Art History Before 1450
Instructor: Roberta A. Mayer, Ph.D.  

 Ancient Egypt
Study Guide 3

Predynastic Egypt 3500-3000 B.C.

Pre-Dynastic Egypt, Palette of King Narmer, Front, ca. 3000-2920 B.C.E.
Pre-Dynastic Egypt, Palette of King Narmer, Back, ca. 3000-2920 B.C.E.

Early Dynastic Egypt, Stepped Pyramid of King Zoser (Djoser) at Saqqara, ca. 2630-2611 B.C.E.


Old Kingdom — 2700-2150 B.C.

Old Kingdom, Pyramids of Gizeh — Menkaure, Khafre, Khufu, ca. 2551-2528 B.C.E.

Old Kingdom, Great Sphinx at Gizeh, ca. 2520-2494 B.C.E.

Old Kingdom, Khafre, from Gizeh, 2520-2492 B.C.E.

Old Kingdom, King Menkaure & His Queen, from Gizeh, ca. 2490-2472 B.C.E.

Old Kingdom, Seated Scribe, from a mastaba tomb at Saqqara, ca. 2450-2350 B.C.E.

Old Kingdom, Lord Ti and the Hippo Hunt, ca. 2450-2350 B.C.E.


Middle Kingdom — 2050 - 1750 B.C.

Middle Kingdom, Rock Cut Tombs, Beni Hasan, Egypt, ca. 1950-1900 B.C.E.


New Kingdom — 1550-1075 B.C.

 New Kingdom, Mortuary Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, Deir el-Bahri (near Thebes), ca. 1473-1458 B.C.E.

New Kingdom, Hatshepsut with Offering Jars, ca. 1473-1458 B.C.E.

New Kingdom, Hypostyle hall, temple of Amen-Re, Karnak, ca. 1290-1224 B.C.E.

New Kingdom, Temple of Amen-Mut-Khonsu, Luxor -- Example of a Pylon Temple with pylon, colonnaded court and hypostyle hall revealed

New Kingdom, Pylon , Temple of Horus, Edfu, 237-47 B.C.E.

New Kingdom, Fowling Scene from the Tomb of Nebamun, Thebes, ca. 1400-1350 B.C.E.

Amarna Period, Akhenaton, pillar statue from the Temple of Amen-Re, Karnak, 1353-1335 B.C.E.

Post-Amarna Period, King Tutankhamen, Innermost coffin, ca. 1323 B.C.E.

Post-Amarna Period, King Tutankhamen, Death Mask, ca. 1323 B.C.E.

Post-Amarna Period, Painted Chest from tomb of Tutankhamen, ca. 1333-1323 B.C.E.


Vocabulary

mastaba tombs
pylon
hypostyle hall
Osiris
Isis
ka
Horus
necropolis
Imhotep
Amarna
clerestory
Aton
atlantid
Re or Amen-Re

Practice Essay Questions

  • Explain the connection between Egyptian conceptions of the after-life and Egyptian art.

  • Who was the Egyptian pharaoh who introduced monotheism to Egypt? Discuss the artistic changes associated with this new religion?

  • What did the term "batter" mean when applied to Egyptian architectural construction?

  • What are hieroglyphics?

  • Why was discovery of the Rosetta Stone important?

  • Describe the post-and-lintel system. Identify and describe an example of Egyptian architecture that is based on this structural method.

  • Identify Hatshepsut. Name and describe one work of art she commissioned.

  • What is a mastaba? Explain how the mastaba evolved into the pyramid.

  • Name two shapes used by the Egyptians for capitals.

  • What was the importance of Amarna to the development of Egyptian art?

  • Select an Egyptian building from the Old Kingdom, one from the Middle Kingdom, and one from the New Kingdom. Describe them and tell why you think they are important. Mention the patron of each.

  • After examining Egyptian works of art that were created over a span of two thousand years, would you classify the overall outlook of the Egyptians as optimistic or pessimistic? Why?

  • Discuss the use of the convention of realism in Egyptian relief carving and painting. What types of subjects were treated more conventionally? Why?

  • It has been said that the spirit of the Old Kingdom is best expressed in the pyramids and that of the New Kingdom in its painting. Does such a statement seem justified to you? Support your answer with a discussion of relevant works of art.