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The gods of Egypt were gods of nature and the unchanging, perpetual order of the natural world. The rising and the setting of the sun, and the flooding and the receding of the Nile, was their divine order. In a similar vein, the pharaohs, having been generated from these same gods and to whom they would one day return, provided order to the state.
Ancient Egyptians devoted their lives to preparations for the afterlife. This idea is nowhere better demonstrated than in their architecture. The structures of everyday life (homes, public buildings, even palaces) were made from simple materials like palm trunks and mud-bricks and almost nothing of them survives. Yet, the Egyptians crafted tombs and temples from stone (often times to immense proportions) and built them (so they hoped) for immortality. |
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| Order, stability, perpetuity and an obsession with immortality - all which characterized the Egyptian environment, political and religious systems and mindset. |
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| These pieces were carved on both sides with low reliefs and on one side a carved out depression. the palette is one of the earliest extant historical (as opposed to prehistorical) art forms known. |
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| The Egyptians believed that a person had an "alter ego" or life force, which continued on after the living body passed away. The ka, however, still needed some sort of body. This is why the Egyptians took such remarkable steps to preserve the corpse through mummification. |
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| The earliest Egyptian tombs were walled graves that a person would be buried along with their possessions. The grave would be placed on the west side of the city and the deceased would also face westward, pointed in the direction of the other world (toward setting sun). Eventually structures, called mastabas, were built over these walled graves (probably derived from the dirt mounds that were undoubtedly placed over the early tombs). Ultimately these relatively modest structures evolved into the well-known mighty pyramids. |
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| A royal diplomat and priest as well as an architect, made first work with named artist. |
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| Within the walls of a step pyramid were many buildings arranged around several courts, though quite a few were sham structures. These "dummy" buildings were usually filled with sand or rubble and were probably intended for the ka. |
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| where the column is composed of stacked cylindrical segments as opposed to being cut from one stone |
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| Cclosely spaced parallel grooves |
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| Attached to the wall rather than freestanding. Scholars theorize that Imhotep may not have trusted the columns to bear the weight of the ceiling without a supporting wall. |
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| "in place". Example: Sphinx. |
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| The artist would first draw sketches on the four sides of a block and then chisel away the excess stone. |
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| Carving would continue inward until all the planes would meet at right angles, thus creating a work which is bilaterally symmetrical (each side of the vertical axis is exactly the same) |
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| rubbing or sanding the surface. smoothed lines of sculptures. |
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| Queen Hatshepsut's chief counsel, and designer of her temple. |
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| a colonnade is a row of columns which support some sort of ceiling |
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| front of face of a building |
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| tall, thin, four-sided shaft of tapering stone that rises to a pyramidal point. in front of pylon temples. |
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| large stone structure with sloping walls |
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| Egyptian temples dedicated to gods, rather than pharaohs. The basic plan consisted of a pylon that was followed by a courtyard, then by a hypostyle hall, then by a second hall and finally by the sanctuary. |
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| The roof consisted of stone slabs that rested on lintels. The lintels were supported by impost blocks that rested on the columns. The center section of the roof was often raised to create what is called a clerestory (as in our example). This was done in order that windows could be cut into the raised part of the roof for lighting (the clerestory window is another Egyptian creation which we will see time and time in the history of architecture). |
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| also known as bell capitals. When paired with unfluted capitals, resembled papyrus stalks. |
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Emerged during middle and new kingdom. Truly, the Egyptian idea of simplicity was taken to extremes with these works.
Notice how the lines bring the viewer's focus to the face (or in this case faces) of the work. |
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| Needless to say, with all the religious and cultural upheavals of the time, the art of the Amarna Period was also quite revolutionary. The effeminate portrayals with elongated necks, small arms and oddly shaped bodies |
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