Paintings in ancient Egypt

Introduction

Famous as one of the most ancient civilizations in the world, Egyptian civilization also is known
for its famous sculptures such as the Sphinx, buildings like the pyramids and paintings like the
painting of Amun-Ra who was known as 'King of the Gods'.

Goals of paintings in ancient Egypt

Indeed, paintings in ancient Egypt focused on practical purposes. It focused on describing

religions, gods and goddesses and rituals in ancient Egypt. Also, it focused on preparing the
person for the afterlife because ancient Egyptians thought that there would be life after death. As
a result, there are many paintings that record the life of the dead so that it would company them
in the other world.

Features of paintings in ancient Egypt

There are many features in paintings and art in ancient Egypt. The first
feature is Cartouche. In Egyptian hieroglyphs, a cartouche is an oval with a
horizontal line at one end, representing that the text enclosed is a royal
name, coming into use during the beginning of the Fourth Dynasty under
Pharaoh Sneferu.

Another feature is symmetry, keen observation and precise illustration of

actual life and nature. In fact, wholeness and accuracy were more important
than showing beauty. To achieve order and symmetry, ancient Egyptians
used lines carefully. Ancient Egyptian painters used vertical and horiz ontal
lines to keep the correct proportions in their work.

The third feature is using size to illustrate the social hierarchy or social
classes. For example, Kings were portrayed larger than life to symbolize

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their god-like powers. In contrast, wives and children, servants and animals were drawn smaller,
indicating their lesser importance.

The fourth feature is using symbolism. For example, they used colors to
represent things. Yellow was used to describe female skin while golden yellow
and gold was used to represent the sun and skin of gods, mainly Re the sun
god. Silver was used to represent the bones of the gods. Blue represented the
heavens, vegetation, youth, water and the Nile River. Green stood for Osiris,
eternal life, prosperity, fertility and rebirth. Red was used to represent the sun, evil, power, blood
and life force. Black was also used to denote the underworld and Osiris.

The final feature is the grid system. Painters in ancient Egypt created
exact models by using a grid system or a set of vertical and horizontal
lines painted onto the bare wall. This system allowed the initial painter
to faithfully copy and enlarge a design also overlaid with a grid.

Tools used in art and paintings

Ancient Egyptians used many tools in their art and paintings. The most plentiful natural resource
for artists was stone, including the limestone, granite and sandstone quarried for monument
design. Harder stones include quartzite, diorite, granite, and basalt. Copper chisels were used to
carve on softer stones. Copper alloys, and coarse sand were used to carve on harder stones.
Harder stones such as granite or basalt were used to construct monuments, but also served as
tools to work softer stones, including limestone and alabaster.

Also, artists used clay in pottery or the art of making pots and bowls. They got the clay from the
banks of the River Nile after floods.

Besides, they used woods from trees such as acacia, tamarisk and sycamore fig
for fine carpentry, coffins, boxes and furniture.

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Moreover, they used metals such as gold, copper and bronze for making their statues. Statues of
gods were made in gold that represented their skin and silver that represented their bones.
Furthermore, they melted metals to form axes, chisels, rivets and jugs.

In addition, they used papyrus in writing their documents. The word

paper is derived from "papyrus", a plant which was cultivated in the
Nile delta. Papyrus texts demonstrate all aspects of ancient Egyptian
life and include literary, religious, historical and administrative
documents.

Furthermore, the ancient Egyptians developed several products to add vibrant color to their art.
They used many natural minerals as color, including iron oxide to produce red, malachite to
produce green, and yellow ochre. Lime and gypsum were used for white, black from carbon, and
blue pigment was created using copper carbonate. These minerals were ground and then mixed
with a plant or animal-based glue to make a medium able to attach to the walls.

Moreover, ancient Egyptians used the heads of reeds and wheat as their paint brushes. Other
brushes were made of wood and stick with frayed ends to apply the paints to walls or even
decorative pottery.

Famous paintings in ancient Egypt

Egyptian dance

Ancient Egyptians enjoyed music and dance. This painting shows

the pair dancing where two women are dancing together in a pair
and another group is composing the music. Pair dancing involved
either two men or two women dancing together in harmony.
Similarly, there also were group dances where a group of trained
performers would entertain the viewers. But even more popular
were the festival dances, each dance for a festival is unique.

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Mummification in ancient Egypt

This painting shows the process of Mummification in ancient

Egypt. Because ancient Egyptians believed in the life after death,
they mummified dead persons so that he could come to life in
the other world.

Tomb Paintings

The Egyptians used to decorate the tombs for their pharaohs.

The paintings in the tombs describe the journey of the deceased
into the afterlife. This painting portrays the deceased standing
in the boat of the sun worshiping phoenix, symbol of sun god
of Heliopolis.

The Funerary

Ancient Egyptians believed that when a person died, it was at

the funerary where the deities would decide whether the dead
gets a chance of rebirth in the afterlife or not. In order to have
life after death, a person should have a sin-free heart, ability to
recite spells and passwords from the book of dead. The above
painting describes what happens to a person after death. The heart of the deceased would be
weighed against the Shu’s feather of truth and justice taken from the headdress of goddess Ma’at.
If the heart was lighter than the feather, they could pass on, but if it were heavier , they would be
swallowed by the evil Ammut.

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Battle of Nubia

King Ramesses went into many war in his era. He achieved

many victories in his wars and he could extend his empire in his
66 year rule from 1279 BC to 1213 BC. He is considered as the
most powerful pharaoh in ancient Egypt.

This papyrus painting describes his battle against the Nubians.

Ramesses II was portrayed charging into battle against the
Nubians in a war chariot, while his two young sons Amun-her-khepsef and Khaemwaset are
shown being present behind him, also in war chariots.

The Tree of Life

On the Tree of Life, the birds represent the various stages of

human life. Starting in the lower right-hand corner and
proceeding counter-clockwise:

• The light gray bird symbolizes infancy.

• The red bird symbolizes childhood.
• The green bird symbolizes youth.
• The blue bird symbolizes adulthood.
• The orange bird symbolizes old age.

In ancient Egypt, the direction east was considered the direction of life, because the sun rose in
the east. West was considered the direction of death, of entering the underworld, because the sun
set in the west. On the tree of life, the birds representing the first four phases of life all face to the
east, but the bird representing old age faces to the west, expecting the approach of death.

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Isis
The goddess Isis, the mother of Horus, is represented seated with
her son. She wears a tight-fitting dress and a vulture headdress
topped by a sun disk enclosed by a pair of cow's horns. The child
is supported by his mother's left arm, while her right hand offers
her breast for suckling. Isis was valued as an emblem of
motherhood and protector of young children.

Narmer's Palette (31st Century BC)

This palette shows the unifying of upper Egypt and lower Egypt by
Narmer who is considered the first ruler of the unified Egypt and
the founder of the First Dynasty.

Tutankhamun & Ankhsenamun

This painting of Tutankhamun sitting on his throne while his wife

Ankhsenamun standing in front of him, reflects the relationship
between couples in ancient Egypt. The red color represents vitality
and the energy of their relationship. The couple's hair is blue,
symbolizing fertility, life, and re-birth while their clothing is white,
representing purity. The background is gold that represents the color of the gods.

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References

1. https://www.ancient.eu/Egyptian_Art/
2. https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ap-art-history/ancient-mediterranean-
ap/ancient-egypt-ap/a/egyptian-art
3. https://australianmuseum.net.au/learn/cultures/international-collection/ancient-
egyptian/the-painter-in-ancient-egypt/
4. https://classroom.synonym.com/tools-used-artists-ancient-egypt-15484.html
5. https://smarthistory.org/materials-and-techniques/
6. https://ourpastimes.com/ancient-egyptian-art-tools-12489073.html
7. https://historylists.org/art/10-most-distinguished-works-of-ancient-egyptian-art.html
8. https://www.ancienthistorylists.com/egypt-history/top-10-outstanding-ancient-egyptian-
paintings/
9. http://www.crystalinks.com/egyptart.html