Kelly Hanning
History and Criticism of Art
Sarah Andyshak
April 14, 2015
On “Hatshepsut’s Use of Tuthmosis III in Her Program of Legitimation”
Vanessa Davies’ “Hatshepsut’s Use of Tuthmosis III in Her Program of Legitimation,” discusses the relationship between Hatshepsut and Tuthmosis III as co-regents. She explains how the study of subtle stylistic trends in the art of an era can give light to the political situation of that time. According to Davies, observance of these trends show that Hatshepsut respected Tuthmosis III as a co-regent, and showed this through the artworks she had commissioned. These include the Small Temple of Mediate Habu, the Chapelle Rouge at Karnak, Hatshepsut’s mortuary temple at Deir el-Bahiri, the Temple of Buhen,
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and Speos Artemidos. Prior to the publishing of this article in 2004, scholars viewed the co-regents relationship as having an, “apparent bitterness,” which would be understandable considering the situation the two of them were in. Essentially, Tuthmosis tried, to no avail, to produce a male heir to the throne (with or without his wife). He eventually succeeded with a member of his harem, and Prince Tuthmosis, son of a respected secondary queen, was married to his half sister Hatshepsut, and eventually inherited the throne as Tuthmosis II. He died only three years into his rule and Hatshepsut was crowned King of Egypt. Since she bore only female children, there was still no male heir, save an infant whose mother was not of high enough social status to act was queen until he reached a suitable age. Hatshepsut became the step mother of this child, Tuthmosis III, and would have a pleasant reign for 22 years. It seems odd that Hatshepsut was not viewed as a queen, but a female king. She even went to great lengths to preserve her image as a king, such as donning the traditional false beard. It is possible that she did so in order to be taken seriously as a ruler, rather than just being seen as a temporary ruler/caregiver. She even wrote on her temple walls that both her earthly father Tuthmosis and her god, Amen, intended her to rule Egypt. Although we know this is false, and that Tuthmosis wanted a male heir to the throne, it is interesting to see that Egyptians felt that writing things down backed up an idea. This is why it is incredibly important to look at the art of a society and see the depictions of important persons, to have a solid view of the political climate. The first stylistic element Davies brings up to shed light on the relationship between the co-regents is the use of crowns in depictions of them.
Both rulers are depicted in a wide variety of headdresses that have many different meanings. Tuthmosis is most commonly depicted in the nemes headdress, while Hatshepsut is most often depicted in the red crown (this is Tuthmosis III’s second most common crown. The double crown, which is a symbol of dominion over the entire land, is worn by Hatshepsut four times, while Tuthmosis III only wears it once. The reason for this is not quite clear, but in one depiction, it is possible that it is a mistake of the carver’s since Tuthmosis III is depicted in a nearby scene in the red crown, and so is Hatshepsut. Also, the depiction of one ruler in a double crown when carving co-regents is not something that was done in Egypt. The very nature of the crown seems to defeat the purpose of having two rulers in the first place. Davies finds that the rulers are most accurately depicted when one was wearing the red crown of the north, and the other, the red crown of the south; this way they unite two kingdoms with two …show more content…
rulers. Davies also talks about the use of titles and epithets to explain status.
Tuthmosis III is described as “beloved” or “beloved of a [certain deity]” over 50 times, and was referred to as “the good god “56 times, as well as “King of Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt” 46 times, and “Lord of the Two Lands” 29 times. Positioning can also be considered as a meter of equality between co-regents. Tuthmosis III is depicted behind Hatshepsut 62% of the time, and in the other 38% the rulers face together. While it is possible that this ordering was to make Hatshepsut appear more important, it is likely that this was meant to say they were standing side by
side. In conclusion, Davies’ idea that Hatshepsut viewed Tuthmosis III as an equal ruler seems plausible. It seems that Hatshepsut used commissioned art pieces to get on his good side, as peace offerings of some sort. But even if she did view them as equal, the percentages and statistics used to say this were corrupted by the fact that Tuthmosis III had Hatshepsut’s name and image removed from many things after her death. This act in itself seems to say their relationship was not pleasant, and therefore my opinion on the subject cannot be completely swayed one way or another.
In this essay I will be comparing the two pharaohs Khufu (Koo - Foo) and Hatshepsut (haht-SHEP-soot). I will be comparing their achievements what they built and their time period. Come along and explore the depths of Ancient Egypt.
Hatshepsut, declared herself king during the reign of her stepson and nephew, Thutmose III. She adopted the full titulary of a pharaoh, and since this was traditionally a man’s role, she wore the nemes-headcloth, the shendyt-kilt and a fake beard as part of the ceremonial attire of the Egyptian king. This is portrayed in her life-size statue “White Hatshepsut” at the MET.
In Gardiner’s excerpt, Hatshepsut was showcased as a deviation from his original topic of discussion, Thutmose II and III. Made out to be a sudden, minor and unfair oddity that occurred during Thutmose III’s reign, her rise to power is not something Gardiner discusses in detail (Gardiner 1961:181-2). When explaining the end of Hatshepsut’s reign, he immediately continues Thutmose III’s narrative since it is then that he finally becomes “free” of his step-mother, who he “hated” for putting in the background (Gardiner 1961:182, 188). Thutmose III is clearly the active, and more important, subject here. This differs from Robins, who stresses that her rise to power could been done on a whim as well as something not done for solely selfish reasons (Robins 1993:47). Gardiner also states that Hatshepsut “required” masculine support in order to succeed, while Robins stresses the roles of other female royalty, like her mother Ahmose Neferari and her daughter Neferura, in the past (Gardiner 1961:184) (Robins 1993:46, 48). As such, it is probable that an author’s opinion regarding to whom Hatshepsut’s success is owed quite accurately indicates how much of a biased
In “Hatshepsut: His Majesty, Herself”, by Catherine Andronik, she informs the reader about Hatshepsut and her role as an effective female pharaoh in ancient Egypt. One supporting detail proving her leadership was when she acted as a regent, an adult who can take control of the country. Another detail that supports the fact that Hatshepsut was an effective leader is in paragraph 11 where the text states, “ She appointed officials and advisors, dealt with the priests; appeared in public ceremonies first behind, then beside, and eventually in front of her nephew.” this quote explains that because Hatshepsut’s nephew, Tuthmosis III, was too young to be a powerful ruler, Hatshepsut, who was second in command, ended up doing everything for him. Hatshepsut
Information from the textbook and Hays’s article help illuminate the events depicted and their significance in culture and art of the New Kingdom, and how the style ties into the art of the time.
The fundamental features of the Warrior Pharaoh image during New Kingdom Egypt included; leading his soldiers into battle and returning in victory, attacking the enemy in his horse-drawn chariot which was adopted from the Hyksos, wearing war regalia , larger than life expectations and finally offering the spoils of war to the god Amun, the inspiration of his victory. Due to the absence of the their pharaohs on military campaigns, the Queens began to play a more prominent role within the New Kingdom Egypt’s society, however this was a short term consequence of the civil war as it was only necessary when the Pharaoh left to go to war or on a campaign. The rise in roles and prominences amongst the Queen’s slowly decreased towards the end of the war until Hatshepsut comes into power. After this the Queen’s involvement seems to disappear and we begin to no longer hear about
The sites touched by Thutmose I and II were expanded in Upper Egypt. Hatshepsut built for Horus of Buhen, which was a temple of a temple common in the mid 18th dynasty. Hatshepsut lined the temple with drawings of her and Thutmose III. Although later, when Thutmose III rose to power, he replaced those drawings with those of just him and his father and grandfather. However, parts of the Buhen temples that were moved to the Khartoum Museum, contains scenes of Hatshepsut’s coronation and veneration of her father, Thutmose I. There are no records of any 18th dynasty kings building before Hatshepsut. Hatshepsut also inscribed a lengthy tale on Speos Artemidos, saying that she was the first person to start to restore temples in the area of Memphis since the Hyksos destroyed the area. She claimed to rebuild temples at Hermopolis and at Cusae. This work was claimed to be overlooked by one of her nomarch named, Djehuty. Djehuty was a general under king Thutmose III, and then a nomarch to Hatshepsut. Djehuty had the titles “king's scribe”, “overseer of troops” and “overseer of the northern countries”. Hatshepsut gave the most attention to Thebes. She had a huge focus on the Temple of Karnak, and worked on restoring and expanding on the once great temple. Djehuty had a large role in this project as well. Illustrated on the walls of this temple, was the Queen’s expedition to
Robins, Gay. "The Names of Hatshepsut as King." Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 85 (1999): 103-12. Jstore. Web. 8 Dec. 2013. .
During the time of Ancient Egypt, having strong Pharaohs was essential to the maintenance and growth of the civilization, as the Pharaohs were believed to be living Gods. Although leadership of Ancient Egypt was often male dominated, there were admirable female Pharaohs who successfully gained power and left behind a positive legacy; one woman to achieve this was Hatshepsut, meaning ‘foremost of female nobles’. Her innovation and determination allowed her to maintain her position of Pharaoh for about twenty years (1479-1458 BCE). Hatshepsut was considered to be a very successful leader because of her confidence and ambition, magnificent building projects, and establishment of a strong trading network.
In conclusion, the portrayal of ancient rulers is dependent not only on the style of art popular during the era, but also on the evolution of the political climate. The portrayal of Menkaure, a pharaoh of the Old Kingdom in ancient Egypt, is of complete authority, control and power. His face does not show concern or grief over his people, because he is not challenged politically, the image of control coincides with his sole power over the kingdom. While the depiction of Alexander the Great, in ancient Greek coins is deified. Alexander’s leadership ended with world domination; therefore, his deified portrayal on monetary funds is particularly appropriate. By contrast, Philip the Arab’s portrait sculpture almost resembles a present day photograph with its capture of fleeting expression. This expression of anxiety and sadness is a representation of the political turmoil during the time period of his rule. Taking the progress of ancient cultures into account, how does the art of sculpting improve in the manipulation of the medium used?
Was she the archetypal wicked stepmother, an unnatural and scheming woman ?of the most virile character who would deliberately abuse a position of trust to steal the throne from a defenceless child? (Gardiner, 1961:184)? Or was she ?an experienced and well-meaning woman who ruled amicably alongside her stepson, steering her country through twenty peaceful, prosperous years who deserves to be commemorated among the great monarchs of Egypt? (Budge, 1902:I)? According to biographer and historian Joyce Tyldesley, Queen or as she would prefer to be remembered, King Hatchepsut became the female embodiment of a male role, whose reign was a carefully balanced period of internal peace, foreign exploration and monument building (Tyldesley, 1996:1). This study will show that it was Hatshepsut the Pharaoh?s devotion to the god Amen and her protection of the maat of 18th Dynasty Egypt that allowed her to forge her successful New Kingdom regime.
Tuthmosis II and Hatshepsut had a daughter together named Neferure. Hatshepsut’s father died when she was very young, probably around 15 years old. Tuthmosis II took over, but only ruled for about three or four years, when he died from what is believed to be a skin disease. After his death, Tuthmosis the III, Hatshepsut’s stepson, was still too young to rule, which led to her ruling as Queen’s Regent. Her charismatic personality and group of followers led to her becoming pharaoh about seven years into Tuthmosis III’s rule.
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
Not only was the royal house rich but there was also a sense of style throughout the palace. He set the standard for beauty and art. He showed discriminating taste by using his money to patronize many craftsmen. The many paintings and statues of this time show that the artists and craftsmen had great confidence in their ability to paint, sculpt, create jewelry and build. This confidence of course came from the king's desire for beautiful art. Paintings depict Amenhotop as a skilled warrior and hunter, even though Egypt was at piece and he di...
"Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History." The Achaemenid Persian Empire (550–330 B.C.). N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Feb. 2014.