EGYPTIAN PAINTING: CHARACTERISTICS, THEMES, STAGES, TECHNIQUES - ART - 2024

The Egyptian painting covers all pictorial manifestations that were produced during the cultural life of ancient Egypt. The art of this civilization was characterized by its symbolism and religiosity; In addition, it remained related to funeral rites. The paint was used to decorate tombs and temples, although it was also used with some frequency in papyri.

It is necessary to note that the art produced in Ancient Egypt is completely unrelated to the modern idea of ​​art for art's sake, that is, Egyptian painting was never detached from its religious and political function within the culture. For this reason, the human bodies represented by the Egyptians must be conceived from the mystical role that each deity or monarch played.

Source: Maler der Grabkammer des Amenemhêt

The author Beatriz Quintero, in her text The body and its representation in mural painting and relief in ancient Egypt (nd), affirms that the mural painting in tombs and temples was attributed magical powers. Furthermore, they aimed to extend the virtues of our world to the realm of the afterlife.

This is because the Egyptians had a remarkable appreciation for nature and the daily life that the lands of the Nile offered, so they wanted to keep these benefits after they died. The main motivation of the artists was to record the world as they had known it, maintaining uniformity; This explains the lack of changes during the development of his painting.

Likewise, Egyptian works of art must be understood as the main exponents of their religious beliefs, influenced by a perfect cosmic order. In addition, Egyptian painting can be defined as a monumental and courtly art that was made to endure and accompany the royals on their way to eternal life.

characteristics

General materials and techniques

- The painting was done in fresco and used pigments diluted with egg white and water. They also used waxes and varnishes in order to achieve greater intensity.

- Egyptian painting did not try to achieve a third dimension in its representations. Therefore, they are completely two-dimensional.

- All Egyptian painting applies the Law of Frontality, which consists in the fact that all figures are represented in profile, however, the shoulders and the visible eye appear from the front. The limbs were also placed in profile.

Figures

- The proportion of the figures was determined according to the importance of each character. Therefore, the larger the figure, the more important he was in the hierarchy.

- The figures followed a rigorous system of representation models, which were repeated over time. That is, Egyptian artists based the aesthetics of their painting on conventions.

- Egyptian painting is characterized by its horror vacui aesthetic, which consists of the need not to leave any space without shapes or figures (that is, there are no empty areas).

Colors and symbolism

- His representations did not seek to be faithful to nature, since it was a conceptual art and not a realistic one. However, the few popular themes that were represented had a greater realism.

- The paintings made in the tombs were intended to supply the dead and provide well-being in the afterlife.

- For the Egyptian culture the line had greater value than the color. Therefore, the colors they used were flat and did not create any type of volume.

- The female figures were represented in light colors, while the men were represented in reddish tones. Also, secondary themes were avoided. This means that he omitted the narrative and concentrated on the essential.

Frequent Topics

The themes represented in Egyptian painting oscillated mainly between scenes of daily life - executed quite realistically - and religious images full of symbolic character. In addition, representations of animals and plants were also made, demonstrating the importance of fertile land for the Egyptians.

Some authors affirm that the subjects portrayed by this civilization were customs, since they served to record all the traditions and customs of their culture. Egyptian artists not only portrayed their religious beliefs, but also their way of life; the way in which they cultivated the land and raised animals, among other aspects.

Stages of Egyptian painting

During the Old Kingdom

In this first stage, the painting and the bas-relief shared the same themes and had the same purposes: to represent nature and everyday life so that they could be recreated in the afterlife.

The paintings of the Ti mastaba date from this period, an archaeological site erected approximately in the XXV century BC. One of the most emblematic scenes of that place consists of the image of a slave carrying a calf on his shoulders. The animal has been represented very realistically, since it is visualized turning its head to communicate with its mother.

During the Middle Kingdom

In this period, the decorations of the coffins were abundant, which through the hieroglyphs told different mythological legends. In addition, they contained a portrait of the deceased. The coffin was made of wood and was decorated with designs and drawings similar to those placed on the mummy.

During the New Kingdom

This era was characterized by the use of wall paintings in the burial chambers. The themes portrayed there were based on the stories of the Book of the Dead. Images of daily life could also be found, which served more than anything for the entertainment of the deceased.

The Book of the Dead was a system of papyrus scrolls in which the religious formulas to achieve the immortality of the soul in the afterlife were recorded. Starting in the 20th dynasty, these papyri began to be decorated with small drawings that generally represented the judgment of Osiris.

However, not all pictorial representations had a religious or funerary purpose. For example, in Deir el Medina a papyrus was found with satirical and humorous images, which contained erotic and grotesque elements with the aim of making fun of certain political spheres and questioning the figure of the pharaoh. In these satirical papyri the figures of geese, mice and cats were common.

In the Greco-Roman period

With the Roman invasion in Egypt and together with the Ptolemaic dynasty, a series of changes occurred in the Egyptian pictorial manifestations. This is because the art of this civilization was notoriously influenced by Roman art and Hellenistic art, both strongly linked to harmony and the search for the perfect symmetry of forms.

The mummy portraits of El Fayum date from this period, which were characterized by their naturalistic approach. These portraits were made on wooden boards and were intended to cover the faces of the mummies located in the Roman province of Egypt.

Portrait of a young man belonging to the Fayum mummies. Source: Louvre Museum

Techniques

The technique most used by Egyptian artists was fresco painting, which consists of using certain colors dissolved in lime water and then spreading them on a layer of fresh stucco that has been previously prepared. Fresco painting was used specifically in temples and tombs.

The tempera painting technique was also recurrent, in which water was used to dilute the pigment, while the binder used to be animal fat, egg or glycerin. Although this technique was used by the Egyptians, historically it has been much more characteristic of the Middle Ages.

In turn, the Egyptians also used encaustic, a technique characterized by using wax as a binder for pigments. This mixture is very creamy and dense; should be applied with a hot spatula or a brush.

Examples of representative works

Group of mourners (18th dynasty)

In this work, a group of women of different ages are observed, all dressed in white and with similar hairstyles. Within this painting, the arms of the women are loaded with symbolism and emotion, since the pictorial canon of the Egyptians did not allow to express emotions through the face.

The mourners raise their arms above their head, indicating to the viewer that they are in a posture of prayer or are mourning the deceased. This painting was found in Ramose's tomb, which is why it is considered a symbol of mourning.

Tomb of Ramses I (1350 BC)

In this painting you can perceive the horror vacui of the Egyptians, since there is no area that is free of figures. In the middle of the work is the pharaoh Ramses I, who is accompanied by two deities who seem to receive him in the afterlife. The attire of the deceased demonstrates his important hierarchical position, as it is decorated with pieces of gold.

The acrobat dancer (New Kingdom: 1570-1070 BC)

This work is very important within Egyptian painting, since for many researchers the figure escapes from the main canons.

What is most striking about this work is the contorted posture of the young woman, who is supported with the tips of her hands and feet, while her back curves and her hair falls towards the ground. In addition, the clothing she wears is very small, which was a frequent feature of the dancers of the time.

References

1. Alegre, S. (2008) The dancer of the Egyptian Museum in Turin. Retrieved on December 16, 2019 from Egyptology.com
2. Quintero, B. (nd) The body and its representation in mural painting and relief in ancient Egypt. Retrieved on December 17, 2019 from arttis.files.wordpress.com
3. Robins, G. (2008) The art of ancient Egypt. Retrieved on December 17, 2019 from books.google.com
4. SA (sf) History of Egyptian art. Retrieved on December 17, 2019 from uom.uib.cat
5. SA (nd) Ancient Egyptian painting. Retrieved on December 17, 2019 from es.wikipedia.org
6. Silverman, D. (1997) Searching for ancient Egypt: art, architecture and artifacts. Retrieved on December 17, 2019 from books.google.com