Egyptian art is distinguished by unusual artistic methods and breathtaking masterpieces. The Egyptians believe that works of art and architecture were necessary for the smooth functioning of that society, and even of the world itself. Ancient Egypt was described as “skills in execution”, meaning a particular ability to fashion material things with tools. The main subject of Egyptian art is man and his many activities in Egyptian milieu. Colossal figures exist and symbolize only the heroic and beneficent qualities of divinities and kings, instead of the horrific power of tyrants and demons.

Egyptian art mirrors an ideal aspect of the natural world in which calm, successful men and women are showing acts in a wise manner. Their ways of art were very significant in a society of very limited literacy.

Many ideas concerning religion, the hierarchical order of society and the belief in life after death were at the root of many Egyptian works of art. Ancient Egypt civilization reflects a wide range of traits known from later African societies, indicating a common pool of traditions, rituals, and beliefs. Different forms of Egyptian art included monumental pyramids, jewellery, embracing pyramids, sculptures, woodwork, textiles, and ceramics.

Periods of Time

Egyptian art has the longest-lasting civilization in the world-over four millennia. The earliest Egyptian objects that can be described as works of art date back to about 4500 BC. The following are a list of the different time periods in Egyptian art history:

• The Archaic Period (Dynasties 1-2)
• Imhotep and the Monuments of Djoser (Dynasty 3)
• The Pyramid Age (Dynasty 4)
• The Pyramid Age (Dynasties 5-6)
• The First Intermediate Period (Dynasties 7-10)
• The Middle Kingdom (Dynasties 11-13)
• The Second Intermediate Period; the Character of the New Kingdom (Dynasties 14-20)
• The Early New Kingdom (Dynasty 18)
• The New Kingdom: Ramesside Period (Dynasties 19-20)
• The Character of Late Egyptian Art and the Tanite Period (Dynasty 21)
• The Libyan Period (Dynasties 22-24)
• The Kushite Period (Dynasty 25)
• The Saite Period (dynasty 26)
• The Late Period (Dynasties 27-30)

History

Egyptian art began many, many years ago. At the start, the word ‘art’ would refer to only the carvings that Egyptians would make into cliffs or caves, but not it includes a wide range of objects, from sculptures, to pyramids, to paintings.

The Predynastic Period

Most of the art created during this time was found in the cemeteries. Pieces of art were usually placed in graves for the use of the spirit in the next life. Pottery was a common form of art put into the graves. The pottery was often decorated with paintings of nature or a picture that represents life at that time. Clay, bone, and ivory were used to make sculptures.

Early Dynastic Period and Old Kingdom (2686-2160 BC)

At this time (3100 BC), the city was united under one rule by strong chieftains from the south. This event was commemorated on a stone carving (the Palette of King Narmo). During the Old Kingdom, limestone and granite were used to construct large-scale royal funery temples and royal and private tombs. During the Old Kingdom, most of the works of art came from the tombs. Much of the art produced said something about daily life.

First Intermediate Period and Middle Kingdom (2040-1640 BC)

Superb work in decorative arts were produced during this time period. Jewellery was made of precious methods inlaid with coloured stones. During the Middle Kingdom, the style of three-dimensional art changed. Pharaohs did not look serious and strong now; rather, they looked more eager and boyish (more like people instead of gods)

Second Intermediate Period and New Kingdom (1786-1567 BC)

The kings of the 18th to 20th century were great builders of religious architecture. During this time, most of the art produced reminded people of the past, for example, of past battles.

Different Regions

Egyptian art was most significant in the Nile Valley regions in Egypt and Nubia.

Characteristics

One significant characteristic of Egyptian art was the method used to develop it. A grid of eighteen squares was always used to ensure perfect and exact body proportions. The width of each square would be about the size of a palm-the four fingers. A major exception to this characteristic was Akhenaten’s art. He encouraged people to go away from traditional art. However, when he passed away, people went back to their traditional ways, using the grid.

Another characteristic of Egyptian art was its functionality. All of their art was made to serve a purpose. The pyramids are best understood for their functionality. The height and size and the perfection of the design were seen as practical. Egyptians did not mind using extra effort to make their structures perfect because the structures always served a clear purpose in enhancing the statues of the kings entombed beneath it. This was important for the king’s afterlife and for the afterlife of all his contemporaries buried in the tombs around the pyramid. In Egyptian art, figures were not drawn by size, but by importance. For example, the Pharoah would always be drawn the largest in the painting, while a greater God would be drawn larger than a less important God. Ancient Egyptian art is often quite realistic and exact.

Art

Egyptians were heavily involved in art from a very early stage. They invented methods to portray their designs and ideas in very unique ways. Take for instance their dye. They would get woad to make blue dye and madder and safflower for red.

Sculptures

Egyptian art was designed to represent ancient Egyptian gods, the Pharoahs, and divine kings and queens in physical form. These statues were built to give eternal life to kings and queens. When creating statues, there were very strict principles. Male sculptures had to be darker than female ones. This was because of the fact that males were supposed to be darker from working outside all day. Hands were always required to be place on the knees and there was a strict criteria for each Egyptian god. For instance, the god of the sky (Horus) had to be represented with a falcon’s head. Children were often depicted naked to show the innocence of that child. However, adults were also naked in funeral statues to show rebirth in the afterlife. Being unique was not encouraged while making statues or sculptures. Everything had to adhere to very strict rules. Over three thousand years, the appearance of sculptures changed very little because of this criteria.

Hieroglyphs

Hieroglyphs was a formal was a formal writing system used by Egyptians. It consisted of pictures and symbols to represent the different letters of the alphabet (e.g. birds). Most art works contain hieroglyphs to add an explanation or to emphasize a point. Heiroglyphs was a system of 24 characters. Rather than using letters, ideograms and phonograms would be used. For everyday use, a simple form of hieroglyphs known as hieratic.

Literature

Ancient Egyptian art and literature tied in together in many places. Usually, pictures and text would go together on strips of papyrus. Literature included hymns to the Gods, mortuary texts, and mythological and magical texts. Many stories from ancient Egypt survived thousands of years, including Cinderella, where the name was actually Rhodopis. The most significant and well known literature was the Book of the Dead, which contained over 200 prayers and magic formulas that taught the Egyptians how to reach a happy afterlife.

Paintings

Ancient Egyptian art survived such a long time due to the extreme dry climate in Egypt at that time. Egyptians created paintings to make the afterlife of the deceased a pleasant place. Often, they would have paintings on tomb walls to represent the superiority of the Gods. At other times, they would create paintings to make the afterlife of the deceased a pleasant place.

Architecture Buildings

Most architecture in the ancient Egypt was constructed from stone, especially limestone and sandstone. The first royal tombs were called mastabas and were built during the first and second dynasties at a city called Abydos. Pyramids were used for royal burials until about 1640 BC. To prevent robberies, kings and queens built their tombs in a valley just west of the Theban capital. This valley was known as the Valley of the Kings, and is a popular tourist attraction today. It has been designated a world heritage site by UNESCO. Pyramids were usually surrounded by mastabas and smaller pyramids. It is said that about 80% of a pyramid’s building materials are found in the lower half. Because of the fact that pyramids are solid, no pillars are needed to support it. Ramps were built to haul the stone blocks up the sides of a pyramid with sleds. Water was put onto the ramp to reduce friction. Groups of men would then drag the stone block up the ramp. Once the block of stone reached the designated height, wooden rockers were used to put it into position. Pyramids were usually part of a funerary complex.

Palaces

Palaces were the places where pharaohs lived. A palace contained a complex with many buildings, including the house of the pharaoh and temples for worshipping gods. They had two sections: one to fulfill the needs of the pharaoh and the other to meet the needs of requirements of administration. They were usually rectangular structures, with high walls with towers. The tips of the towers were decorated with rich panels. By the second millennium, palaces became even more complex. They had added a hypostyle hall with large columns leading into a throne room.

Valley of the Kings

The Valley of the Kings is known for its royal tombs. The tombs were cut into limestone rock in a dried-up river valley on the west side of the Nile. The walls of the tomb were sculpted and painted with beautiful murals showing scenes of the lands of the gods or of daily life. The chambers were filled with treasures. The most famous tomb belongs to the boy king Tutankhamun.

Pottery

Egyptian made pottery even before the invention of the pyramids. Ancient Egyptians used steatite to carve small pieces of vases, images of deities, amulets, and several other objects. They used enamel on stone and pottery from a very early date. During the predynastic Egypt, pottery was made using a potter’s wheel. These pieces were fired leaving a black upper section and a lower, deep red section. They were usually fired in kilns or bonfires. The potter’s wheel was only invented during the Old Kingdom. Potters started off by puddling the clay. They did this by spreading it out with their feet to break down the lumps in the clay. Once the pottery is formed, it would be left to dry. When it was dry, the pottery would be polished using pebbles and then painted or engraved. At this point, the pottery was fired, and then ready to use.

Vessels

Vessels were commonly used for a number of purposes, especially as a part of tomb equipment. Their vases seemed perfectly normal from the outside, but were actually mostly solid on the inside. Canopic jars were often used to contain the inner organs of mummies. Vessels were used daily before being put into a grave. Stone was one of the most common and durable materials used. Hardstone vessels were mostly were mostly used in royal tombs; however, widespread vases were mostly made of sandstone or limestone. They were usually very small, just a few centimetres tall and wide. During the Late Old Kingdom, there was a widespread decline in vessel production. This likely happened because gold and other metals became more available, and the people wanted to avoid using the effort to make hardstone vases.

Boats/Ships

The first dynasty boats found at Abydos were about 25 metres long, 2-3 metres long, and about 60 cm deep, seating about 30 people. There is much evidence that all of their vessels and boats were painted. Although there is not much evidence on the material the boats were made with, many suspect the ancient Egyptians used cedar. Egyptian art involves many pictures and paintings of boats and ships. The walls of temples and tombs actually had pictures of vessels on them.

Textiles

Textiles were very important in Ancient Egypt for clothing, sails, bags, nets, ropes, etc. Primarily, Ancient Egyptian textiles were created from linen. Although linen was made of flax plant, other textiles were made using grass, seeds, goat’s hair, and palm fibers. Bleaching was used to make white textiles. This was used as a symbol of high status for their clean appearance. By the Ptolemaic era, wool was commonly used instead of linen.

Tools

Copper was used in limited quantities to make beads and other tools. Wood from Egyptian trees, such as sycamore, acacia, persea, tamarisk, willow, Christ’s thorn, and the dom and date palm, was used in cabinet-making, the manufacture of coffins, and the making of small sculptures. Many of these trees were not long or straight, which provided an obstacle for constructors. High-quality wood had to be imported from the Syro-Palestinian region in the northeast, and Nubia in the south. Hard wood came from Ethiopia and Nubia. Gold, lead, silver, and copper were used to make tools such as pins, tweezers, razors, axes, knives, spears, sculptures, and jewellery.

Shapes and Materials Used

Limestone of the Memphis region has never lost its popularity until now. Limestone, sandstone, gypsum, steatite, serpentine, and similar soft stones could be shaped using woodworking tools (e.g. chisel, copper, bow-drills, and saws). Granite, basalt, diorite, quartzite, greywacke, alabaster, and indurated limestone had to be worked by using different methods, usually by lighting fires contained within mud-brick walls on the larger areas, quenching the heated stone with naturally occurring dolerite balls, flint mauls held in a withy, or hard pebbles.

Symbolism and Colour

In Egyptian art, colour had a very clear meaning. Green was used to represent vegetation, growth, fertility, and new life. This is why people in many Egyptian paintings appear to have green skin, to guarantee new life or resurrection. Yellow represented the sun god and red showed power and vitality. Red represented life and victory, as well as anger and fire. The colour white represents purity while black was a symbol of death, the underworld, and the night. Dark blue was the colour of the heavens, water, and represented creation or rebirth. The Egyptian palette contained six colours: red, green, blue, yellow, black, and white. Majority of these colours were from mineral compounds. Ancient Egyptians have always had a strong faith in the power of gemstones and color. Wearing an amulet made using a certain stone with a specific motif engraved on it would bless the wearer with the magic of the amulet.

Influences

Ancient Egyptian art was influenced much by religion and day-to-day activities. Most historic art somehow integrated religion with design, such as decorations on temple walls. The country’s natural resources also influenced its architecture and art. Egypt did not have many trees that could provide enough timber for large-scale construction, except along the border areas. Instead of using trees, Egyptians had to make do with date and dom palms, local wood from the acacia, the persea and tamarisk trees, and the sycamore fig, all of which provided only short pieces of timber. Egypt also had much mineral wealth, with had a great impact on their artwork. By looking at various pieces of Egyptian art, it is apparent that limestone and sandstone are commonly used. The reason behind this is that limestone and sandstone were very common along the Nile Valley.

Once the Persians conquered Egypt, Egyptian art became a mixture of different cultures-Egyptian-Persian art, Egyptian-Greek art, then Egyptian-Roman, and finally Islamic art. Egyptian art had a great influence on may other cultures and art methods. It had an impact on the Renaissance. The interpretation of heiroglyphs was quite popular among Renaissance scholars, and provided an obstacle when it came to deciphering the heiroglyphs. Romans learnt a lot from Egyptian art. Romans came to Egypt and took back many works of art to their homeland. They made imitations of the Egyptian art, and some look so similar that today, viewers can scarcely recognize the difference between Egyptian and Roman art.Famous Names Related to this ArtBeing among the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the Great Pyramid of Khufu is one of the most significant works of Egyptian art. This pyramid was built by King Khufu around 2560 BC. The Great Pyramid of Khufu is one of the largest pyramids in the world.

Interesting Facts

• There was no evidence that women were involved in any official works of art from the past.
• Egyptians were among the first people to invent writing, along with paper and ink.
• Egyptians invented the art of painting on plaster.
• Egypt was the first to make glass and faience objects.

This pot shows the very first of ancient Egypt’s pottery. This pot was made without using a potter’s wheel. This piece was finely fired leaving a black upper section and a deep, lower red section. At this time, it was probably fired in a bonfire. Sometimes, paintings were added to the pottery to depict events or to add decoration.