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Time Period 3 - Egyptian Art
| Ancient Egypt: |
New Kingdom: 1573 - 1085 B.C. - Dynasties
XVIII - XX |
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Ancient Egypt
Egypt - New Kingdom
Historical & Cultural
1573 - 1085 BC - Dynasties XVIII-XX
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Go to the Glossary
for Ancient Egypt....review and take the matching quiz.
Funerary Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir-el-Bahri - XVIII
Dynasty - Luxor |
The five-hundred years following the expulsion of the Hyksos invaders
represented the third Golden Age of Egypt, the 18th and 19th Dynasties.
The region was again united under strong and powerful kings. Ahmose
I of Thebes was the founder of the XVIII Dynasty who, after reorganizing
his control over Nubia, embarked on an aggressive invasion east into
Palestine and Syria. Northern Mesopotamia was Egypt's only rival. Apart
from the peaceful and prosperous reign of Queen Hatshepsut, Thutmose
III pushed the Egyptian Empire to its furthest extent, from the Euphrates
to the Fourth Cataract in the Sudan.
Architecture shifted from pyramids to the construction of funerary temples
whose purpose was to house the mummified dead. At the Temple of Hatshepsut,
the temple was cut into the cliff, with the entrance built in front.
Designed by Senenmut, it sits at the head of a valley overshadowed by
the Peak of Thebes. With its terraced walls, colonnades, sculptured
reliefs, large passageways, and opened walkways, it is considered the
most dramatically situated in the world. The queen is often pictured
in relief, with a false beard strapped to her chin and wearing men's
clothing. She spent most of her reign constructing her Temple.
Take a side trip to have an Interview
with the Woman Who Would Be King.
The Palace
of Amenhotep III - VXIII Dynasty
The second half of the XVIII Dynasty saw drastic change with the rise
of Assyria. Amenhotep III, considered a pleasure-loving ruler, was preoccupied
with building operations at Thebes and did not meet the Assyrian threat.
His son, Akhenaten (Amenhotep IV) and his wife Nefertiti were preoccupied
with religious and artistic innovations and the constructing of a new
capital at Tell el-Amarna. This was the largest structure built so far
for personal living space. He declared a single, new, supreme god in
Aten, the sun, and presented himself as Aten's representative on earth.
Akhenaten's attempt to introduce the worship of the Aton, or the Sun's
disk, weakened and separated Egyptian influence in Asia.
Take a side trip to <http://members/aol.com/egyptold/old.html>,
and then complete the ......
Egyptian:
The Heretic King, Akhenaten Exam
In the sculpture of Akhenaten's wife, Nefertiti, her portrait is delicately
portrayed. The artist had an extensive knowledge of the structure and
proportion of the human head. It is known that artists actually took
molds from the faces and bodies of their subjects to create anatomical
perfection in their carvings.
Akhenaten was responsible for the most drastic changes in the culture
of Egypt, which prided itself on being a society of traditional ideas
and stability. Images, during his reign, no longer showed the pharaohs
as perfect human beings.
In spite of internal friction and external losses, the great wealth
of this period can still be seen in the funerary possessions placed
in the tomb of the minor pharaoh, such as Tutankhamen.
Akhenaten's successor was his nine-year-old relative, Tutankhaten, who
was guided by his advisors to move the capital back to Thebes and reinstate
the worship of Amun. He changed his name to Tutankhamun (Tutankhamen,
King Tut).
 Because
of the magnificence of artifacts buried within the tombs, thievery was
rampant over the dynasties. In the New Kingdom, rulers were skillful
at concealing the entrances to their tombs. Because of their discreet
ingenuity, the tomb of Tutankhamun was not found until 1922. Countless
treasures were then uncovered giving the present day a glimpse into
some of the magnificent wealth and majesty of the Egyptian dynasties.
The fresco to the right is from the tomb of Tutankhamun. At the left
side of the image, he is embracing Osiris, the god of the dead; and
at the right, he is shown with the goddess of the sky, Nut.
Take a side trip......
King Tutankamun rested in three gold coffins. Go on these
excursions before you complete the .....
Gold
Coffins exam.
One of the most exquisite pieces excavated in the Tomb of Tutankhamun
is his inner coffin. The body of the boy-king was placed within three
successive coffins which were within four gilded wooden shrines, each
larger than the former. The innermost coffin was of solid gold, inlaid
with precious stones, weighing over 250 pounds. Inside the coffin was
a solid gold mask resting on the head of his mummy.
Take a side trip to see more magnificence:
Colossal
Statue of Tutankamun
Ornamentation,
Sculpture & Furnishings from the tomb
After the collapse of Atonism, Horemheb, the last king of the Dynasty,
restored order in the country, but was unable to restore influence in
Asia. During the reign of Tutankhamun, Horemheb was commander in chief
of the Egyptian army. He commisioned a personal tomb in the Saqqara
necropolis. Five reliefs carved in perfect Amarna style portray Horemheb
during his life in the Underworld, in Heaven, and in the military. This
tomb was never used, as he became pharaoh and was buried in the Valley
of the Kings. With the end of the 18th Dynasty, art again returned to
traditional stylization of the previous dynasties.
Painting
Painting was either
for enhancement, recording events, or envisioning particular images.
Most of the paintings found have been in the tombs, protected from the
elements.
| Look at Dancing Girls at a Banquet, (right), found in
a temple in Thebes. It shows an interesting change not typical with
traditional Egyptian stylization. Can you find the change? Look
at the figures. The painting shows a banquet scene and guests being
entertained by dancing girls and musicians. The dancers and guests
are of the traditional profile character, but the artist has painted
the musicians realistically, rather than stylistically. |
Dancing Girls at a Banquet -
Theban temple - XVIII Dynasty
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| Usually painters worked with specific
figure formulas that they knew very well and did not depict figures
naturally. The inscription in back of the musicians are the words
of the song. |
Architecture
In the later years of the New Kingdom, the divine kingship of the pharaoh
was reasserted with a supreme association to the god Amun, the sun god,
Ra. In paintings and relief, he is seen as the supreme deity who towered
above the lesser gods much like the divine pharaoh towered above the
common people.
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The Temple of Karnak - XVIII-XIX
Dynasties
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Architectural energy was devoted to the building
of huge temples of Amun. The general plan consisted of two massive
walls that sloped slightly, flanking the entrance. This gateway,
or pylon, led to a court, then to another pillared hall which
was the main temple. The entire structure was enclosed by high
walls, shutting it off to the outside world. These structures
were to be experienced from within.
The Temple of Karnak (top left) was built and enlarged
over a thirteen-hundred-year period. It actually has three main
temples: Mut, Monthu, and Amun, and several smaller enclosed and
outer temples.
Reconstruction of New Kingdom temple site (left). This
is what a temple might have looked like before weathering from
the years and looting destroyed the brightly decorated surfaces.
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Reconstruction of New Kingdom Temple Site.
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Go to
Discussion
#4...... but first check these architectural sites:
 The
Hypostyle Hall - XIX Dynasty - is considered one of the finest architectural
masterpieces. It was constructed during the reign of Ramesses I. Work
continued under Seti I, and finally was completed by Ramesses II. The
ceiling was 82-feet high and was supported by 12 papyrus columns.
The obelisk is a tapering, four-sided shaft of stone, usually
one piece, and was topped by a pyramidal form. It was typical of Egyptian
art and used for public inscriptions. Obelisks also declared who the
ruler was and were often constructed to commemorate important religious
figures. The Washington Monument, in Washington D.C. was constructed
in honor of George Washington. Although it is much larger than ancient
times, it was designed in the same style.
Take a side trip to see The
Washington Monument, in Washington, D.C.
During the Greco-Roman Period, Ptolemaic Dynasty, obelisks were often
called "Cleopatra's Needles."
Abydos was the center of the cult of Osiris, which flourished
from the pre-dynastic period until Christian times - 4000 B.C. - 641
A.D. The site of Abydos was the ancient cemetery of Upper Egypt on the
west bank of the Nile. It is dominated by the temple built by Seti I.
 Temple
of Abu Simbel - Nubia - Ramesses II - XIX Dynasty
In the XIX Dynasty, Ramesses II moved his capital to Nubia and
built seven temples at Abu Simbel. The construction began during the
15th year of his reign and lasted 20 years. Abu Simbel is the location
of two famous temples carved from sandstone.
The entrance to the larger one, known as "The Great Temple,"
is flanked by four colossal statues of Ramesses II, about 65-feet high.
Historically significant inscriptions and reliefs are found inside the
temple. Construction of the Aswan High Dam caused the original
site to be moved by an International effort in 1966. The two temples
were cut into blocks and trucked to a nearby location above the water
level.
Take a side trip.... spend some time with Osiris.
Click on "Osiris" to read more. Then..... go to
Discussion
#5.
The XIX Dynasty reign of Seti I attempted to regain Asia by regaining
control of Syria and Palestine. There was a growing pressure of attack
from the Peoples of the Sea, during the reign of Merenptah, which was
not stopped until it reached Memphis. During the reign of Ramesses III,
in the XX Dynasty, Egypt struggled with the People of the Sea for seven
years, finally defeating them. The zenith of power and prosperity came
between 1500 - 1162 B.C. - during the reign of Ramesses III.
Art covered a vast range of styles and quality, from rigid stylization
to creative inventiveness, from massive character to delicate refinement.
The rest of the XX Dynasty saw a slow decline in economic and political
power.
Take a side trip to see the
Ushabti
of Seti I.
Ushabti, translated "the ones who answer," are mummy-shaped
statues that were buried with the deceased. In the Middle Kingdom, they
were made of wax or highly polished stone. In the New Kingdom, they
were often made of clay, glazed earthenware (faience), stone, or wood.
Ushabti represented the deceased in naked form. They were mummified,
like the dead, and put into a small coffin.
Take a side trip to visit the last great pharaoh - Ramesses III...
The Valley of the Kings
Hidden beneath the hills of the west bank of the Nile River lies The
Valley of the Kings. It was the chosen place of burial for most
of the Egyptian New Kingdom pharaohs for three reasons. The first, because
it was close to the fertile banks of the Nile; secondly, for its size
as a small valley surrounded by steep cliffs, which made it easier to
guard against vandals. Finally, it was chosen for the excellent quality
of its limestone for building tombs.
Above the Valley is the mountain el-Qurn, "the horn" in Arabic. Its
shape, a peak, may have reminded the Egyptians of a huge pyramid, the
cult symbol of the Sun-God, Re. In this Valley there are over 60 tombs
built, ranging from one-room pits to tombs that have over 110 chambers.
Take a side trip to the Tombs
of the Pharaohs.
Use your travel-brochure information from the site to complete the Valley
of the Kings Exam.
The Book of the Dead
The Book of the Dead of Neferrenpet, or as the Egyptians
called it, the Book of Going Forth By Day in the Necropolis,
is a collection of religious spells that helped the deceased make a
smooth transition into the afterlife. Neferrenpet was a sculptor who
lived in the town of Deir el Medina, near modern Luxor, around 1260
BC.
Open the
Book
of the Dead to complete your ......
Book
of the Dead Exam.
Sculpture
Take a side trip to compare and contrast these New Kingdom sculpture
pieces.
Now, continue on to Dynasties XXI-XXXI
(1085 - 322 BC) - Last Pharaonic Dynasties.
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