Continuity And Conventions In Egyptian Art

      The art of the ancient Egyptians reveals a very conservative people. Conservatism was one of three key factors that shaped Egyptian art. The other two were virtually all art was produced for religious purposes, and that the Pharaoh was the chief patron and subject of the arts. Egyptian art was not innovative, but sought to remain unchanged by following traditions established during the Old Kingdom. The resistance to change inherent in Egyptian art reflects a quest for permanence achieved through conventions and idealizations. The fact that Egyptian art followed these conventions, remaining nearly unchanged for over three thousand years, is in itself impressive. Art, for the Egyptians, served to capture for eternity the ideal form of the individual represented.

Sculpture

      The most majestic works of art produced by the Egyptians were their statues. Egyptian sculpture ranged in size from small models to colossal statues such as the Sphinx (20 m high and 73 m long) and the statues of Ramses II (20 m high). Egyptian statues generally looked straight ahead and were not engaged in any activity; they are rigid and without emotion. While Egyptian sculpture may not have had the lifelike qualities of later Greek statues, it did capture the grandeur of the Pharaohs for all time. 

Carved Relief and Painting

      The artistic forms commonly found in the tombs of the Pharaohs and the nobility are reliefs and wall paintings. Both served a similar purpose: to convey to the gods the character of the deceased, or to illustrate the activities to be enjoyed in the afterlife. Carved reliefs are pictures that are cut into stone. Paintings were generally considered second best, and were usually done in tombs where poor rock surfaces made relief work difficult. In some cases, paintings were selected over reliefs because they were less costly and time consuming. 

      Egyptian artists were not particularly concerned with perspective. Instead, they produced mathematically precise paintings and reliefs that conveyed the necessary information. Realism was the least of the artist's concerns. Aside from the contrived stance and the disproportionate size of the figures, Egyptian paintings show many other examples of how information took precedence over realism. For example, Egyptian artist often used what is called false transparency. In a picture showing a side view of someone dipping a ladle into a pot, the viewer would not be able to see what is it the pot or the ladle. The Egyptian artist made both the contents and the ladle visible -- as if the pot were made of glass -- to provide necessary information. 

      It is important to view Egyptian art from the Egyptians' perspective, not ours. The task set before the ancient Egyptian artist was to capture for eternity the essence and character of the deceased. In this conservative society, artists were not supposed to be innovators. 

Writing: ECHOES from the past, published by McGraw-Hill Ryderson Ltd.