EGYPTIAN SCULPTURE: ORIGIN, CHARACTERISTICS, MATERIALS AND WORKS - ART - 2024

The Egyptian sculpture was one of the most prominent artistic expressions of this ancient civilization. Its development was in conjunction with that of architecture and both expressions complemented each other. In fact, sculpture in many cases was used to adorn specific buildings, particularly funeral homes.

Funerary structures were where the sculpture of this civilization really stood out. In the tombs of the pharaohs, giant sculptures representing deities were created to honor the fallen ruler. The architectural design of these places was made precisely to house large sculptures inside.

The Colossi of Memnon, massive Egyptian sculpture

Although it was represented in its greatest expression in temples and funerary buildings, Egyptian sculpture was not only found in these structures. The Egyptians also developed other small, high-quality works; one of the most important sculptural forms was the carving in the structures, which creates a very peculiar shadow effect.

Origin

the beginning

The origin of art in ancient Egypt is linked to the development of one of its most important beliefs: balance. For the Egyptians, balance was extremely important in daily life and harmony should govern all aspects of it. Most of his artistic expressions, including sculpture, served to represent this belief.

Although some forms of stone art already existed before the establishment of the First Dynasty, 3150 BC. C. marked the appearance of Egyptian art as such.

During this period the Narmer Palette was created, a work that demonstrates the carving capabilities of ancient civilization and which gave a clear beginning to the art of this style.

The Palette has a series of carvings that tell a story and this style of carving was used for several centuries in ancient Egypt.

The temples and many other structures presented this basic sculptural style, which consisted of forming images by shaping the stone as the artist wanted.

Development

After a thousand years of the development of sculpture as a concrete artistic expression, the ancient Egyptian sculptors had already incorporated the lotus flower, papyrus plants and certain representative symbols to their sculptures. By this time (2600 BC) large sculptures were incorporated into the art of Egypt.

characteristics

The sculptor

Sculptors in Egypt used to have a number of characteristics that differentiated them from other artists. In particular, the sculptors of this civilization considered themselves artisans.

Sculptors were highly disciplined people, who had a special ability to appreciate and create aesthetically correct works.

The works they created are considered one of the most important artistic expressions not only of ancient Egypt, but of the ancient era of humanity in general.

General ideas

By nature, ancient Egyptian sculpture was funerary. The most common works can be found in the tombs of this civilization, as it was mainly for these structures that the statues were developed. It was also common to create statues and sculptures for temples, due to the religious character of Egyptian art.

The sculptures were developed for two main purposes. In case a sculpture was created for a person and not for a deity, the sculpture usually served for the person to fulfill a vow made in life. On the other hand, if the sculpture was created to represent a deity, it usually served a ritualistic purpose.

In many cases the sculptures were also made in honor of a king or monarch. However, Egyptian sculptural art could not represent any person per se (usually a deity was depicted). The only exception to this was for the person depicted on the statue to be explained through the use of hieroglyphs.

Some Egyptian artists also depicted everyday objects in their works, such as furniture, metal works, and jewelry. It was also common to represent "sacred" natural creations, such as the lotus leaf.

Types

When it comes to large sculptures (which were the most popular in this art), there were two main types that were created throughout history: male standing figures with the left leg more forward than the right, and the male figures seated on a throne.

During the Second Dynasty of Egypt, seated sculptures were first created to represent a king. This also demonstrated the "real" character of these works, and although they were not as great at first as they later were, they served the same purpose.

On the other hand, standing figures did develop even before sitting figures; the First Dynasty saw the birth of this type of art. However, when it was created it was only used in wood carving and not in stone, as it was later done in the golden age of Egyptian sculpture.

Anonymity

One of the most important characteristics of these works is that the artists never placed their name on their sculptures; In other words, it was not correct to "sign" them, as was the custom in ancient times. This is why it is difficult to know exactly which were the most prominent Egyptian artists of the ancient era.

The only thing possible to know in regards to the authorship of these works is the quality of the craftsman. However, the name of any of them is not known, but only the ability of the one who created a specific work.

Massiveness

Egyptian sculpture used to be large in general. In fact, the most famous sculptural representations on record are the sphinxes and the renowned Colossi of Memnon.

The massive size of these sculptures was a sign of the importance they had in the art of this civilization. These larger works used to exclusively represent very important deities or figures.

Used materials

The materials used in Egyptian art were usually found relatively easily around the Nile River. Particularly, acacia or sycamore tree were used for wooden works. These trees gave the sculptor the necessary material to create works (such as sarcophagi) and adorn statues with wood.

Another material widely used in the creation of sculptures in Egypt was limestone. There were large deposits of limestone on the banks of the river, in addition to a large amount of sandstone. The high presence of these materials made them the favorites of Egyptian sculptors to create sculptures and buildings.

The great Egyptian sculptures (especially massive ones, such as sphinxes) were created using sandstone. The smallest sculptures were created with various materials, among which the painted wood and the limestone itself stand out.

While limestone, wood and sandstone were the most widely used materials to create sculptural works in Egypt, other materials were also used to create other types of works.

Other materials and techniques

Some smaller sculptures were created with copper and bronze. To shape these pieces a clay mold was used, into which the hot metals were poured. In this way, when solidified, the sculpture was ready to be decorated.

It was also common to sculpt on top of structures to create relief sculptures. In many cases the buildings were covered with plaster.

Plaster was much easier to carve than stone, which greatly simplified the work of sculptors. However, this technique did not allow art to last as long as stone did.

Outstanding works

Sphinx of Giza

The Great Sphinx of Giza is a giant sculpture made of limestone. This sculpture represents King Khafre and is one of the most famous structures in all of ancient Egypt. It is 20 meters high and 73 meters long, which makes it one of the largest sculptures in the world.

Colossi of Memnon

These colossal statues represented the ancient Egyptian pharaoh Amenhotep III. Both statues were part of the pharaoh's mortuary complex.

This complex at some point in history was exactly behind both statues. Various natural events, such as earthquakes, damaged the complex, causing it to disappear.

At the time of its construction the Amenhotep III complex was the largest built in Egypt, and the sculptures were imposing by the standards of the time.

Tutankhamun's Golden Mask

This mask is one of the most outstanding sculptural works of ancient Egypt, particularly due to the large number of technical elements required to create it. Pharaoh Tutankhamen covered the mummified face, which is supposed to protect him from any evil that may beset him.

The mask represents with great accuracy the pharaoh's features, which makes his "soul recognize his body, and thus ensure his resurrection."

It was created with several layers of gold, which were unified by means of heat and hammered one with the other. It was adorned with obsidian and quartz; the eyebrows were created with lapis lazuli.

References

1. Sculpture of Ancient Egypt, Visual Arts Encylopedia, (nd). Taken from visual-arts-cork.com
2. Egyptian Art and Architecture, Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2018. Taken from Britannica.com
3. A Brief History of Egyptian Art, JJ Mark for the Ancient History Encyclopedia, 2017. Taken from ancient.eu
4. Great Sphinx of Giza, A. Tikkanen for the Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2017. Taken from Britannica.com
5. Colossi of Memnon, JJ Mark for the Ancient History Encyclopedia, 2017. Taken from ancient.eu