Ancient Egypt v2 - Mrs. Smith's US History...

11/3/2018

1

• VanGogh,Vincent.TheStarryNight.1889,oiloncanvas,MuseumofModernArt,NewYorkCity.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Starry_Night.

• Description:Thepaintingisfilledwithlargeandsmallyellowcirclesthatseemtoglowinablueskythatgoesfromdarkatthetoptoalightbluealongthehorizonline.Thereisalargetreeintheforegroundthathidespartofthetownbelowfromtheviewer.Thecolorpaletteisalmostallbluesandgreenswiththepopofbrightyellowinthesky.Thepiecehassomuchtextureduetotheheavybrushstrokesandobviouslythickpaint.Theemphasisinthepaintingistheskyandthelargeswirlinthecenterofthepainting.

• Analysis/Content:Thepaintingisofasmalltownwithanightskyfading,yetthemoonandstarsstillshinebrightly.Theswirlsandthedeepbrushstrokesgivethepaintingalotofenergyandmovement.

• Context:VanGoghadmittedhimselftoanasyluminthesouthofFranceafterhecutoffhisear.Thispaintingwaspaintedduringthistime.Hepaintedquiteafewofhismostfamouspaintingsduringthisperiodofhisbrieflife.

• Meaning:I’mnotsurewhattheartistwastryingtosay.

• Judgment:Thisisoneofmyfavoritepaintings.Ilovethedeepbrushstrokesandthemovementtheyhelpcreate.Iampartialtoswirlsandthisonetomeismesmerizing.Ican’ttakemyeyesoffit.

• Hokusai,Katsushika.TheGreatWaveoffKanagawa.1826‐1836,colorwoodblockprintonpaper,(numerouslocations)ArtInstituteOfChicago,Chicago,IL.www.artic.edu/artworks/24645/under‐the‐wave‐off‐kanagawa‐kanagawa‐oki‐nami‐ura‐also‐known‐as‐the‐great‐wave‐from‐the‐series‐thirty‐six‐views‐of‐mount‐fuji‐fugaku‐sanjurokkei.

• Description:Thiscolorprinthasthreedifferentcolorsofblue,agray/blackandalsousesthecolorofthe paper.Thelargewaveisasymmetricallybalancedinthescene.Thetopofthewavehasclaw‐liketendrilscomingdown.Thelargecurvedlinestellyouthewaveislargeasdoesthesizeofthewavetothesizeoftheboatandthefishermenitisabouttheovertake.MountFujistandssolidinthebackgroundwhilethewavesaremovingandabouttocrash.Whenlookingcarefullyyoucanseefourfishermenclingingtotherearoftheboatintheforeground,plusthereisanadditionalsmallerboatinthemiddlegroundthatalsohassixfishermenclingingon.

• Analysis:Theclawsontopofthewavemakeitlookfierceandsomethingtoworryabout,almostlikeaseamonsterabouttocomeoutandgrabtheboatsitsees.Whileyoucannot

• seethefacesofthefishermen,youcantelltheyareholdingonfordearlife.Theuseofthecurvedlinestoemphasizetheheightofthewavesiswelldone.WhiletheserieswasaboutMt.Fuji,clearlytheemphasisinthisprintisonthewave.

• Context:Donotknow.ItisoneofaseriesHokusaididonMt.Fuji.

• Meaning:Donotknow.• Judgment:Ilovethemovement

inthisprint.Youcantellthewaveisjustabouttocrash…

WomanwithaHat, 1905

Description/Form

Analysis/Content

Context

Meaning

Judgment

11/3/2018

2

Art of Ancient Egypt3150 – 332 BCE

Ancient Egypt

Memphis – first capital city (3100 – 2134)

Thebes – capital from 2134 – 332 BCE 

First Cataract

Second Cataract

Alexandria – capital city during Ptolemy and Roman periods (332 BCE – 30 CE)

Egyptian Timeline• Archaic Period 3100 – 2650 BCE• Old Kingdom 2650 – 2150 BCE• First Intermediate Period 2150 – 2040 BCE• Middle Kingdom 2040 – 1640 BCE• Second Intermediate Period 1640 – 1550 BCE• New Kingdom 1550 – 1070 BCE• Third Intermediate Period 1070 - 712 BCE• Late Period 712 - 332 BCE• Ptolemaic Period 332 - 30 BCE• Roman Period 30 BCE – 394 CE

11/3/2018

3

Art was practical and functional

“Art for art’s sake” was unknown and further would probably have been incomprehensible to an ancient Egyptian who

understood art as functional above all else.

• Paintings and carvings on temples were a form of religious worship. They told myth and stories of the gods and goddesses.– They also “proved” to the gods that a king was doing his duty to

maintain order in the universe

• Paintings and carvings on tombs were to bless the dead on their journey to the afterlife. It often had a story of the deceased’s accomplishments in life.

Hieroglyphics• Greek Hieros = sacred• Greek Glyphos = words or signs• Egyptians called them “words of the gods”• Invented around 3100 BCE• Pictures and symbols. Combinations and

directions had different meanings.• Hieroglyphs were a major part of wall reliefs. They

explained the stories on the wall.• Writing was an integral aspect of art. It was in itself

a work of art.

Hieroglyphs

11/3/2018

4

Important Hieroglyphs

• Ankh: “life” or “rebirth.”• Kheper: The scarab beetle-

“to become” or “to evolve.”• Eye of Horus: “masculine

energy” or “reason & mathematics.”

• Was (scepter): “power.”• Feather of Ma’at: “truth” or

“justice.”• Goose: “son of” or daughter

of.”

Cartouche• An oval frame enclosing Egyptian hieroglyphs that

represent a name

11/3/2018

5

Role of the Gods• Egyptians believed that the universe and all events

that occurred within it were governed by the will of the gods.

• Thoth, the god of writing, magic and wisdom. He is depicted with the head of an Ibis or as a baboon.

Hierarchy in society

Not much is known about the lives of

everyday Egyptians because the lives of the

elite were the most recorded.

Life After Death

11/3/2018

6

Weighing of the Heart

Characteristics of ancient Egyptian art

Characteristics of Painting• Head in profile• Body facing front• Legs in profile• No depth, flat 2-D• Everything outlined• Men’s skin is usually dark• Women’s skin is usually light• Most people look alike. • Anthropomorphic deities• Common poses

11/3/2018

7

Common poses and gestures• Worshipping• Protecting• Mourning• Praising

Sculpture

Statue of KaMenkaure Triad

Ptahkhenuwy and his wife

Menkaure and his Queen

11/3/2018

8

Queen Nefertiti King Tutankhamun

Ancient Relief Sculpture• Bas-relief was the most common type of wall

sculpture.• Sunken-relief, outline-relief, and high-relief were

common from the New Kingdom (1070 BCE)

Colors – Symbolism• Green:; health; new life; earthly life;

vegetation– Made from malachite, turquoise, verdigris– The hieroglyph for green is a papyrus reed

• Yellow (Gold): The sun; substance of the gods; perfection; used on things that were eternal or indestructible; the color of women’s skin– Made from gold, yellow ochre and lead

antimonite

11/3/2018

9

Color - Symbolism• Blue: represents the universe &

water; power of creation, fertility and rebirth– Made from Lapis Lazuli, azurite and

boiling quartz and copper

• Black: death & the afterlife; chaos; resurrection (because the agriculture was dependent on the rich black silt).– Made from charcoal, black onyx;

ebony

Color – Symbolism• Red: chaos; disorder;

destruction; danger. Also life and protection (blood)– Made from jasper, carnelian, red

ochre and iron oxide

• White & silver: purity; unlimited power; calm. Many sacred animals were white. White worn during religious rituals. Opposite of red.– Made from silver, chalk, gypsum