The Narmer Palette

The palette of King Narmer is more than simply a work of art. It is a blend of artistic creativity, mixed with the function of recording the history of King Narmer. Revealing, Narmer's rise to power as well as share the narrative of how Egypt was united.

This paragraph will be analysing a primary source from the time of ancient Egypt. The source in particular is a painting made for Ramose, an Egyptian state administrator. He had this job during the reigns of the pharaohs Amenophis III and Akhenaten. His job was regarded very highly amongst ancient Egyptian society. This painting was made from the white limestone fond in the Valley of the Kings. The fine-grained rock that was the limestone permitted attractive decorations in full colour. It was made to decorate Ramose’s tomb and was probably painted by tomb decorators. It was probably created between 1000 BCE-1500 BCE. His tomb was in the Valley of the Kings amongst those of pharaohs, this suggests that

The reliefs of Ankh-neb-ef are limestone panels with paint that originated from the Old Kingdom of Egypt in 2150 BC during the reign of Pharaoh Pepy II. The delicate carving of the panels in the sunken relief presents a magnificent image. They portray Ankh-neb-ef, an ancient Egyptian priest whose name translates to “may his lord live.” In the reliefs, Ankh-neb-ef holds a Kherep-sceptor and a walking stick, which were symbols of authority in ancient Egypt. Egyptian civilization was extremely religious and most ancient Egyptian artworks involved the portrayal of gods, goddesses, and Pharaoh, as well. Moreover, the Egyptian reverence for order and conservative ideals led to the institution of intricate rules that governed how artists represented both humans and gods (Saylor.org 4). For instance, the apparel worn by Ankh-neb-ef in the painting is not a simple fashion statement. The priest is wearing a prestigious sarong and ornamentation, bracelets, and a wide collar. The jewelry kept their owner safe in a dangerous passage to the afterlife. This formula for representing the human figure in a painting remained popular over several centuries (Robins 24).

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.

One of the pictures of a coffin shows what Chantry was meaning when he talked about the in-depth and three dimensional aspects of Egyptian art and how the art of this era is more like todays than any other type of art. Egyptians are still respected for their art today, many individuals are baffled by some of the architectural structures that they built, such as the Great pyramids of Giza, the Sphinx of Giza, and multiple statues that were used throughout history. One of the most iconic pieces of art in history would be the coffin of Tutankhamun, it resembles many of the forms of art that were talked about in the article by Chantry. The main difference between art of this era and the art of today would be that the Egyptians did not use art as a form of decoration, they used it to honor the dead, or to help them move on by honoring the gods. In the article Chantry repetitively tells us about how he speaks to viewers through his pictures in his modern designs, this may have happened in ancient Egypt also. Many things about the paintings of that era is that they are difficult to explain, though if someone views it then you can automatically know what the point of it was. Sometimes it is just a social class rating showing the power of the pharaoh, and the women that served him and his

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

This Goblet Inscribed with the names King Akhenaten and Queen Nefertiti, is made of travertine, (Egyptian alabaster) height 5 ½ in diameter 4 1/8 in. (MET). When I look at this piece I feel it may commemorate a wedding, anniversary, or King Akhenaten’s deep love and affections for his principal Queen Nefertiti. This Piece encompasses the changes King Amenhotep is making in the Egyptian culture, as the previous artworks and vessels have a much different look and style. King Akhenaten has as of yet changed his name as the cup shows the name Amenhotep IV and his principal Queen Nefertiti. This places the goblet at about 5 years into King Akhenaten’s rule over Egypt. The Goblet is not a typical show of craft for that time in Egypt.

The main purpose of this paper is to describe the visual analysis of the artwork. This paper examines an Egyptian half nude portrait art which is taken from Metropolitan Museum of Art (Fig.1). The statue characterized both male and female seated figure with a Braid hair. In this essay, I will present a complete visual description of this artwork (its preservation, costume and iconography), and then I will compare it to another artwork which is chosen from Textbook that is Akhenaten and his Family (Fig. 2).

In the sculpture, Yuny and His Wife, Renenutet, the artist conveys a strong, affectionate marriage between two important social figures in New Kingdom Egypt. This relationship is visually conveyed by multiple factors in the visual properties of this sculpture. To provide a quick description of the piece which is dated to ca. 1294–1279 B.C.E., Yuny, a chief royal scribe, is portrayed sitting next to his wife, Renenutet, a temple-ritual singer for the god Amun-Re on a bench. The sculpture was made out of limestone and originally painted. It’s 33 1/4” in height and 21 7/16” in width. Yuny and Renenutet are both depicted in elegant clothing with equally elegant wigs. Renenutet is shown wearing a long, tight-fitting dress that comes down to her ankles ending just where her bare feet start. A large, elaborate necklace takes up the majority of her chest. Her left hand sits in her lap as she holds a menat that drapes down in front of her legs and her right hand is wrapped around the lower back of Yuny. Yuny is shown wearing a long pleated skirt with hieroglyphs down the center of it. He also wears a sophisticated top going up to his neckline with the sleeves stopping at his elbows where it flares out with elaborate pleating. Unlike Renenutet, Yuny wears sandals and his forearms and hands are broken off but it’s suggested that they originally laid by his sides.

Amarna Style is most prominently recognized through the art in the period. The break in customary art styles is seen in Egyptian tombs, sculpture, architecture, painting, and

BOSTON, MA (June 23, 2014)—A world-class collection of jewels from ancient Nubia at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA), will go on view this summer in Gold and the Gods: Jewels of Ancient Nubia. The MFA’s collection of Nubian adornments is the most comprehensive outside Khartoum—the result of an early 20th-century expedition by the Museum with Harvard University. The exhibition opens on July 19, and includes works by Nubian goldsmiths and jewelers, who were among the most innovative in the ancient world. Featuring some 100 excavated ornaments dating from 1700 BC to AD 300, which will be on view in the Rita J. and Stanley H. Kaplan Family Foundation Gallery, the exhibition explores the royal tombs of kings and queens, which were filled with elaborate jewelry such as necklaces, amulets, stacked bracelets and earrings. The MFA is unique in its ability to mount an exhibition of Nubian jewelry and adornment drawn exclusively from its own collection. In addition to gold––Nubia’s most important commodity––jewelry in the exhibition incorporates precious materials such as lapis lazuli (imported from Afghanistan), blue chalcedony (imported from Turkey), amethystine quartz and carnelian, as well as enamel and glass––both of which were rare and valuable new technologies at the time. The exhibition is accompanied by a fully illustrated MFA Publication on Nubian jewelry.

The Ancient Egyptian artifact that I chose to analyze and is the most interesting piece I have seen in the museum is the Cartonnage of Nespanetjerenpare. The artwork itself was larger than me and that was one of the reasons why this artwork was very interesting to me, since I am a fairly tall individual. It was created during the Third intermediate period that was around Dynasty XXII or the twenty second Dynasty of Ancient Egypt and was possibly acquired from Thebes. The dynasty was also known as the Bubastite dynasty which was approxamently from 945-718 B.C.

This essay aims to investigate two different time periods in the history of art. It will scrutinize the influence that the respective societal contexts had on the different artists, which in turn, caused them to arrange the formal elements in a specific way. I will be examining an Egyptian sculpture of the god Isis nursing Horus, her son, as well as the Vladimir Virgin icon, which dates from the Byzantine era. Experts vary on the precise ‘lifetime’ of the Ancient Egyptian civilization, but according to Mason (2007:10) it existed from 3100 BCE up to 30 BCE. The Byzantine era, which

The Egyptian Mummy Mask from the early Roman Period is unique and beautiful in every way possible. This mask that is on display in the Museum of Fine Arts Boston is about 3 feet tall to about 2 feet wide. This certain piece of magnificent art is extremely detailed with intricate designs covering it all around. The Museum of Fine Arts makes it easy to pay attention to, because of its detail and how the mask is displayed. The Mummy Mask has it’s own small alter with a spot light shining down on it creating dramatic shadows in a very dim room. The decorations include inlaid glass eyes, a gold leaf and is hand-painted and gilded glass. This mask is not paper maché like the masks that were made in this era; this Mummy Mask had been created out of cartonnage . The Egyptians decorated this masterpiece with bold vertical and horizontal lines representing rows of beads to go along with the story it tells. The Egyptian Mummy Mask from the first half of the first century A.D illustrates a gaze of innocence and acceptance while looking into the bright future of whom the mask was made for. Perfectly painted images covering the mask tell a story of the traditional funerary practices and the after life Egyptians believed in. Egyptians would create these pieces to fit over the heads of the lost lives wrapped inside the mummy. The mask represents the deceased transformed into a God . Although the face of the mask is idealized and emotionless, the decorations say and express more than a

The Old Kingdom of Egypt, ruled by the 3rd to the 6th dynasties, spanned the five centuries between about 2755 bc and 2255 bc. In about 3100 bc the country was united under one rule by strong chieftains from the south. The idea, however, that Egypt was divided into two distinct parts—Upper Egypt in the south and Lower Egypt in the north—persisted. The unification of Egypt, or one of the stages leading to it, is commemorated on the carved stone Palette of King Narmer (c. 3100 bc, Egyptian Museum, Cairo), on which the king, wearing the crown of the south, is shown subjugating peoples of the north.