Ancient Egypt is a culture that lasted for thousands of years and with that came an abundance of art and artifacts that are still being examined today. Not much is exactly known about Ancient Egyptian culture but there are somethings that Archaeologist can infer about their culture. One piece that can shed some light onto the ancient Egyptians is the Palette of Narmer. The palette is intriguing both aesthetically and historically we will talk about both. Narmer’s Palette is an interesting piece I found it visually appealing at first but as I learned more about it I truly became entranced by it’s story. Visually Narmer’s Palette contains many elements of Egyptian art including hierarchical scale, stylization and repeated poses. Hierarchical …show more content…
It is the same with Egyptians and their use of sizing.; the largest item is the most important. The Pharaoh Narmer is the largest figure on the palette, this shows his power and his importance. Pharaohs were god-like rulers and were seen as far more powerful than a regular mortal. Pieces in Egypt such as this show Pharaohs as literally being larger than life. The story the Palette of Narmer tells is also a story of Narmer meaning he is even more important to this piece. Another feature that is easily distinguishable in this piece is the stylization. People depicted in Ancient Egyptian art were all made in a similar and recognizable pattern. They are shown with their body parts twisted into the most recognizable, if not physically impossible, way. The eyes and body were shown facing forward while the head and feet were shown in profile. This method of stylizing was used …show more content…
Traditionally King Menes is known as the Unifier. (Mertz 33) While he is only talked about in stories he still could be the famed Unifier. One example is that Pharaohs often had multiple names that they are referred by. It would not be uncommon for Pharaoh Narmer to also be Pharaoh Menes. The problem with this theory is there is another individual in question, Aha. Before the discovery of the Palette of Narmer Pharaoh Aha’s tomb was found. In his tomb there were two names used; Men and Aha. Archaeologist believe Aha was his Horus name, the name of the Pharaoh. Men, assumed to be Menes, was his Nebti name. Nebti, meaning the two ladies, is most likely used for the Pharaoh of both Upper and Lower Egypt which makes since considering Menes is the fabled Unifier. (Mertz 34, 35) Since both names were used to refer to Pharaoh Aha he may be the true Unifier of the two lands. Since this is all speculation historians have come up with many different explanations for these three names. The simplest is that all three names could be one person. (Mertz 34) One person and one war. This wouldn’t be too strange because, as stated before, Pharaohs often had many names. There’s also the possibility that Aha and Memes are the same person, the true Unifier, and Narmer’s Palette was merely a form of propaganda and not a historically accurate
Looking at this Palette, it isn’t hard to see how the old Egyptian subjects were so entranced by their leaders and how that compares to our modern viewpoints. Where we view politicians and leaders as a wiry group, always keeping an eye on them lest today be the day they raise their daggers against us, the ancient Egyptians saw their leaders as infallible, godlike beings to be trusted, obeyed, and adored. Standing just over 2 feet tall and 1.4 feet wide, this Palette was carved out of a majestic shade of grey-green siltstone, almost shield-like in appearance. Both sides are exquisitely carved out, each one uniquely decorated but both sides containing a central serekh used to identify and in this case even confirm the subject as royalty. This serekh contains the symbols n’r and mr, which as you may have noticed, phonetically spell Narmer. These symbols are surrounded by two bovine heads, which could either represent the Goddess Hathor or Bat. The front s...
However, on further examination of the statue, certain physical characteristics of a female become apparent. The face is smaller and more feminine than other depictions of male pharaohs. In comparison to statues of male rulers this one is less muscular. Wearing the fake beard can let her people know that she is capable of being a commander as any man. In her kneeling state, her feet curve along side the ground as well as her toes. This is an extra detail given to the statue as Egyptian statues weren’t realistic. Even as a statue the artists make her very big with much bulk
Compare and contrast the imagery of the Egyptian Palette of Narmer with the Akkadian Stele of Naram-Sin. How do they represent their respective kings, as rulers and also as human figures? How are the other figures represented? How do the artists approach the narrative (storytelling) process?
The Palette Of Narmer is made of mudstone, which is a kind of shale. It is a flat stone with circular depressions on it. Palettes were common utensil of the time. It is believed that this flat stone was used for grinding eye paint. This eye paint was used for both men and women to prevent eye infections and possibly also used to reduce the glare of the bright desert sun. The Palette Of Narmer...
The Egyptian culture was a culture that lasted about 3,000 years and was located near the Nile River. The Nile River provided most of the resources for the Egyptians; therefore, a lot of the artwork was based on representing these bountiful resources. Another major influence of the artwork that was created was the kings and gods that were held at such high standards (Stokstad and Cothren, 50). There is one king in particular that was known in history for his great accomplishments, this king was King Narmer. The Egyptian’s expressed their respect for this king through a palette known as The Palette of Narmer. This piece is one of the firsts of Egyptian times that sets the morals for Egyptian artwork; it was created in the Early Dynastic time period. The Palette of Narmer tells a vast political story of the history of Egypt and the king, King Narmer.
Egyptian art is infamous across the world - classified by the monumental pyramids, and the Sphinx. Although these are both valid forms of Egyptian art, they do not make up the entire artistic history of the country. On the contrary, perhaps the most replicated example of classic Egyptian art, from the Old Kingdom, can be found in their rendering of the human form. An interest in portraiture developed early in Egypt. (Gardner, 75) Whether painted on pottery, or cut into rock, the figures all had notably Egyptian characteristics. "The seated statue is one of only a very small number of basic formulaic types employed by the sculptors of the Old Kingdom." (Gardner, 75)
In art, paying attention to formal qualities is significant when analyzing a masterpiece. Elements of design such as size, color, lines, texture, shape and value work cohesively to generate a complete work of art. Form, content, balance and rhythm and movement are also other very important factors. One masterpiece titled Pendant Mask portraying a Queen Mother was created by the Edo peoples in Nigeria. Another work of art deriving from Egypt, titled Funerary Mask of Tutankhamun, can be both compared and contrasted to Pendant Mask. The fact that both works of art were created to express something significant about the culture they were created in is not the only thing these two artistic masks have in common. However, despite their similarities, there are many things that they differ in.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art. ‘Egyptian Art’, The Metropolitan Museum of Art Egyptian Art. New Series, Vol. 41, No. 3, Egyptian Art (Winter, 1983-1984): pp. 1+3-56
I find the color element to be the most prominent because of the well done contrasting of colors. The lightness of the model’s skin contrasts to the slightly darkened background to almost give her an otherworldly or angelic glow. The green in the background contrasts greatly with the russet brown of the mountain like trail that seems to be right behind the woman. Even her clothes show contrast because the sleeves are the same russet brown but the rest of her outfit is darker. Those darker colors make her skin tone seem lighter than normal and help to create that luminous or radiant color that seems to radiate from her. The principle that I think stands out the most is emphasis because while more emphasis is put on the model so she is the focal point, the background is also very interesting and not overshadowed by the model. Both of them complement each other with the contrasting light of the girl and the darker background. The viewer’s eyes will immediately go to the lighter section in the middle but will stray to the darker part because neither are forcefully dominating or fighting attention. The color contrast and light contrast aren’t at war with each other; rather they are more like two halves of a whole that perfectly fit each other in a way not commonly
Everyday in the Egyptian way of life, both men and women would adorn themselves with beautiful jewelry and makeup. Wearing these pieces of jewelry and makeup was part of their everyday life.
Between history and showcasing, the Greek and Egyptian are utilized quite brilliantly in the Museum's organization. They set precedents not only culturally and historically that the museum goer can trace throughout the other galleries, but an implication that one can learn a lot about the culture just by observing the very nature of how it was showcased—whether it be the open flow between cultures to implicate a deep connection, or a system of separation to indicate category and purpose—there is so much more to be taken than the mere observation of singular artifacts and summaries.
The Narmer Palette is known for its size, elaborate carvings, and hieroglyphic writings on both sides. This is a prime example of Ancient Egyptian craftsmanship. This palette shows great craftsmanship along with true dedication into the carvings and hieroglyphic writings. The high-quality of workmanship put into the Narmer Palette clearly indicates the significance of this object. According to Francesca Jourdan, the carvings on the front side of the palette are; a king with a traditional beard wearing the “White Crown” to
He was the first king that was ultimately given credit for bringing together the two kingdoms of Upper and Lower Egypt for the first time in Egyptian history. We were able to gain knowledge of the combination of the two kingdoms through what is known as Narmer’s Palette. Narmer’s Palette has two sides with one side depicting the Pharaoh of the White Crown of Upper Egypt defeating the army of the Lower Egypt. The other side of Narmer’s Palette represents the unification of Egypt as a whole with King Narmer wearing the Double Crown also known as the “Pshent” which was a combination of the White and Red Crowns of Upper and Lower Egypt. He was known as the ruler of the Early Dynastic Period and his unification gave rise to the 1st Dynasty of Kings in
The major motifs of Egyptian art, such as obelisks, hieroglyphs, the sphinx, and pyramids, were used in various artistic media, including architecture, furniture (68.207a,b), ceramics, and silver. Egyptian motifs provided an exotic alternative to the more traditional styles of the day. Over the course of the nineteenth century, American tastes evolved from a highly ornamented aesthetic to a simpler, sparer sense of decoration; the vocabulary of ancient Egyptian art would be interpreted and adapted in different ways depending on the standards and motivations of the
Make was around starting in the year 10,000 BC. Men and woman both used scented oils and ointments to clean, and get their skin softer. With the oils they would make they would make a type of mask to stop the bad body odors. In 10,000 BC they also used dyes and different type of paints to add color to their body, skin and hair. They would also rouge their lips and cheeks to make them look with more color. People use henna to paint their nail. They would also use a type sustains called kohl to cover/color/darken the eyes and eyebrows. Kohl was made up of crushed antimony, burnt almonds, lead, oxidized copper, ochre, ash, malachite, chrysocolla (a blue-green copper ore) or any combination thereof. The Kohl was applied with a stick and was put on to make almond effect to the eye. This also help to get to less glare from the sun. The most popular colors that the Egyptian used were green and black...