After the collapse of the Old Kingdom, the First Intermediate Period brought forth power struggles throughout the country. It was not until the rise of the great Theban king Mentuhotp II that there is a reunification of the war-torn Egypt. The first king, Amenemhat I, name a new capital, Itj-tawy, founded south of the historic city of Memphis. Amenemhat I’s decision was in part due to the realization that he could not simply rule all of Egypt from the south; as a result, the Twelfth Dynasty of Egypt was comprised of seven kings from Thebes, with arguably the most powerful and famous of them all being King Senwosret III, who was the fifth pharaoh in the line and is said to have ruled for a period of thirty-seven years from 1878 to 1841 BCE.
On a recent trip to the Brooklyn Museum, I was fortunate enough to have the chance to witness some of Ancient Egypt’s greatest artistic feats ranging from stelas to limestone heads. Upon entering the gallery, I was immediately greeted by the seated statue of King Senwosret III. While it is one of the more compact statues of the great king, only standing approximately twenty-two inches tall, its beauty and sheer power is not lost. The ability to walk around the three dimensional statue made the experience even more valuable, as one could really see the piece for its intended use.
Although a lot has changed within Egypt during these years, many artistic elements stayed the same and transferred from the Old Kingdom into the Middle Kingdom.
The coffin and mummy of Djedmaatesankh are known as one of the few unopened coffins, retaining the original seal. Currently, it has been decided not to open the coffin in order to examine the mummy within due to the fact that it would severely damage the artwork and hieroglyphs that have been painted on the outside. The coffin is made of cartonnage, which is created with moulded linen and plaster and is painted on the outermost layer. These paintings describe the story of Djedmaatesankh’s life, as well as references to the Book of Caverns in order to provide the body “with safe protection as it makes its journey through the underworld on its way to eternal life in the Field of Reeds”. The coffin is from the 3rd intermediate period of ancient Egyptian culture and has been dated to 945-715 BC, coinciding with the 22nd Dynasty in which Ian Shaw relays that the “Chief of the Meshwesh Sheshonq (King Sheshonq I)” ruled. The base materials used are linen and plaster to form the cartonnage, and the artwork on the outermost layer uses a combination of paint and gold leaf to create depictions of Djedmaatesankh’s life. Ancient Egyptians used paint made from a mixture of pigment and plaster to paint on coffins and sarcophagi, and the higher classes used increased amounts of gold leaf as well. Djedmaatesankh’s coffin would be classified as funerary art, which had been created to be of use in funerary rituals and practices. Djedmaatesankh’s coffin is an excellent example of the extensive
The Sarcophagus of Queen Hatshepsut is considered one of the most historic pieces of ancient Egyptian art that still stands here today in our presence. It is an exquisite work of art, a piece of enlightenment and even a masterpiece that earned a place in the realm of art history. It is one of only three royal sarcophagi that is currently displayed outside of Egypt and is one of they very few from the eighteenth Dynasty that shows multiple alterations and phases of decorations. This sarcophagus was originally prepared for Queen Hatshepsut and later was recut for her father, King Thutmose I. This is an artistic masterpiece from a royal atelier, a prototype for the funeral beliefs and the traditions, and a pivotal historical piece of the complicated puzzle of early New Kingdom political history.
George Orwell famously declared »all art is propaganda.« Great works of art, in other words, have a very particular message for an intended audience. This function of art transcends historical periods, as is evident if one takes a closer look at the art of specific eras, such as Ancient Egyptian art. Ancient Egyptian art possessed a very specific propaganda function: to promote the divine origins and authority of the Pharaoh and thus a hierarchical social system.
The first object that I have picked while I was at the museum is the Kneeling Statue of Senenmut, Chief Steward of Queen Hatshepsut. It is said that it was created in the early 18th century between the years 1473-1458 B.C. The instant I walked in into the Ancient Egyptian collection I couldn’t take my eye off of that sculpture, due to that being it was probably the the darkest object there. The kneeling Statue of Senenmut was engraved from a grayish green stone, I like this object because, all the achievement and work that Senenmut have done in his life was carved all over this object. One of my dislikes is
When it comes to the Egyptian history, we know of different eras that were split into several different periods according to the ruling dynasty at that time. That being said each of them had completely distinct rulers depending on who was in control at the time.. The ones that have been written about all have a vast difference between them. Some are known for the art, architect, and agriculture while others for trading of gold, ebony, ivory and even slaves. The eras that we know of are as listed ("A Time Line of Ancient Egyptian History").
Art of the Egyptians and Africans express ………………………..In art, style is a characteristic, or a number of characteristics that we can identify as constant, recurring, or coherent.(Art Terminology 1) Artists express their emotions through their art-making, their finished product will reflect that emotion. They might also create a piece of art that makes the viewer create an emotional response. Emotion is any strong agitation of the feelings actuated by experiencing love, hate, fear, etc.(Dictionary 1)
The Old Kingdom is sometimes described as the “golden age” of Egypt, and as an ideal that the Middle Kingdom tried to emulate, while New Kingdom pharaohs looked to both earlier dynastic eras for inspiration.
The mix of these parts of the Middle Kingdom brought about the flourishing of Ancient Egypt. In spite of the fact that the eleventh Dynasty begins with a progression of rulers, Intef I – III, the Middle Kingdom starts with the reunification of Egypt when Mentuhotep I expelled the rulers of Herakleopolis. Mentuhotep I accepted the Horus name Divine of the White Crown, guaranteeing all of Upper Egypt. Mentuhotep I's rule is chronicled by his name change. He took the name "Satisfied is the Lord Re" when he took the throne and later that of "Uniter of Two Lands". He administered for a long time and his rule conveyed much strength to Egypt. Mentuhotep constructed or reestablished a few sanctuaries all through his region. He was especially dynamic
Women also came to power in the New Kingdom. Hatshepsut came to power during this time, and although her nephew tried to remove her from history, her reign is well known as she was the most prominent women in Egypt. However, even though she was a women, she was just as warrior like as the other Kings and led many successful military campaigns of her own. As strength was probably the most important value of the New Kingdom of Egypt.
During the Old Kingdom the first famous pharaoh was Menes. Menes integrated Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt into one civilization, this started the first dynasty of Egypt. After the first and second dynasties, the third dynasty brought about 500 years of stability to the Egyptian civilization. During this time the pharaohs ruled Egypt and had absolute power
King Menes united the upper and lower part of Egypt and created the first royal dynasty.
First, the Middle Kingdom begins from 11th Dynasty to the end of the 12th Dynasty (2040-1763 B.C.E.). It can be identified by many events that took place at this time. The names of the kings of the 11th Dynasty of the Middle Kingdom were Intef I (2134 - 2117 BC), Intef II 2117 - 2069 BC), Intef III (2069 - 2060 BC), Mentuhotep I (2060 - 2010 (BC), Mentuhotep II (2010 - 1998 BC), Mentuhotep III (2010 BC – 1998 BC) and Mentuhotep IV (1998–1991 BC). Moreover, The Middle Kingdom was a time of achievements for the ancient Egyptians. The Eleventh Dynasty starts with a succession of rulers, Intef I – III, the Middle Kingdom begins with the reunification of Egypt when Nebhepetre Mentuhotep I ousted the kings of Herakleopolis, and The Eleventh Dynasty
Ancient Egypt is an interesting area of costume and clothing history to observe. When researching this era, it is hard for one to completely grasp the exact clothing of the time period. This is primarily due to how long ago this civilization existed, but also how little evidence has survived throughout the centuries. However, there are some coins, reliefs, statues, and rare clothes that survived the test of time. From these artifacts, historians are able to draw a faint image of what men and women in Ancient Egypt looked like.
Ancient Egypt was one of the greatest ancient civilizations in human history. Ancient Egypt was the longest lasting civilization in the ancient world and lasted for about 2,500 years. ancient Egypt was able to last so long because of their many great accomplishments. The most important thing that lead to the accomplishments and success of ancient Egypt was The Nile River. Ancient Egypt is often referred to as the “Gift of the Nile” because of how important the Nile River was to the success and longevity of ancient Egypt. Without the Nile River, ancient Egypt would have never been able to things like farm, use papyrus, build boats, trade or fish. The Nile River was the sole reason as to why ancient Egypt was able to become so successful.
Egyptian Art and Culture Current scholarship generally acknowledges that art does not exist in a vacuum. Rather, art is an expression of the culture which creates it, revealing common beliefs, aspirations, and feelings. Within the vein of "cultural art history" the true nature of ancient Egypt has become the focus of much questioning. Much has been said regarding this ancient civilization within the context of the continent of Africa. The focus has not been merely geographic—although some scholars contend that the physical location of Egypt has been all but overlooked.