple in Giza,
Cairo, Egyptian Museum, CG 15
Works of art in the historical context
Triad of King Menkaura,
Old Kingdom, 4th Dynasty,
green-grey schist, h. 95.5 cm,
found in the valley temple of Menkaura, Giza,
Cairo, Egyptian Museum, JE 46499
This famous triad portrays King Menkaura
wearing the White Crown of Upper Egypt and
accompanied on his right by the goddess
Hathor who is holding his hand, and on his left
by another female figure who is carrying the
symbol of the seventh administrative district
of Upper Egypt, whose capital was Diospolis
Parva. The statue was part of a group of eight
sculptures that were dedicated by the pharaoh
to the goddess Hathor
Works of art in the historical context
The seated scribe,
Old Kingdom, 4th Dynasty,
ca. 2620–2500 BCE,
painted limestone, inlaid eyes: rock
crystal, magnesite (magnesium
carbonate), copper-arsenic alloy,
nipples made of wood,
h. 53.7 cm,
found at Saqqara, north of the alley
of the sphinxes near Serapeum,
Paris, Musée du Louvre, E 3023
ABUSIR, royal necropolis of the 5th Dynasty
Pyramid complex of king Sahura (from the top of the pyramid, facing east), Abusir
Pyramid complex of king Sahura, Abusir
Pyramid complex of the king Sahura, Abusir
1. entrance corridor
2. courtyard
3. transverse corridor
4. five niches chapel
5. annexes – storerooms
6. offering chapel
7. cult pyramid
8. side entrance
9. valley temple (down)
Sun temple of king Niuserra, Abu Ghurab
Works of art in the historical context
Striding statue of the King Raneferef,
Old Kingdom, 5th Dynasty,
basalt, h. 80 cm,
from the funerary temple of Raneferef,
Abusir, Czech excavation,
Cairo, Egyptian Museum, JE 98181
Statue of the King Raneferef,
Old Kingdom, 5th Dynasty,
basalt, h. 23.8 cm,
from the funerary temple of Raneferef,
Abusir, Czech excavation,
Cairo, Egyptian Museum, JE 98177
Works of art in the historical context
Seated statue of King Raneferef (detail),
Old Kingdom, 5th Dynasty,
pink limestone (painted), h. 34 cm,
from the funerary temple of Raneferef,
Abusir, Czech excavation,
Cairo, Egyptian museum, JE 98171
Standing figure of Princess Hedjetnebu,
Old Kingdom, 5th Dynasty (reign of Djedkara),
wood, stucco, h. 81.5 cm,
tomb of Hedjetnebu,
Abusir, Czech excavation,
Cairo, Egyptian Museum, JE 98438
Works of art in the historical context
Cult objects used in the ceremony
of the „Opening of the mouth“,
Old Kingdom, 5th Dynasty,
basalt, obsidian, berg crystal, l. 16.7 cm,
found in the pyramid complex of Raneferef,
Abusir, Czech excavation,
Cairo, Egyptian Museum, JE 97340
Offering limestone table
from the tomb of Sankhuptah,
Old Kingdom, 6th Dynasty,
painted limestone, l. 99 cm, w. 60 cm,
found in Abusir, Czech excavation,
Cairo, Egyptian Museum, Reg. No. 2601
Works of art in the historical context
Seated statue of an official,
Old Kingdom, 5th Dynasty,
painted limestone,
Cairo, Egyptian Museum
Statue of Raherka (inspector of scribes) and
of his wife Meresankh,
Old Kingdom, 4th/5th Dynasty, ca. 2350 BCE,
sculpture in the round, painted limestone,
h. 52.8 cm,
Paris, Musée du Louvre, E 15592
Works of art in the historical context
Ptahhotep, a high dignitary, is sitting
before a table of offerings, smelling a jar
of perfumed ointment,
Old Kingdom, 5th Dynasty,
painted limestone,
tomb of Ptahhotep, Saqqara
Scene of fishing from the tomb
of the official Mereruka at Saqqara,
Old Kingdom, 6th Dynasty,
raised relief, limestone
Works of art in the historical context
Gees, models of offerings,
Old Kingdom, 6th Dynasty,
painted limestone, l. 13–19 cm,
tomb of Qar Junior,
Abusir-south, Czech excavation
reg. nos. 2474, 2476–2479
Statue of the official Nefer,
Old Kingdom, 6th Dynasty,
limestone, h. 46 cm,
tomb of Inti, Abusir-south,
Czech excavation,
Cairo, Egyptian museum, JE 99075
Works of art in the historical context
Set of copper vessels (censer with
cover, jar, washing set, bowls),
Old Kingdom, 6th Dynasty,
copper, h. 5.5–15 cm,
tomb of Inti, Abusir, Czech excavation
find no. 130/JJ/02
Tablet of Seven Sacred Oils,
Old Kingdom, 6th Dynasty,
travertine and limestone,
h. 4 cm, l. 23 cm, w. 11 cm,
tomb of Inti, burial chamber of Pepyankh-Inti,
Abusir, Czech excavation
reg. no. 2536
Works of art in the historical context
Striding statue of King Teti (detail)
wearing the Upper Egyptian crown,
Old Kingdom, 6th Dynasty,
red granite,
Cairo, Egyptian museum, JE 39103
Statue of King Pepy I,
Old Kingdom, 6th Dynasty,
copper, inlaid eyes, h. 65 cm,
found at Hierakonpolis,
Cairo, Egyptian Museum, JE 33035
Works of art in the historical context
Figure of the official Irukaptah called
Khenu, „head of the butchers of the
Great House and wab priest of the King“,
Old Kingdom, 5th Dynasty,
limestone,
tomb of Irukaptah/Khenu,
Unas pyramid cemetery, Saqqara
Painted relief showing a couple sitting
around a table of offerings,
Old Kingdom, 6th Dynasty,
Saqqara
Works of art in the historical context
Middle Kingdom (ca. 1994–1797 BCE) / Dynasty 12
§ temples were built in all towns in the country; foundation of the temple
at Karnak
§ the tradition of placing wooden models depicting aspects of everyday
life in the burial chamber of a tomb appeared at the end of the Old
Kingdom. In the Middle Kingdom, the models became increasingly
elaborate and partly even replaced the wall relief decoration of the tomb
chapels
§ new artistic style appeared in the Theban region, typical for its bold
treatment of volumes and absence of balanced proportions
§ the royal statuary shows a development from the regular, idealized
faces of the Old Kingdom kings to the increasingly prominent and
dramatic features of the Middle Kingdom rulers. The heavy eyelids and
sunken features convey inner strength, and also the weight of new
responsability derived from the governance
Works of art in the historical context
Wooden model of carpenters‘ workshop
Cairo, Egyptian Museum, JE 36195
Troop of Egyptian soldiers,
Middle Kingdom, 11th Dynasty,
painted wood, h. ca 59 cm,
from Asyut, tomb of Prince Mesekhty,
Cairo, Egyptian museum,
JE 30986=CG 258
Statue of King Mentuhotep II,
(with the Lower Egyptian crown)
Middle Kingdom, 11th Dynasty,
painted sandstone, h. 183 cm,
found in the temple of Mentuhotep II
at Deir al-Bahri,
Cairo, Egyptian Museum, JE 36195
The heavy forms and brilliantly contrasting colours
are typical of the more classical tradition of Upper
Egyptian sculpture. Dark skin refers to the depiction
of Mentuhotep as god Osiris, ruler of the
Underworld.
Works of art in the historical context
Painted wooden model of a boat
with the oarsmen,
Middle Kingdom,
painted wood,
Paris, Musée du Louvre
Statue of a female offering bearer,
Middle Kingdom, 12th Dynasty,
stuccoed and painted wood, h. 63.2 cm,
from Asyut,
Paris, Musée du Louvre, E 12001
Works of art in the historical context
Seated statue of Renefseneb-Dag,
Middle Kingdom, 12th Dynasty,
red granite?, h. 33 cm,
from Aswan?,
Berlin, Egyptian Museum and
Papyrus Collection, Inv. Nr. 10115
Wall painting in the rock-cut tomb
of Sarenput II,
Middle Kingdom, 12th Dynasty,
Qubbet el-Hawa, Aswan
Works of art in the historical context
Head of King Senusret III,
Middle Kingdom, 12th Dynasty,
green schist, h. 21.9 cm,
Vienna, Kunsthistorisches Museum,
Ägyptisch-Orientalistische Sammlung,
Inv.-Nr. 5813
Head of King Senusret III,
Middle Kingdom, 12th Dynasty,
light beige-brown sandstone, h. approx. 25 cm,
found at Hérakléopolis,
Paris, Musée du Louvre, E 25370
Head of King Senusret III,
Middle Kingdom, 12th Dynasty,
black diorite, h. 15.5 cm,
found at Medamud,
Paris, Musée du Louvre, E 12962
Works of art in the historical context
Hippopotamus figurine,
Second Intermediate Period,
17th Dynasty, 1650–1550 BCE,
Egyptian faience, h. 12.7 cm, l. 20.5 cm,
Thebes, Dra Abu el-Naga,
Paris, Musée du Louvre, E 7709
Faience figurines of hippopotami were placed in the Middle Kingdom tombs, probably
because the animal was linked to the ideas connected with fertility and procreation.
The marshland plants and small animals surrounding the wild hippopotami in their natural
environment were painted on the body of the statuettes to indicate the beast’s habitat.
Works of art in the historical context
§ New Kingdom (ca 1543–1292 BCE) / Dynasty 18–20
§ time of a new monumentum; the numerous contacts with foreign
countries influenced art, namely painting, which showed a much
greater freedom based on close observation of real life, vitality, lively
colours and attempts to depict movement and basic perspective
§ royal burials were located in the Valley of the Kings, with separate
funerary temples (west bank ofthe river Nile); state temples were built
of stone and in a large-scale manner (east bank)
§ in non-royal tomb chapels the repertory of ‚everyday life‘ scenes was
mostly abandoned, and instead the fate of the deceased in the next
world was emphasized
§ monotheist reform under the King Amenhotep IV-Akhenaten and
foundation of the new royal residence in Amarna; restoration
of polytheism under Akhenaten’s successors Tutankhamun and
Horemheb
Thebes – West bank
Thebes – Karnak and Luxor temples and the city in the foreground
Valley of the Kings, tombs‘ entrances
Works of art in the historical context
Goddess Hathor and Queen Nefertari,
Painted relief from the tomb of Queen Nefertari,
wife of King Ramesse II,
New Kingdom, 19th Dynasty,
Valley of the Queens (tomb No. QV 66)
Goddess Maat, painted relief from
the tomb of Queen Nefertari,
wife of King Ramesse II,
New Kingdom, 19th Dynasty,
Valley of the Queens (tomb No. QV 66)
Works of art in the historical context
Goddess Hathor and the King
Haremheb,
painted relief from the tomb
of King Horemheb,
New Kingdom, 18th Dynasty,
Valley of the Kings
Deir el-Medina, workmen‘s village
Part of the Dead papyrus of Hunefer, illustrating spell 23, the Opening of the mouth
ceremony on Hunefer’s mummy in front of his tomb.
H. of papyrus = 40 cm, British Museum, EA 9901, sheet 5
Works of art in the historical context
Sennedjem’s body being mummified
by Anubis,
New Kingdom, 19th Dynasty,
painted plaster,
tomb of Sennedjem, Deir el-Medina,
Thebes, Upper Egypt
The God Ra sailing on a solar boat,
New Kingdom, 19th Dynasty,
painted plaster,
burial chambre of Sennedjem, Deir el-Medina
Thebes, Upper Egypt
Medinet Habu – mortuary temple of Ramesse III, Thebes, West bank, reconstruction
Medinet Habu – mortuary temple of Ramesse III (inner part), Thebes, West bank
Thebes – Karnak temple (temple complexes of Amun-Re, Montu, Chons and
Mut) and the city, New Kingdom
Karnak temple
Works of art in the historical context
Fragment of wall painting,
New Kingdom, 18th Dynasty,
painted plaster, h. 101 cm, w. 160 cm,
Amarna, Southern palace (Meruaten),
Cairo, Egyptian museum, JE 33030–33031
Group of musicians and dancers from
the tomb of Nebamun (TT 146?),
Thebes,
London, The British Museum, EA 37984
Painting shows much greater freedom
based on close observation of real life,
vitality, lively colours and attempts to
depict movement and basic perspective
Works of art in the historical context
Ostracon showing a king as a mighty
warrior with a ceremonial battle-axe,
New Kingdom, 19th Dynasty,
drawing on a chip of limestone
This scene was the standard artistic
expression of the triumph of royal
authority over its enemies since the Early
Dynastic Period (the Narmer palette).
The king is about to shatter the head
of a kneeling foe whom he grasps by
the hair
Relief depicting Nubian prisoners,
New Kingdom, 18th Dynasty,
painted limestone
tomb of Horemheb at Saqqara
The prisoners show the distinctive Nubian
racial traits, but each one has individual
features
Works of art in the historical context
Head of Queen Nefertiti,
New Kingdom, 18th Dynasty,
painted limestone, h. 50 cm,
Berlin, Egyptian Museum and Papyrus
Collection, Inv. no. 21300
The famous head probably served as
a model for sculptures of the queen, whose
beauty is realistically portrayed. It was
found together with many other unfinished
statues in the workshop of the sculptor
Thutmose at El-Amarna (house P 47)
by German archaeologist Ludwig Borchardt
in December 1912
The workshop of the sculptor
Thutmose at El-Amarna
(house P 47)
Works of art in the historical context
Coffer inscribed with the name
of King Tutankhamun,
New Kingdom, 18th Dynasty,
wood, ivory, gold,
found in the Valley of the Kings (tomb KV 62),
Cairo, Egyptian museum
The shrine for canopic jars,
New Kingdom, 18th Dynasty,
gilded wood, h. 198 cm,
found in the Valley of the Kings,
tomb of Tutankhamun (KV 62),
Cairo, Egyptian Museum, JE 60686, The
goddesses Isis (left) and Selqet (right)
stand on the sides of a shrine with their
arms protectively outstretched
Works of art in the historical context
Throne of King Tutankhamun (detail:
Tutankhamun and his wife Queen
Ankhespaamun, spreading an ointment
on his left shoulder),
New Kingdom, 18th Dynasty,
wood, gold, silver, vitreous paste and
semiprecious stones, h. (throne) 102 cm,
Thebes, Valley of the Kings (tomb KV 62),
Cairo, Egyptian Museum, JE 62028
Tutankhamun and
Ankhesenamun (?)
(„A walk in the garden“)
New Kingdom,
18th Dynasty,
painted limestone,
h. 25 cm,
Berlin, Egyptian Museum
and Papyrus Collection,
Inv. no. 15000
The informal arrangement of the figures within the
scene is one of the main features of art during the
reign of Akhenaten. The relaxed figure of the king
is particularly striking, with a gust of wind blowing
part of his robe into the air. The image of queen is
more static, and the artist is more interested in the
possibilities afforded by the colour and
transparency of the robe. He has made the legs
visible through it.
Works of art in the historical context
Shawabty figure of Tutankhamun,
New Kingdom, 18th Dynasty,
wood, gold and bronze, h. 48 cm,
Thebes, Valley of the Kings (tomb KV 62),
Cairo, Egyptian Museum, JE 60828
The term shawabty means „he who
responds“, reffering to the moment in which
the deceased is called upon to perform hard
labor in the fields of the underworld.
Shawabty figures (413 in the tomb
of Tutankhamun) responded and worked
instead of the deceased
Pectoral in the form of a winged scarab,
New Kingdom, 18th Dynasty,
gold, carnelian, turquoise, green feldspar,
lapis lazuli, calcite,
found in the Valley of the Kings,
tomb of Tutankhamun (KV 62),
Cairo, Egyptian Museum, JE 61886
Works of art in the historical context
Necklace of Queen Ahhotep; rows of small gold
pieces, geometrical and zoomorphic motifs,
New Kingdom, 18th Dynasty,
gold, w. 37.5 cm,
Cairo, Egyptian Museum, CG 52672
Uraeus, sacred cobra,
New Kingdom,
gold, semiprecious stones,
Cairo, Egyptian Museum
Works of art in the historical context
Spoon for offerings (so called spoon for make-up),
New Kingdom, 18th Dynasty,
wood, h. 20 cm,
Paris, Musée du Louvre, N 1750
Spoons for make-up were often inspired by plants
and life on the borders of the river Nile. Young girl
picks the stems of flowering lotos
Spoon for offerings in a form of a bound izard,
New Kingdom, 18th Dynasty,
tamarisk-wood,
found at Gurab, Thebes,
Paris, Musée du Louvre, N 11124
Works of art in the historical context
The goddess Hathor welcomes Sety I,
New Kingdom, 19th Dynasty,
reign of Sety I, 1290–1279 BCE,
bas-relief, painted limestone, h. 226 cm
Thebes, Valley of the Kings, tomb of Sety,
Paris, Musées du Louvre, B 7
Statue of King Ramesse II,
New Kingdom, 19th Dynasty,
black granite, h. 194 cm,
from the east temple at Karnak,
Thebes,
Turin, Museo Egizio, C 1380
The statue of Ramesse II, famous Egyptian
warrior and builder, embodying the idea of royalty
during the Ramesside era. The right arm and
sceptre extend beyond the bounds of the figure,
creating a feeling of movement and accentuating
the vibrancy of the pleated clothing that was
fashionable at the time. This gives the statue an
unexpected feeling of reality.
Works of art in the historical context
Third Intermediate Period (ca. 1078–715 BCE)
and the Late Period (715–332 BCE) / Dynasties 21–30
§ foreign rulers over Egypt; collateral lines of rulers led to internal political
collapse followed by consolidation and the final phase of Egyptian
independence (Dynasties 26–30)
§ temple buildings from the Delta (Behbeit el-Hagar) to the First Cataract
(Philae)
§ the stylistic development of the Late Period looked for inspiration in older
models, namely from the Old Kingdom, which were adapted to meet
current religious and funerary needs
§ the most remarkable artistic products of this time were the brightly
painted coffins, whose interior and exterior designs showed aspects
of the underworld and divine protection and substituted former decoration
of the walls in the tomb chapels
§ extraordinary high quality was achieved in the hard stone statues with
smooth, polished surfaces
Works of art in the historical context
Statue of Karomama,
Divine Adoratrice of Amun,
Third Intermediate Period,
22nd Dyn., ca. 830 BCE,
lost-wax bronze casting, inlay,
h. 59.5 cm,
probably from Karnak, Thebes,
Paris, Musée du Louvre, N 500
Funerary mask of King Sheshonq II
(treasure of Tanis),
Third Intermediate Period, Dynasty 22,
gold, h. 26 cm, w. 23 cm,
Cairo, Egyptian Museum, JE 72163
This bronze figure of a priestess is
an example of the virtuosity
attained by Egyptian metalworkers
during the Third Intermediate
Period. Richly decorated and
damascened short-sleeved robe
accentuates her well-proportioned
body.
Works of art in the historical context
Painted inner coffin with a mummy,
Third Intermediate Period, 21st Dynasty,
wood, h. 183 cm,
found in Thebes,
London, British museum
Painted outer and inner coffin,
Third Intermediate Period,
wood
Works of art in the historical context
The harpist's stele,
Third Intermediate Period,
1069–664 BCE,
stuccoed and painted wood, h. 29.5 cm,
Paris, Musée du Louvre, N 3657
Cat,
Late Period, 26th Dynasty,
reign of Psamtik I, 664–610 BCE,
casting, inlay, engraving, bronze and gold,
h. 27.6 cm,
Paris, Musée du Louvre, E 2533
Works of art in the historical context
The Eye of Horus (udjat eye) amulet,
Late Period, faience,
from the mastaba-tomb of Werkaura,
Abusir, Czech excavation
Fragment of the Book of the Dead
on papyrus: Djedhor working in the Fields
of the Afterlife,
Late Period, 664–332 BCE,
drawing on papyrus, h. 46 cm,
Paris, Musée du Louvre, N 3079 (feuille 13)
Works of art in the historical context
Sky goddess Nut on the lid
of the sarcophagus of Djedhor,
4th century BCE,
greywacke, l. 285 cm,
Paris, Musée du Louvre, D9
The Goddess Isis,
Late Period or Ptolemaic period,
painted wood,
Paris, Musée du Louvre
Works of art in the historical context
Ptolemaic Period (332–30 BCE)
§ Alexander the Great and his successors ruled over Egypt; Alexandria
became the new capital, Egypt was part of the hellenistic world
§ under Ptolemies, for the most part architecture, the images emloyed
in its decoration and the ways of treating them remained essentially
Egyptian. They resisted external influences even into the Roman period
§ the works of art made for the non-Egyptian population naturally
employed Hellenistic style
§ features that characterize Ptolemaic art are smoothly rounded and
heavily modelled surfaces
Temple of Amun (Temple of the Oracle), Aghurmi, Siwa Oasis, built in the 26th Dynasty
Visited by Alexander the Great after he conquered Egypt (332 BC)
Alexandria, seat of the Ptolemaic rulers of Egypt, was founded by Alexander the Great in
331 BC. It became one of the greatest cities of the Hellenistic world
Works of art in the historical context
Head of a priest,
Ptolemaic period, ca. 250 BCE,
greywacke, h. 10 cm,
Berlin, Egyptian Museum and Papyrus
Collection, Inv. no. 255
Standing statue of Horsatutu,
Ptolemaic Period, ca. 300–250 BCE,
black granite, h. 113 cm,
from Sais?,
Berlin, Egyptian Museum and Papyrus
Collection, Inv. no. 2271
Works of art in the historical context
Statue of the falcon God Horus in Edfu,
Ptolemaic period, black granite,
temple of Horus
The God Thoth in his animal form as a
baboon with a golden solar disk,
Ptolemaic period,
faience, silver and gold, h. 15 cm,
Paris, Musée du Louvre, E 17496
Works of art in the historical context
Offering basin of Ptolemaios I,
Ptolemaic Period, ca. 300 BCE,
black granite, h. 15.4 cm, diam. 79 cm,
from Elephantine,
Berlin, Egyptian Museum and Papyrus Collection,
Inv. No. 18901
Works of art in the historical context
Religious text on papyrus written in hieratic,
The Book of the Dead of the priest Hornedjitef,
Ptolemaic Period, 1st century BCE,
Paris, Musée du Louvre, N 3081
Two hieroglyphic signs „mwt“ (a vulture)
carved in relief. A plate served as a
model for sculptors,
Ptolemaic Period,
limestone, h. 18.2 cm, w. 11 cm,
from Saqqara,
Paris, Musée du Louvre, E 11130
Works of art in the historical context
Egypt as a Roman Province (30 BC–395 AD)
and the Byzantine Egypt (395–642 AD)
§ gradual adoption of Christianity as the official religion of Egypt
§ traditional artistic styles gave way to those of the outside world, namely
to those of the Mediterranean
Catacombs of Kom el-Shukafa, Alexandria, 2nd Dynasty AD
• 
Alexandria, theatre
Christian necropolis in the oasis Kharga, Byzantine Egypt, 5th century AD
Works of art in the historical context
Chapel of Exodus with preserved pictures of the Old Testament biblical stories,
Christian necropolis in the oasis Kharga, Byzantine Egypt, 5th century AD
Works of art in the historical context
Works of art in the historical context
Relief featuring a Greek cross, encircled
by fronds,
Byzantine Egypt, 6th century AD,
limestone, h. 38 cm, w. 100 cm,
Saqqara, Monastery of Saint Jeremiah,
Cairo, Coptic Museum, Inv. No. 8251
Portrait of a young woman,
Roman Egypt, 4th century AD,
tempera on wood, h. 35 cm, w. 19.5 cm,
from al-Rubayat, Faiyum,
Cairo, Egyptian Museum, CG 33248
Islamic Egypt – 642 AD Arabs conquered Egypt
Mosque of Ahmad ibn Tulun, 876 AD, Cairo
Texts
Texts based on:
§ Aldred, Cyril, Egyptian Art, Thames and Hudson, London, 1980
§ Baines, John, Málek, Jaromír, Atlas of Ancient Egypt, Andromeda Oxford Limited,
Oxford, 1980
§ Freed, Rita E., Art of Ancient Egypt, in: Wilkinson, Richard H. (ed.), Egyptology Today,
Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2008, 123–143
§ Málek, Jaromír, Egyptian Art, Faidon Press Limited, London, 1999
§ Manniche, Lise, L’Art égyptien, Flammarion, Paris, 1994
§ Robins, Gay, The Art of Ancient Egypt, The Trustees of the British Museum,
London, 1997
§ Smith, W. Stevenson, The Art and Architecture of Ancient Egypt (revised with additions
by William Kelly Simpson), Yale University Press, New Haven, 1981
§ Tiradritti, Francesco, Ancient Egypt: Art, Architecture and History, The British Museum
Press, London, 2002
§ Tiradritti, Francesco (ed.), The Treasures of the Egyptian Museum, The American
University in Cairo Press, Cairo, 1999
§ Weeks, Kent R., Valley of the Kings: the Tombs and the Funerary Temples of Thebes
West, White Star Publishers, 2001
§ Wildung, Dietrich, Egypt: from Prehistory to the Romans [Taschen’s World Architecture],
Taschen, Köln, 1997
Photographic credits
Photographic credits:
© Hana Benešovská, Jan Brodský, Martin Frouz, Kamil Voděra, Milan Zemina,
the Archive of the Czech Institute of Egyptology, Faculty of Arts, Charles University in Prague
Photographic sources:
Ashmolean museum in Oxford
Coptic Museum in Cairo
Egyptian Museum in Cairo
Egyptian Museum and Papyrus Collection in Berlin
Kunsthistorisches Museum Ägyptisch-Orientalistische Sammlung in Vienna
Musée du Louvre in Paris
Museo Egizio in Turin
The British Museum in London
The Giza Archives, Museum of Fine Arts in Boston
internet sources
No part of this presentation may be reproduced or transmitted.
Photographs were used strictly for academic purposes, with no copyright for further reproduction.
Imhotep, limestone pyramid at Saqqara, Egypt, 2630 BCE
Man fears time, time fears the pyramids…
I. M. Pei, glass pyramid at the Louvre, Paris, France, 1989