Changes in Ancient Egyptian Art Production
Changes in Ancient Egyptian Art Production
1 Some of the finest art in Egypt’s Old Kingdom (2686–2181 ʙ.ᴄ.ᴇ.) lay in the tombs of wealthy Egyptians and was intended to be sealed forever from the eyes of any living person. Since most Egyptian creations were commissioned (requested and bought) by individual citizens to serve them in their life after death (which was central in their belief system), artists maintained some realism in their work. A statue for a
tomb owner might be more handsome, lean, and muscular than the subject was in life, but it had to resemble that person. The need for accuracy and realism, however, did not destroy the beauty of Egyptian art. Hundreds of almost perfect statues were discovered in tombs from the Old Kingdom. But in the New Kingdom (1570–1070 ʙ.ᴄ.ᴇ.), the artistic approach changed as most statuary now aimed for the colossal (very large) to underscore the mighty conquests of its pharaohs (rulers).
2 When Rameses II (1279–1213 ʙ.ᴄ.ᴇ.) became pharaoh, his love of large-scale building and large monuments resulted in an unequaled rush of building, which severely strained the resources of the country. Religious wall carvings began to show an obvious haste in execution, as the loving care previously lavished on them gave way to a debased style that sacrificed elegance for dramatic effect. But out of this arose a new technique—sunk relief (carving the image itself into a surface), which was faster to carve, eliminating the need to remove the entire background surface to create an image, and, in the stark Egyptian sunlight, emphasized outlines by causing them to create deep shadows. Sometime after Rameses’s death, when the court (pharaoh residence) moved north to the Nile River Delta , pharaohs’ tombs ceased being built in the Theban Valley of the Kings. Although royal burials continued in the Delta, the high level of its groundwater destroyed much art of the Late Period (664–332 ʙ.ᴄ.ᴇ.). What survives, mostly in the form of statuary, demonstrates the Egyptians’ continued facility for carving all types of stone but without their earlier fine appearance.
3 As fine art became available to more citizens, its quality declined—a trend exemplified particularly by Egyptian bronze statues. Bronze was brought to Egypt in the Middle Kingdom (2040–1782 ʙ.ᴄ.ᴇ.) primarily for weapons, but gradually it became a favored medium for statues as well. The material, particularly well-suited to casting (creating statues by pouring molten material into a hollow container, called a mold),
flowed into a mold’s every crevice (crack) to produce replicas exact to the thinnest line, and the cheapness of the material allowed everyone to purchase bronze statues of a favorite god or gods. Egyptians learned to cast bronze statues using the lost-wax method. First they carved a figure in wax, then coated the wax with moist clay. After heating, the wax melted and ran out a hole left for the purpose, while the clay skin hardened into pottery. When molten bronze was poured through the same hole that had allowed the wax to escape, it solidified into an exact replica of the original wax image. Early single-piece ceramic molds, shattered to release their bronze statues, had evolved by the New Kingdom into reusable molds, formed of separate halves, which could be used to produce countless replicas. During the remaining thousand years of ancient Egypt’s existence, hundreds of thousands of bronze statues of various gods were produced. Generally they stand less than 30 centimeters high but decrease in size to as small as 2 centimeters or so, with the same themes repeated so often that excavated examples bore even museum curators. Much finer are specially commissioned bronzes, sometimes inlaid with gold or with components in semiprecious stone, created for wealthy customers.
4 The appearance of Old Kingdom statuary differs markedly today from its initial state. █ Originally wood or soft stone statues were covered with a thin coat of gesso—a plaster-like material composed of chalk and glue that dried to a smooth, white coating—and provided a perfect surface for painting. █ The figures we
see now, most of which retain only faint traces of their previous colors, would have been very brightly painted by modern standards. █ While eyes and lips might be colored appropriately, jewels, belts, and head wear provided opportunities for significant embellishment. █
1
According to paragraph 1, all of the following statements about the tomb statues created during Egypt’s Old Kingdom are true EXCEPT:
The statues were buried with the tomb owners after the owners’ death.
The statues looked somewhat similar to the tomb owners.
The statues were shown and admired as works of art during the life of the subject.
A large number of the statues are of very high quality.
2
Why does the author provide the information that the court “ moved north to the Nile River Delta ”?
To provide a reason why much art of the Late Period was destroyed over time
To explain how the sunk relief technique was first developed
To support the point that Egyptians were skilled in carving all types of stone
To emphasize that royal tombs did not necessarily include statues of pharaohs
3
Paragraph 2 implies which of the following about Rameses’s views of art?
He preferred religious to nonreligious artworks.
He was unwilling to use Egypt’s strained resources on art creation.
He valued the quality of an artwork more than its dramatic effect.
He considered the elegance of artworks to be less important than their size.
4
The word “ hollow ” in the passage is closest in meaning to
shaped
empty
large
hard
5
The word “ components ” in the passage is closest in meaning to
decorations
images
surfaces
parts
6
According to paragraph 3, for which TWO of the following reasons did making statues from bronze become popular in Egypt? To receive credit, you must select TWO answers.
Bronze’s cost was low.
Bronze from statues could later be reused for making weapons.
Bronze could be used for casting more easily than other materials could.
Using bronze resulted in higher-quality artwork.
7
According to paragraph 3, which of the following contributed to the production of hundreds of thousands of bronze statues of gods in ancient Egypt?
The increased variety of statue sizes
The increased availability of gold and semiprecious stones
The great popularity of commissioning bronzes among wealthy Egyptians
The development of clay molds that could be reused a very large number of times
8
According to paragraph 4, in which of the following ways does the appearance of Old Kingdom statues today differ from their original appearance?
They have lost most of their initial color.
They have lost their original shape.
They have become damaged as a result of drying over time.
The material from which they were made has softened over time, resulting in a smoother appearance.
9
The appearance of Old Kingdom statuary differs markedly today from its initial state. █ Originally wood or soft stone statues were covered with a thin coat of gesso—a plaster-like material composed of chalk and glue that dried to a smooth, white coating—and provided a perfect surface for painting. █ The figures we see now, most of which retain only faint traces of their previous colors, would have been very brightly painted by modern standards. █ While eyes and lips might be colored appropriately, jewels, belts, and head wear provided opportunities for significant embellishment. █
In addition, some finer limestones, which were also among the early materials used for Old Kingdom statues, could take paint directly.
Where would the sentence best fit? Click on a square [█] to add the sentence to the passage.
10.
A large number of artworks, especially statues, were created during the different periods of ancient Egyptian history.
Pharaohs’ conquests used up a large amount of resources but contributed to the availability of new materials for statue building, which made the creation of some colossal artworks possible.
More statues of gods than of citizens have been excavated in part because Egyptians wanted statues of them to be buried after their death in a way that the artworks would remain hidden forever.
Because of its expense and complexity, the Egyptian lost-wax method of casting statues declined, and
statue size continuously decreased after the court moved from the Theban Valley of the Kings.
The art of the New Kingdom was characterized by its dramatic effect but, like the art of the Late Period, was less beautiful and less carefully made than the art of the Old Kingdom.
In later centuries, new art-making methods that sped up production were developed, including sunk relief for wall carvings and using clay molds for producing statues.
Old Kingdom statues were made of brightly painted wood or stone for the rich, while later
statues, commonly made of bronze, were available to everyone but were often similar to one
another.
