Art

   In ancient Egypt, monumental and most private art was designed for religious rather than decorative purposes. The statue was originally developed as a substitute home for the spirit in the afterlife, and later statues were also placed in temples where the name of the deceased could be read, causing the deceased to live again. The block statue, which first appeared in the early Middle Kingdom, was particularly favored because of the amount of space available for text. Incised reliefs and wall paintings in tombs depicted the goods and activities the deceased wished to enjoy in the next life. Royal reliefs on temple walls showed the majesty and power of the king and the beneficence of the gods. Most statues and reliefs were in fact painted, but much of this paint has worn away.

   Egyptian artists worked to a canon of proportions for the human figure. Astandard style was set by the royal court, although regional variations appeared during the First Intermediate Period, Second Intermediate Period, and Third Intermediate Period, when central government and artistic patronage had broken down. Egyptian art was not static, as the canon of proportions varied over time. The most obvious change occurred during the Amarna Period, when the canon was changed and the human figure was depicted in an exaggerated style with a long, narrow neck and full hips. During the Late Period, artists drew inspiration from the works of the Old Kingdom and Middle Kingdom.

   Very little decoration in royal and private buildings survives. The remaining fragments of tiles and frescoes show that the decorative scheme of the royal palace sought to display the might of the sovereign as a conqueror, although more intimate scenes are known from the Amarna Period. Egyptian craftsmen were adept in the production of such small, functional objects as cosmetic spoons and other toiletry objects in a highly decorative form.

   See also Sphinx; Stone; Thutmose.

Historical Dictionary Of Ancient Egypt by Morris L. Bierbrier