3000 BC – 500 BC
Proportion in Figures
•The figure was drawn on a grid so that it
would be uniform with any other figures
drawn.
•The eyes, feet, and torso were drawn as if
viewed from the front and the heads,
arms, and hands were from the side. This
way, the most distinctive features of each
area was shown.
Statue of Hatshepsut
Dynasty 18, ca. 1473-1458 B.C.
•Traditionally, the rulers of Egypt were
male. Consequently, when Hatshepsut
assumed the titles and functions of king
she was portrayed in royal male costumes.
•A sense of stability and permanence is
both literal (stone not carved out between
legs) and figurative: solid, vertical,
geometric, thus befitting royalty.
Statuette of an offering bearer
early Dynasty 12, ca. 1985 B.C.
Gessoed and painted wood, h. 44
1/8 in.
•This figure is large because she embodies the
products of an entire estate that Meketre
determined to be the source that would provide
offerings for his funeral cult in perpetuity. Her
size, broad collar necklace, bracelets, anklets,
and dress indicate her importance. The patterns
on her dress represent small feathers, and the
vertical stripes of the underskirt, long wing
feathers. Goddesses are frequently portrayed in
similar costumes. Here the dress probably refers
to Isis or Nephthys, both of whom protected the
dead in the afterlife. Interestingly, because the
action of offering is important, offering women
may stride - a pose usually reserved for men.
Yeah baby,
I’m the
King!
Size = Important!
•The centre of interest is shown by being
larger than other objects.
•The ruler is always portrayed larger than
other figures.
Feeling
undervalued
here.
This
sucks…
Sphinx of Senwosret III
Dynasty 12, ca. 1878-1841 B.C.
Gneiss, l. 283/4 in.
Synthesized shapes
were often used, such
as this Sphinx, which
is the combination of
a lion’s body and
a human head.
How powerful does
that make one feel?
Some Elements of Design
•Texture: very minimal use; usually limited to lines
•Value: local flat values (this is the first time in history that local values were used)
•Form: they didn’t use light and shadow to give a sense of form
•Shape: simplified to give basic information
Statue of the Official Bes
Egypt, Low period (Dynasty XXVI, 660-610 BC)
Compact limestone
H. 32.2 cm; W. 20.9 cm