Ancient Egyptain Art Essay Research Paper The — страница 2

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was literate, bureaucratic, and technologically advanced. It centered all it’s power and aspirations around a single divine pharaoh who was the master of ceremonies and who made all decisions for Egypt. Egyptian culture was very similar to Greek culture throughout the Third and Fourth Dynasties (the Third Dynasty was also known as the Memphite Dynasty because while some areas of Egypt began to lose their importance, Memphis secured its position as the capital). They influenced and contributed to each others civilizations by means of architectural advancements, religious beliefs, and technological and scholastic advancements. The relationship between the two civilizations has been proven by the revealing of Egyptian artifacts in Greek palaces as well as Cretian objects

discovered in Egyptian tombs and other structures. Not only were their cultures similar, their art was also very much the same. Stylistically, Greek and Egyptian sculptures were nearly identical; they had the blank expressions with the modest, rigid poses. However, the Egyptians were the first to break away from the usual style of sculpture. Up to that point, statues had always been in basically one position; with their arms rigid against their sides and their legs tight together. This was also a sure pose against damage, with the legs and arms as part of the large piece of rock, they could not be broken as easily as if they were separate from the body. However, Egyptians began to take a different approach to this pose. They didn’t change it completely, they simply altered it.

Instead of the legs being firmly pressed together, they made one leg stand out a bit as if the sculpture was taking a step forward. It seems as though no matter what position the sculptures were in, they were always naturalistic. The artists stylized, and simplified natural forms, but they never distorted them in any unnatural way. They seemed to have a real appreciation for true, natural beauty. Part of what allowed the artists to create the natural beauty of a sculpture was the tools they used. For a long time, artists used copper chisels which had cutting edges that were easy to hammer out. The chisels facilitated the shaping and styling of soft stone such as limestone, calcite, and sandstone. It’s quite amazing, however, that even without steel tools and special

technologies, the Egyptians and the Greeks could carve and polish extremely hard substances. When creating weapons and tools, bowls and vases, and statues and sculptures, the artists first roughed out by hammering causing an impact of stone on stone. Then details were shaped and given a smooth finish by rubbing rock on rock, an abrasive. For gouging and digging, artists used a drill tipped with extremely hard stone and a mounted by a rod weighted down with bags of small stones and rotated by a handle. This method required immense amounts of dexterity and patience. Egyptian art came an incredibly long way throughout time and revealed much of its culture through artistic expression. When we look at a statue, we can conclude so much about the culture. We can see the way they

dressed, or the way they held themselves, or the way they depicted their rulers. The ancient statues of Egypt seemed to set an example of power and dictation. Most sculptures were dedications to pharaohs and rulers and religious symbols of the civilization. They were created to look powerful, stern, and severe. Some were even intimidating, like the statue of Kafre, who looks extremely focused and fierce. These examples of artwork set the stage for so many new artists and so many new advancements. Egyptian artists created a basis of art that inspired the works and creations of thousands of artists after them, and it will inspire thousands of artists yet to come.