The Mysteries of The Studiowith Ancient Egyptian Art ART HIST RY KIDS
WEEK 2 Quote to ponder
“What inspires me in Ancient Egypt is how much the ancient Egyptians valued writing. They believed writing was magic. They could write something or someone into being and erase them out of existence.”
- Yasmin el Shazly (Deputy Director for Research and Programs at the American Research Center in Egypt)
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THE ART OF HIEROGLYPHS
Ancient Egyptians used a special Click here to learn more about the Rosetta Stone. kind of writing called hieroglyphics. Hieroglyphic writing was used for over 3.500 years, and for a very long time no one was able to translate it! Around 394 CE, this way of writing was replaced with a more modern system, and after a while, all of the people who knew how to read and write hieroglyphs were gone! Through the ages, people tried to decipher the ancient texts, but no one could figure it out until an important discovery was made: The Rosetta Stone.
In 1799, a group of Frenchmen from Napoleon Bonaparte's army found a broken stela that was covered in writing. The same message was written three times– once in hieroglyphics, again in demotic (a later form of Egyptian language), and then in Greek.
Now, people who spoke Greek could finally begin to understand hieroglyphics, and to translate Rosetta Stone, 196 BCE Egyptian writing that had been a mystery for centuries!
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THE ART OF HIEROGLYPHS
Hieroglyphics work a little bit differently than the alphabet you may be used to.
Each symbol loosely represents a letter of the alphabet, but what’s more important is the sound the letter makes. Each hieroglyphic symbol represents a sound. You can put them together in a variety of different ways– and each way would be correct. So, you could use a C or K for words like camera and kangaroo. For a word like ocean, you might replace ‘ce’ with ‘sh’ and replace ‘a’ with ‘u’ because those are the sounds you hear.
You can arrange the symbols from left to right, right to left, or top to bottom. You can even stack letters to make them look nicer in a group. When there are paintings along with hieroglyphics, you‘ll usually see the words written in the same direction that the person is facing.
You may also notice that many times you’ll see a group of hieroglyphs that have been circled. This is called a cartouche and it represents a person’s name – usually someone with royal status.
Click here to learn a little more about hieroglyphics, and then go here to explore this fun hieroglyphic keyboard. You can type in words to see what they would look like. If you learn how to write your name in hieroglyphics this week, be sure to share a photo in our group!
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TIMELINE OF EGYPTIAN ART Ancient Egyptian art spans thousands of years, and although it became more refined, it didn’t change very much in that time. You can see the different periods of art on the timeline below.
We don’t know the names of many painters and sculptors– for the most part Egyptian artists worked anonymously. In fact, there isn’t even a word for art in Egyptian language. These things that we consider art today were utilitarian and functional, not decorative. The art served a purpose of some kind, like helping with the transition to the afterlife. Did you know that the artwork in these tombs was never even meant to be seen?
664 - 332 BCE Late Period
1075 - 656 BCE Third Intermediate Period
1539 - 1075 BCE New Kingdom
1630 - 1539 BCE Second Intermediate period
1980 - 1630 BCE Middle Kingdom
2130 - 1980 BCE First Intermediate Period
2675 - 2130 BCE Old Kingdom
3000 - 2675 BCE Early Dynastic
4300-3000 BCE Predynastic
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ELEMENTS OF ART Scale
In Egyptian art, the size of a person, a pharaoh, or a deity is a visual indication of their importance. This way of showing significance through size is sometimes called hierarchy of scale. Take another look at these three images and note some of your observations about the scale– what does this tell you about the figures in these pictures?
Notes:
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ELEMENTS OF ART Perspective
Did you notice something unusual about the perspective in the Egyptian art you saw last week? Take a look at this perspective. People are almost always shown in profile (you see their face from the side) but their eyes look like they would if you saw them from the front. Their legs and feet are directed to one side, but their shoulders face forward and their bodies are shown from the front. This is called Frontalism.
Take a look at Nefertari’s hands! Try putting your hands up like this. What do you notice?
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ELEMENTS OF ART
This symbol is called an ankh, and you’ll see it a Symbolism lot in Egyptian Art. It’s a symbol of life. Egyptian art is full of symbolism. In art, symbolism refers to an image that has a second (and sometimes secret) meaning. In this relief, you can see layers of symbolism in the images. First, Akhenaten is shown with the sun shining above him. This sun represents something significant. Akhenaten radically disrupted Egyptian culture in 1350 when he changed their religion from the worship of many gods (one of which was the sun god Amun) to the worship of a single sun god named Aten. He also changed his own name to reflect the new religion (Akhenaten means Aten is pleased.)
The sun has a small cobra in it, telling us that this is the supreme deity. Look at the ends of the rays radiating out from the sun. Most of the rays terminate with small hands, but next to the Queen and King we see ankhs. This is a symbol of life. We can tell from this symbolism that Aten is giving life to Akhenaten and Nefertiti.
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ELEMENTS OF ART Color Ancient Egyptian gods were said to have skin of gold, bones of silver, and hair of lapis lazuli. Even color in Egyptian art is symbolic! Men and women are shown with different skin colors. Men were painted with darker skin to show that they spent more time outside in the sun, and women were indoors more often, making their skin slightly lighter. (Learn more about color here.)
These are the main colors in Ancient Egyptian art and their meanings:
Black (ancient Egyptian name “kem”) fertility, new life, resurrection and regeneration (brought by the agricultural cycle).
White (ancient Egyptian name “hedj”) purity, power, sacredness, cleanliness and simplicity.
Blue (ancient Egyptian name “irtyu”) the heavens, the sky, creation, rebirth the color of the gods, water, (and the annual flooding of the Nile.)
Green (ancient Egyptian name “wahdj”) fresh growth, fertility, vegetation, new life and resurrection, joy.
Yellow (ancient Egyptian name “khenet”) the sun, perfection, eternity, indestructibility.
Gold (ancient Egyptian name “newb”) the flesh of the gods, commonly used to represent the eternal or indestructible.
Red (ancient Egyptian name “deshr”) chaos, disorder, fire, anger, destruction, protection, life, victory.
This is a scarab. You’ll see this shape in Egyptian art a lot. It’s a symbol of immortality, resurrection, transformation and protection.
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LOOKING CLOSER AT THE ART About the art Nefertari, 1298–1235 BCE
Nefertari was the first (and favorite) wife of Ramses II.
He called her 'The one for whom the sun shines.'
Together they had 8 children (4 girls and 4 boys).
She was highly educated and could read and write hieroglyphics– an elite skill that few Egyptians possessed.
Nefertari was influential during the reign of Ramses II – especially in foreign affairs.
When she died, Ramses II honored her with a spectacular tomb in the Valley of the Queens. This painting is on a wall in her tomb.
You can see her name in the cartouche (this is her full name Nefertari Meritmut. It means, ‘beautiful companion, beloved of Mut’).
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LOOKING CLOSER AT THE ART About the art Queen Nefertari being led by Isis [reproduction], 1279–1213 BCE
This is a reproduction of a painting in Nefertari’s tomb.
Here we see Isis (the ancient Egyptian goddess of magic, fertility and mother- hood, and death, healing and rebirth) leading Nefertari by the hand.
It’s interesting to note that Nefertari is seen here interacting directly with a deity (without her husband being present). This is only possible for Nefertari because of her high royal status.
This painting is full of amazing details and so many intricate patterns in their clothing and jewelry. Take a closer look at these details this week!
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LOOKING CLOSER AT THE ART About the art William the Hippopotamus, 1961–1878 BCE
William the Hippopotamus is a super- star at the Met Museum in New York. This particular hippo got his nickname in 1931, and now he’s one of the museum’s most popular attractions.
Quite a few hippopotamus sculptures just like William have been found, and many of them appear in museum collections around the world.
In ancient Egypt, the hippo represented danger. They would often overturn fishing boats. But their protection could be useful during the journey to the afterlife, and these were commonly found in tomb chapels for this reason.
This sculpture was molded in faience (a ceramic material made of ground quartz). Next, a blue glaze was applied, and then lotus flowers were painted over his body.
Lotus flowers are symbolic of rebirth because their petals close at night and Learn more about William open again in the morning.
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LOOKING CLOSER AT THE ART About the art Eight Ceiling Patterns, Tomb of Nebamun and Ipuky [reproduction], 1390–1349 BCE
Pattern an repetition are seen everywhere in Egyptian art.
This is a reproduction of patterns that were found on the ceiling tiles in Egyptian tombs. It’s amazing to think that every part of the tomb was decorated- even the ceiling!
Take another look at all of the art this week, and notice how many times you see pattern! There’s repetition in so many details of the art.
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LOOKING CLOSER AT THE ART About the art Stela of Aafenmut, 924–889 BCE
A stela is a monument made of stone or wood. (This one is wood.)
They come in all sizes– this one is small, but others are very large.
They contain information in the form of images and/or hieroglyphics, and are commonly seen in funerary art.
In this stela, the deceased is offering incense to Ra– the sun god. Ra is usually shown with the body of a human and the head of a hawk.
We see an image of the sun at the top of the stela with symbols of the east (on the right) and the west (on the left).
Notice the difference in scale here. If Ra were to stand up, there would be a great difference in size between the two figures.
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LOOKING CLOSER AT THE ART About the art Akhenaten, Nefertiti, and Three Daughters, 1350 BCE
A sculptural relief is a picture that’s been carved into a surface- usually stone.
This one would have been displayed in a household, and the scene here is very domestic in nature. The relief shows the royal family captured in a tender moment where two parents are adoring their children. (Notice how one baby is playing with Nefertiti’s earring! That’s so timeless- it’s something you’d see today!) The features here are very stylized. This new look breaks with traditional ancient Egyptian art. These bodies look curved and rounded, unlike the angular geometric figures we’re used to seeing.
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LOOKING CLOSER AT THE ART About the art Nefertiti Bust, Sculpture by Thutmose, 1345 BCE This bust was found in 1912, and it’s currently on display at the Neues Museum in Berlin. A bust is a sculpture that only shows the head and shoul- ders of a person (and not their full body).
This sculpture is special because it’s one of very few pieces of ancient Egyptian art where we actually know who the artist was– a sculptor named Thutmose created this. This bust was on display in his workshop as a model for other artists who were creating works of art featuring Nefertiti.
Look at how perfectly symmetrical she is! Her crown – the tall, iconic, flat-topped shape, is decorated with a patterned ribbon and an uraeus (a sacred serpent symbolizing supreme power).
The core of this bust is made of limestone. Several layers of stucco have been added on top and then covered with modeled gypsum. One of her eyes is inlaid with crystal and a pupil was made with black colored wax.
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LOOKING CLOSER AT THE ART About the art Nebamun Fowling in the Marshes, Tomb-Chapel of Nebamun, 1350 BCE
Nebamun was a scribe and a grain accountant. This painting shows him hunting in the marshes with his wife Hatshepsut and their daughter.
The hieroglyphics in the back- ground tell us that he was ‘enjoying himself and seeing beauty.’
This is one of many paintings that adorned Nebamun’s tomb. Images like this would be painted to surround the deceased so that they could continue to enjoy the things they loved in the afterlife.
This painting in particular is amazing because we see detailed illustrations of fish and birds, stylized images of plants, and people with hieroglyphic See more art from Nebamun’s tomb writing behind them. There’s so much to observe and discover!
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LOOKING CLOSER AT THE ART About the art Wedjat Eye Amulet, 1070–664 BCE
Wedjat eye amulets like this were very popular in ancient Egypt.
Amulets were worn as a type of protection, and they came in many different forms!
Learn more about amulets
The wedjat eye represents the eye of the Horus– god of the sky in the form of a falcon.
This symbol also represents regener- ation, healing power and protection.
More about the Eye of Horus
This amulet is made of faience– a ceramic material that was thought to have magical properties.
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LOOKING CLOSER AT THE ART About the art Gayer-Anderson Cat, 664–332 BCE
Ancient Egyptians LOVED their cats!
Egyptian art is full of cats– both in sculp- tures and paintings... cat mummies have even been found!
Sometimes the cats are just part of the scene, and sometimes they represent the goddess Bastet.
There’s a whole section on ancient Egyptian cat art here.
This cat is very refined. Did you notice its gold rings? And its silver collar? If you look closely you’ll see the protective wedjat eye amulet design in the collar.
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LOOKING CLOSER AT THE ART About the art Mask of Tutankhamun, 1327 BCE
This is one of the most famous pieces of ancient Egyptian Art. It’s a solid gold mask that was created to cover Tutankhamun in his burial chamber in the Valley of the Kings.
It was discovered in 1925. Click to learn more The mask is made of gold and semi-precious stones.
This type of striped head cloth was traditionally worn by pharaohs.
An ancient protective spell from “The Book of the Dead” is written on his shoulder.
There’s a resemblance to Osiris- the Egyptian god of the afterlife.
The beard is inlaid with blue lapis lazuli. The back (When it was found, the beard had of the fallen off and needed to be reattached.) mask. The goddesses Nekhbet (vulture) and Wadjet (cobra) are shown on his brow as symbols of protection.
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NOW IT’S YOUR TURN... Week 2 Project of the Month
Sculpt an animal!
This week we learned about ‘William’ the Hippo.
That’s the name one museum gave to their ancient Egyptian Hippopotamus sculpture, but there are many museums around the world who have similar sculptures on display as well. About 50 of these hippos have been found during archaeological Consider this: excavations, and they range in size and style... but they also have a few similarities. Things to consider as you make your art...
They are almost always blue and they usually have How big will your sculpture be? If it’s about the size of decorative line drawings of water plants (like lotus a grapefruit or smaller, you can just use your sculpting flowers). material to shape your animal.
This week, you choose an animal to sculpt with But if you choose to make something larger, you might you air dry clay. (If you don’t have air dry clay, you need to add some support inside. Depending on the can make a batch of home made play dough!) shape of your sculpture, you may need to offset the weight of the clay by using straws, toothpicks, or It could be a hippo like William, or it could be another solid object that can add structure and a something different. (Egyptian art is full of cat framework beneath the clay. (You can completely hide sculptures, too!) Once your sculpture is dry, you this framework inside your clay sculpture so it won’t can paint it a solid color if you’d like, and once that's dry use your ink (or black paint or a perma- show... it will just help to keep everything together.) nent marker) to draw some line art. This hippo shows flowers, but you might want to draw some- Before you paint the line art on your animal, you may thing different. You are the artist, so it’s up to you want to sketch your ideas on paper first to practice how much you’d like our Egyptian art explorations and get your design totally worked out. to influence your artwork this week. Have fun!
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