Egyptian Architecture and History Essay

The "art for art" remained unknown in ancient Egypt; all creation was a practical purpose: the prosperity and triumph of Egypt, providing the survival of rulers and notables. The beautiful had no value in itself; we would say in modern terms, that the supreme intention was magical action. According to our book (art history by Marilyn Stokstad and Michael W. Cothren): “The architecture is religious or funeral destination; only temples and tombs were built of sustainable materials, although we also know some palaces and fortresses. The statuary, too, funeral (the statue is considered the repository of the soul of the deceased) or divine (the royal statues represent the pharaoh, god on earth or in the hereafter). The reliefs are dependent on strict religious patterns; one painting, especially that found in the tombs of the notables of the New Kingdom, manifest a spontaneity and a certain naturalism, but it was only a substitute art to replace cheaply the painted relief. This liveliness is reflected in the minor arts, and fard for spoons or pots ointments; but the jewels themselves usually hold conventions of religious symbolism”. Although, the step pyramid and sham buildings, funerary complex of djoser would perfectly help to illustrate the image of the art of the ancient Egypt. The Djoser funerary complex, built during the reign of Pharaoh Djoser in Saqqara is located in Egypt. It’s the first of this magnitude and the

Ancient Egypt was a captivating and intricate civilization. Over the years, historians have found it easier to study this civilization, rather than other historical civilizations, because the Egyptians went through great lengths to record their history. Besides being decent record keepers, they were very religious, and “ahead of their time,” due to their technological and economic breakthroughs. Because of the aspects of this culture, it has to be one of the greatest civilizations of the world.

The ancient Egyptian and ancient Greek civilizations are two of the oldest known civilizations in our history. The Egyptian civilization, based in the eastern part of North Africa, is believed to have started around 3150 BC and continued till the end of the Pharaoh rule in 31 BC. The ancient Greek civilization is believed to have been in effect from 1100 BC till about 146 BC. Many similarities and differences existed between these two civilizations, as even though they co-existed during a certain timeframe (1150 BC to 146 BC), they were located in different geographical areas. Because of these differences in geography, both these civilizations were subjected to different kinds of exposure, which included contact with other civilization and cultural inheritance. In the political sphere, we find that the Egyptian civilization had stronger emphasis on central authority, while the Greeks had a more decentralized structure, where powers were distributed over the cities and the states as well. As far as art is concerned, we find that the Egyptians were more involved in creating great monumental and gaudy structures, while the Greeks were more involved in creating smaller, more literary pieces of art.

The palette of King Narmer is more than a lucid and exerted aesthetic construction. An engaging, intriguing composite of shape, color, and form,while delighting the aesthetic senses, this dynamic, blend of both beauty and symbolism, is able to intimately share a powerful narrative. A dynastic and dramatic tale of an uncharacteristically chaotic journey of one man's excursion into power, all the while uniting Egypt.

The western world’s fascination with Ancient Egypt began in the 19th century. The reason for this fascination first began with two separate literary works. The

The artworks of Ancient Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt are both strikingly different and similar at the same time. Consistent is the theme of serving the different gods the two cultures believed in. In Mesopotamia the various city-states each had their own protective deity, and in Egypt they sometimes differed from one dynasty to the next. Whatever the case, with the beginning of kingdoms and rulership came the need to justify a position of power and establish a hierarchy. And as more time passed came also the human need to leave an impression on their world. Looking at the example of the statues of Gudea from the Neo-Sumerian period and the Temple of Ramses II from the New Kingdom of Egypt in the 19th dynasty, will show how both rulers of

The history of ancient Egypt is divided into three blocks of time referred to as kingdoms. The kingdoms were named as the Old Kingdom, the Middle Kingdom, and the New Kingdom. This essay highlights the differences among the three kingdoms in terms of politics, economics, sculpture, and architecture.

Not only did Julia Morgan choose to incorporate Egyptian design because of the strength it gave to the structures, but also because of the impact it had within artwork. These works of art are considered “the oldest pieces in the collection, dating back from the New Kingdom” (Hamlin 42). The New Kingdom is the period in ancient Egyptian history between the sixteenth century BC and the eleventh

The Amarna Period is a time in Egypt’s history regarded with mystery and revolutionary rebellion towards tradition. Egypt is a region bound by its tradition and ritual. Throughout time Egypt has been attached to durable and consistent customs backed by a long and rich history. The Amarna style emerges at a time where the Egyptian people experience great conflict and turmoil. Changes break the back of Egypt for eighteen years of distortion and modification.

This art history analysis will define the themes of wealth and power in an examination of “Khafre Enthroned” (2500 B.C.). This statute defines a high level of artistic skill that reflects the wealth of Pharaoh Khafre in the Old Kingdom. During this era in Egyptian history, Khafre wielded extraordinary wealth to create a statue in the rarified diorite stone used to make this high quality statute. This unique statuary provided a symbol of the power and prestige of Pharaoh Khafre’s leadership at the height of the Old Kingdom. The political and religion-based themes of wealth and power will also be examined in this study of “Khafre Enthroned”, which provide a historical basis for an examination of the statue. Pharaoh Khafre commissioned this statue as a reflection of his political power and great wealth as a symbol of his status in the Afterlife. In essence, an artistic analysis of the themes of wealth and power will define the historical uniqueness of “Khafre Enthroned” (2500 B.C.) in Egyptian Old Kingdom statuary.

The ancient Egyptians are known for their fondness for animals, and the cat was a favorite household companion. Cats were common in ancient Egyptian art that depicted domestic scenes since they were greatly appreciated as killers of rodents, snakes, scorpions, ect. Typically homes with cats had less sickness, and fewer deaths. But beyond these roles, cats were cherished as pets and even worshipped. The ancient Egyptians revered and worshipped many animals, just as other ancient civilizations did, but none were worshipped as reverently as the cat. This essay will carefully analyze the Egyptian relief

Just from looking at a few pieces of the art of the ancient Egyptians, you begin to notice many defining characteristics about it that make it unique and different from other styles of art. There are an ample amount of recurring features in the art, so this must mean that these traits and aspects are noteworthy. This next section of the essay will go into detail about a few of the many types of art and the stylistic elements that define ancient Egyptian art and make it special and distinguishable from other types of art, and why some particular aspects of the art are important.

Egypt has one of the longest History of all modern countries, it is know as one of the world’s first nation states. Ancient Egypt experienced some of the earliest development of writing, organized religion and central government. Heritage is an integral part of its identity, having to endured various foreign influences, including Greek, Persian, Roman, Arab, Ottoman, and European. With Christianization in the first century of the Common Era, it subsequently shifted towards Islam due to the Islamic conquests in the seventh century.

The architecture of ancient Egypt is one of the most significant civilizations throughout history, which developed of different structures and great architectural monuments along the River Nile.

Ancient Egyptian architecture had a number of well known generic building types (pyramids, mortuary temples and so on). Select one building and discuss is background and architectural characteristics, relating it where necessary to other examples.