Art of Ancient Egypt

By Claire and Ileana

What art forms did the Ancient What art forms did the Ancient Egyptians have?Egyptians have?

They had several different They had several different art forms, including:art forms, including:

ArchitectureArchitecture Crafts and sculpturesCrafts and sculptures PaintingPainting Reliefs (when the pictures/Reliefs (when the pictures/

carvings stick out from the carvings stick out from the rest of the background)rest of the background)

PotteryPottery JewelryJewelry

ArchitectureArchitecture

In ancient Egypt, wood was In ancient Egypt, wood was not widely available, so houses not widely available, so houses were made of sun-baked mud. were made of sun-baked mud. Temples and tombs were made Temples and tombs were made from granite and limestone, from granite and limestone, then decorated with then decorated with hieroglyphics, carvings, and hieroglyphics, carvings, and frescoes. The development of frescoes. The development of pyramids allowed the pyramids allowed the Egyptians to build huge tombs. Egyptians to build huge tombs. An Egyptian named Imhotep is An Egyptian named Imhotep is said to have designed an early said to have designed an early pyramid, the step pyramid of pyramid, the step pyramid of djoser. Egyptian columns often djoser. Egyptian columns often looked like plants. looked like plants.

Painting

Paintings were intended to keep alive history. Artists drew from memory. Pictures did not have to be realistic; people were shown as young and in good health. Common things to be painted included religious scenes, military scenes, and daily life scenes. They painted on papyrus, tomb and temple walls.

Jewelry, sculptures, and pottery The ancient Egyptians loved jewelry and amulets made of

gold, glass, gemstones, and clay and limestone for poor people. Egyptians had pottery and potter’s wheels. They made big sculptures, ushabti (figurines usually in tombs) and obelisks. Statues reflect a knowledge of human and animal anatomy.

Ushabti

General art facts

No one was original: the best artists were the ones who made their work look like admired works of the past.

Completeness mattered more than prettiness.

When they drew people, the head was in profile, the body was turned to the front, the legs turned to the same side as the head, with one in front of the other. They had a stiff posture and a severe stance, and calm, serene faces.

Music and DanceThey had drums, pipes, sistrums,

clappers, tambuorines, flutes, lutes, trumpets, oboes, harps, lyres, bells, rattles, clarinets, and cymbals. Their music was based on a scale of five tones, with no half tones. Wealthy Egyptians did not dance in public. Dance was important for holidays and celebrations. Dancing was interwoven with gymnastics. There were dance troupes available for gatherings and celebrations. A boy and a girl dancing together was unknown.

KohlKohlKohl was a mixture of soot and the ore Kohl was a mixture of soot and the ore galena, used for makeup. Both poor and rich galena, used for makeup. Both poor and rich people used kohl, but poorer people used people used kohl, but poorer people used kohl made into sticks. Wealthier people kept kohl made into sticks. Wealthier people kept their kohl in fancy boxes. Kohl was not only their kohl in fancy boxes. Kohl was not only used as a beauty aid, but had practical used as a beauty aid, but had practical purposes: the darkness of the eyeliner kept purposes: the darkness of the eyeliner kept the sun out of people’s eyes, and the galena the sun out of people’s eyes, and the galena in it helped repel insectsin it helped repel insects

galenagalena

The ancient Egyptians had many The ancient Egyptians had many forms of Art, including music and forms of Art, including music and

dance.dance.

The EndThe End