DAY 13

ART THROUGH THE AGES

Ancient Egyptian Art

ART FOR ALL ETERNITY

Though paint can fade and papyrus disintegrates, stone and gold can last for millennia. The Ancient Egyptians sought to achieve that goal for the glory of their Pharaohs, creating monuments, sculptures, and burial masks that would stand the test of time and last for all eternity. How else could a Pharaoh live forever and keep on impressing us?

Like the materials they used, the Ancient Egyptians’ artistic style weathered the storms of time and barely evolved over centuries. Since it is difficult to find major stylistic differences between artwork from several dynastic eras, it seems that ancient Egyptian culture was strict with what it would tolerate from art. Ancient Egyptians were either stiffly double-jointed, or their artists had specific intentions when drawing figures. In wall paintings and relief the Pharaonic image was flatly idealized, whether it sat or stood in rigid dignity or vanquished enemies in military escapades. Many poses may appear odd or unnatural to the contemporary viewer, as artists of the time only depicted the most complementary positions of individual body parts. In addition to the gods, royalty, servants, and ordinary citizens were similarly stylized, shown going about their daily tasks in a peaceful and abundant realm that only a great Pharaoh could sustain.

Hieroglyphs, Hatshepsut Temple, near Luxor, Egypt. Photo courtesy of Nathan Rohlander.

The afterlife was paramount to Ancient Egyptians, and it appears that they did achieve a form of life after death. Though the Pharaonic era came to an end, their art has endured, and they still speak to us through stone, paint, and gold. —ARR