The Characteristics Of The Seated Statue Of Hatshepsut

Hatshepsut was born around 15th century B.C., she is the daughter of Tuthmose the first and his wife, Aahmes. When king Tuthmose I died, queen Aahmes married her half-brother, King Tuthmose II. King Tuthmose II died after a short rule and the throne was supposed to be passed down to his son Tuthmose III but he was considered far too young to rule so Hatshepsut ruled in his stead as a regent. Information about Hatshepsut varied a bit, some articles speculated Hatshepsut was the 4th female pharaoh while others say she was the 6th. But without a doubt she was considered one of the greatest pharaohs of all time, even amongst the male counterparts. As a pharaoh, Hatshepsut did things like reestablishing trade routes that has been long lost due to past invaders. By doing this, Hatshepsut was able to turn the economy around and lead Egypt into a period of wealth and prosperous trade. Her allowing an expedition to the land of Punt also wielded excellent results. In total she sent 5 ships accommodating 210 sailors and 30 rowers most likely slaves. They bought back 31 live myrrh tree roots and were the first recorded attempt to plant foreign

Ceremonies and rituals are integral parts of any civilization, both current and ancient; among the ancient civilizations, Egypt is renowned for its religious societal rituals and afterlife beliefs. From pharaohs and luxurious burials, to lavish processions; ancient Egypt is among the most fascinating and curious cultures. Egyptian architecture is also extremely interesting in terms of location, scale, purpose, and potentially most important how Egyptian architecture can dictate movement through the space.

I think about how the world had betrayed this women. They made this woman plump and empty, she does not even have a face. This statue is nude showing everything to the naked eye, she does not have a desirable body. This sculpture shows how much a woman was respected back in the day, which was very little.

Images and interpretations of a person can change over time. Such movement is paralleled with changes in opinion and morals throughout generations. Cleopatra the seventh is subject to this fluctuation. Ancient images and interpretations differ greatly to the impression left today merely by her name. Chris Dumasis, a modern day historian amplifies this theory in ‘Interpretations of Cleopatra’. She argues, “women have been demeaned of their true substance since the early time of patriarchal society.” Taken into account, this argument entails that when studying ancient sources it must be understood that at times, only a very narrow view of the events are presented

Hatshepsut and Akhenaten have both revolutionized Egyptian art during their reign as rulers of Egypt. In the 18th Dynasty in Egypt, the art of both Queen/King Hatshepsut and Akhenaten represented them with features not corresponding to their biological sex or social gender. In several of her paintings and sculptures, Hatshepsut was often portrayed as a man despite that fact that she was a woman. On the other hand, Akhenaten was often portrayed with feminine features, something that was never done before in Egyptian art. There have been many different theories from historians as to why Hatshepsut, Akhenaten, and their artists may have done this, but nothing has yet to be confirmed.

In one respect, Hatshepsut is viewed as the female pharaoh who had a particularly unsuccessful reign that was devoid of any real achievements. Historians writing in the 1970’s and 1980’s often made sexist and unfounded assumptions about Hatshepsut’s rule, including her apparent scheming to take the throne from the

This piece does not have several viewpoints but mostly one. It is to be approached from its front view. It is extremely direct with Hatshepsut looking straightforward. The sculptor’s primary focus seems to be her resemblance as pharaoh. She is of power and should be approached directly as king. Hatshepsut is also displayed so that the statue could only be seen by the front. Her back is to the wall; hence, having no access to approach the statue toward its back. On the side of her thighs, there are horizontal lines playing a contrast to everywhere else, as her body is smooth. Even when entering this section of the Egyptian gallery, she can be viewed from the outside. She is directly aligned to the entrance. The museum seems to structure the approach of Hatshepsut to be presented directly.

The Large Kneeling Statue of Hatshepsut is a magnificent piece of art located in the Egyptian section next to many other statues of the great pharaoh Hatshepsut. Out of all the statues of Hatshepsut, the Large Kneeling Statue of Hatshepsut was kept in the best shape and caught a lot of attention from the people in the room. Its great size is something truly remarkable, considering it was built in the New Kingdom of Ancient Egypt. More importantly, this statue is the first structure in art that depicts a woman leader. Not only is it a truly unique piece of work, but also it is a piece that is revolutionary for its time. The massive size of this statue leaves one wondering if women have always been just as powerful as men, if not more.

Egyptian women were fortunate in that they were equal to men as far as the law was concerned. They could own property, borrow money, initiate divorce, and many other things unheard of in the Greek civilization. The Egyptian royal line was matriarchal, meaning that royalty was passed down from mother to son. The Greeks, in comparison, were patriarchal, meaning control was passed from father to son. It was also necessary for a man to marry a woman of royalty in order to become a Pharaoh. Because of this, it was common for brothers to marry sisters. Sometimes, women were even known to become a Pharaoh. There are at least four documented female Pharaohs with the most notable being Hatshepsut (1479-1458 B.C.) (McKay 2009). Hatshepsut, though a very powerful ruler, was often times depicted in men’s clothing and with a false beard (McKay 2009). This shows that even though women were much more important in Egyptian society, there was still a stigma around women leaders.

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

Egyptians paid great respect to women at least in the upper classes, in part because marriage alliances were vital to the preservation and stability of the monarchy. The Egyptians believe that the royal family was immortal. The word family brings every member of the family to the same circle of respect and power. The man like in the Mesopotamian civilization was the head of the family. That is also seemed in today’s daily life in most cases. A statue of Pharaoh Mycerinus and his queen represents the wife presenting her husband and not the husband presenting his wife as the powerful one.

Amun and religion played a large role in Hatshepsut’s reign due to the use of a higher being to consolidate her reign. The limestone bust of Hatshepsut as Osiris, a portrait from her mortuary temple at Deir el Bahari depicts her as the male god Osiris, giving her a sense of power as she is depicted as a powerful god, god of

During the time of Ancient Egypt, having strong Pharaohs was essential to the maintenance and growth of the civilization, as the Pharaohs were believed to be living Gods. Although leadership of Ancient Egypt was often male dominated, there were admirable female Pharaohs who successfully gained power and left behind a positive legacy; one woman to achieve this was Hatshepsut, meaning ‘foremost of female nobles’. Her innovation and determination allowed her to maintain her position of Pharaoh for about twenty years (1479-1458 BCE). Hatshepsut was considered to be a very successful leader because of her confidence and ambition, magnificent building projects, and establishment of a strong trading network.

When referring to Egypt, it is said that the word Egypt evokes the name of three women as if by magic: Hatshepsut, Nefertiti and Cleopatra. Although these women are from different generations and times, the three of them all represent the history and traditions of Egyptian fashion. Mila Contini, author of Fashion: From Ancient Egypt to the Present Day notes that women in ancient Egypt was always honored and treated with respect, and because of that Hatshepsut, Nefertiti and Cleopatra were seen as the definition of Egyptian culture. Hatshepsut was the daughter of Pharaoh Thutmosis I and during her lifetime was said to have shared the throne with her father during his lifetime. After her fathers death, Hatshepsut had married her half-brother Thutmosis II, and after his death, she had resigned over the land. Hatshepsut was also noted as having changed her sex, Contini mentions that Hatshepsut “wore on her chin the false beard of the Pharaohs, and on monuments and bas-reliefs had herself represented without breasts, like a warrior”. Hatshepsut was a leader in mens clothes, something that was very different at the time. Image 1 is an example of the popular

Through the propaganda she used and hoodwinking of the general populace into believing that she was a man when she was quite obviously a woman, Hatshepsut was able to subvert the patriarchal order to become Pharaoh of Egypt in 1473 BC. By becoming the monarch, Hatshepsut forfeited her representation as a beautiful woman and instead “chose to be represented as a man in both statues and illustrations on temple walls” (Thomas, 2003, p. 9). In doing this she shifted the predominantly male-based system into one that accepted her as a female ruler. An ancient