Egyptian Art and Problem of Style
Style . All very simplified to emphasize certain parts Not all egyptial art has the same stylistic features. We tend to focus on some that we can see as typical or characteristic. Formal qualities of egyptian style: : Symmetry o Clarity Geometry o Brilliant color o Subordination of details Front and Back : Palette of King Narmer - Function and reception and convention in art history :Try to find the most important person o"Hierarchy of scale" The most important figures will be shown larger; bigger is better o This is a convention still often used today in advertising and other visual communication Ptah Khenum and wife o The man is a step forward of his wife and he is also taller o The woman is holding on to his wife This makes the man look more important and more dominant than his wife Pharaoh Chephren o The falcon is merged to the pharaohs head o The color of the stone is extremely dark and hard This shows that the pharaoh was important because this stone was intended to last forever In all statues of Pharaohs and their wives, the Pharaoh is clearly taller and is taking a step forward while the woman is standing still or taking a small step forward and holding on to the Pharaoh. "Naturalism" or life-like representation (plausibility or appropriateness) may reflect a function o Ka statue o Avoid the term realism : Scale matters, as does original context : Beware of taking art literally!
Egyptian Architecture and the Eternal Sacred
Giza pyramids
These three great pyramids were created in the Old Kingdom 2500 years before the common era (4500 years ago) Aligned with the north, south, east and west The largest pyramid is the furthest one (Khufu), even though the middle one appears the largest o Khufu is 460 feet tall o World's tallest man-made structure for nearly 4000 years Religious monuments North star o The entrance of the pyramid is in the north Major gods identify with the pharaoh in some degree These monuments have incredible precision Huge stones 2.3 million stones, each 2.5 tons or less o Taller than a person Pyramids : First pyramid o Step pyramid Bent pyramid o It w