Egyptian art

1.  is the painting, sculpture, architecture
pottery, hieroglyphs other arts produced by
the civilization in the lower Nile Valley from
5000 BC to 300 AD.
 Egyptian art reached a high level in
painting and sculpture.
 highly stylized and symbolic.
 Much of the surviving art comes from
tombs and monuments

2.  Their tombs were even more
important than palaces.
 For the Pharaoh of old kingdom,
home after death was an immense
structure called a Pyramid.
 The old kingdom was the great age of
pyramid building in Ancient Egypt.
Pharaoh originates in the
term ‘’pr-aa’’ which means
‘’great house’’ and
describes the royal palace. 

3. The great pyramid of Khufu – (Left)
Pyramid of Khafra – (Center)
Mankaura – (Right)

4.  Ancient Egyptian
architects used sun-
dried and kiln-baked
bricks, fine sandstone,
limestone and granite.
 The stones had to fit
precisely together.
 Ramps were used to
allow workmen to
move up as the height
of the construction
grew.

5. The ancient art of
Egyptian sculpture ev
olved to represent the
ancient Egyptian
gods, Pharaohs, and
the kings and queens,
in physical form.

6. Ancient Egyptians
used steatite and
carved small pieces
of vases, amulets,
images of deities,
of animals and
several other
objects.

7. Hieroglyphics are
the ancient
Egyptian writing
system in which
pictures and
symbols stand for
sounds and words.

8. All Egyptian reliefs
were painted, and
less prestigious
works in tombs,
temples and
palaces were just
painted on a flat
surface.

9.  Symbolism also played an important role in
establishing a sense of order.
 Animals were usually also highly symbolic
figures in Egyptian art.
 Colours were more expressive rather than
natural:
1. red skin implied vigorous tanned youth
2. yellow skin was used for women or
middle-aged men who worked indoors
3. blue or gold indicated divinity because
of its unnatural appearance and
association with precious materials
4. black for royal figures expressed the
fertility of the Nile from which Egypt was
born.

10. Figure of God Ra with a
falcon head and sun disc.
Animal heads were
placed on human
bodies as a means of
showing gods
performing various
rituals and relating
them to human
actions.