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The Seated Scribe, By Egypt Fourth Dynasty Essay

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The Seated Scribe The seated scribe is a sculpture made in 2500 B.C.E in Saqqara, Egypt fourth dynasty. This piece of artwork can explain a lot about the society it came from which makes it significant. In the following paragraphs I will address; what makes it unique? Who it was found by? The impact this had on our understanding of the piece, and modern interpretations of Egyptian art. First here’s a description: The seated scribe is 1’9” high and is made from limestone; it’s typical of an Egyptian sculpture in that it’s painted. He sits with perfect posture; cross legged, head facing forward, hand ready to write although his brush is missing. His eyes are a complex structure (I will go into further detail in page 3 paragraph 2). He wears a simple white cloth resembling what we might call a skirt. What makes the sculpture different from others of this time period are two things; the subject matter, in that it depicts no god, nor Pharaoh only a mortal human writing in a mostly illiterate society. Secondly it demonstrates age shown in sagging muscles and rotund belly. Due to this relaxed style we can gather that the subject is not a Pharaoh as it was dishonourable to insinuate that they aged as they were supposed to be gods on earth. According to the Louvre website, (www.louvre.fr/en/oeuvre-notices/seated-scribe) the sculpture was found in Saqqara Egypt in 1850 by an archaeologist by the name of Auguste Mariette. The exact location of the Seated Scribe has remained a

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