Beauty In Egyptian Art : The Bust Of Nefertiti

The main purpose of this paper is to describe the visual analysis of the artwork. This paper examines an Egyptian half nude portrait art which is taken from Metropolitan Museum of Art (Fig.1). The statue characterized both male and female seated figure with a Braid hair. In this essay, I will present a complete visual description of this artwork (its preservation, costume and iconography), and then I will compare it to another artwork which is chosen from Textbook that is Akhenaten and his Family (Fig. 2).

Each artist was influenced by the culture and location in which they created the artwork. For example, Nefertiti was the queen of Egypt with Akhenaton her husband. The style of this sculpture is Egyptian because of its location. Because Neffertiti was queen, the culture changed how the artist portrayed her. In fact, Fred Kleiner a well-known author of multiple art history articles and books says that “The sculptor seems to have adjusted the likeness of his subject to meet the era’s standard of spiritual beauty” (76). She likely would have taken offence if the artist did not change her appearance biased on the cultures ideal. This artwork was commissioned, which also played a role in the influence of this piece. Not to mention that the king commissioned this piece, and obviously no one wants to get on his bad side.

The reliefs of Ankh-neb-ef are limestone panels with paint that originated from the Old Kingdom of Egypt in 2150 BC during the reign of Pharaoh Pepy II. The delicate carving of the panels in the sunken relief presents a magnificent image. They portray Ankh-neb-ef, an ancient Egyptian priest whose name translates to “may his lord live.” In the reliefs, Ankh-neb-ef holds a Kherep-sceptor and a walking stick, which were symbols of authority in ancient Egypt. Egyptian civilization was extremely religious and most ancient Egyptian artworks involved the portrayal of gods, goddesses, and Pharaoh, as well. Moreover, the Egyptian reverence for order and conservative ideals led to the institution of intricate rules that governed how artists represented both humans and gods (Saylor.org 4). For instance, the apparel worn by Ankh-neb-ef in the painting is not a simple fashion statement. The priest is wearing a prestigious sarong and ornamentation, bracelets, and a wide collar. The jewelry kept their owner safe in a dangerous passage to the afterlife. This formula for representing the human figure in a painting remained popular over several centuries (Robins 24).

With the sculpture straight ahead, the audience sees a profile view of the scene; however, the artist created the sculpture with enough space and depth to be able to view the front of the woman’s face from a side angle. The artist created the seated woman with much detail; her nose, chin, slightly opened mouth, pronounced brow line and inset eyes show this. She reaches for the chest with her right arm in a very delicate manner as her left arm lays on the throne for support.

The sculptor of the goddess Sekhmet was produced in the 18th Dynasty in the New Kingdom during the reign of Amenhotep 111 in the years 1390-1352BC . The statue captures the image of the goddess Sekhmet who is a powerful woman with the head of a lion. The sculpture has a mesh of the mane and hair that have been carved together beneath the uraeus- Cobra and the solar disk. There is a carved inscription that reads “Amenophis 111, beloved of the goddess”. The source of the sculpture is Thebes, Karnak from Upper Egypt. The medium used by the artist is granodiorite. The dimensions of the image are 20cm with a base of a width dimension of 47.5cm and diameter of 95.5cm . The image is carved from a single monolithic block that presents quite high artisanship. The detail of the head and the decoration of the seat are also

This Goblet Inscribed with the names King Akhenaten and Queen Nefertiti, is made of travertine, (Egyptian alabaster) height 5 ½ in diameter 4 1/8 in. (MET). When I look at this piece I feel it may commemorate a wedding, anniversary, or King Akhenaten’s deep love and affections for his principal Queen Nefertiti. This Piece encompasses the changes King Amenhotep is making in the Egyptian culture, as the previous artworks and vessels have a much different look and style. King Akhenaten has as of yet changed his name as the cup shows the name Amenhotep IV and his principal Queen Nefertiti. This places the goblet at about 5 years into King Akhenaten’s rule over Egypt. The Goblet is not a typical show of craft for that time in Egypt.

For over a decade Nefertiti, wife of the Pharaoh Akhenaten originally known as Amenhotep IV, was an influential woman in the Bronze Age. Her image and name were renowned throughout Upper and Lower Egypt. Suddenly, after the end of the reign of Akhenaten, Nefertiti disappeared from the royal family, vanishing so completely that it was as if she had never been. No known record survives to detail her death; no found monument serves to represent the mourning of her death.

     The first thing that strikes an observer of these two statues is the excellent condition they are in. The paint on the two figures, Rahotep and Nefert, is extremely well preserved and there is only a miniscule amount of perceptible damage. Rahotep, who is seated on the left, retains the air of nobility and grandeur that a king’s son and high priest would have undoubtedly enjoyed during his lifetime. His wife, Nefert, sits adorned with an intricate wig and headband that match her bright jewelry and indicate her elevated social status. Together, the figures complement each other perfectly and provide a valuable glimpse into the world of non-royal funerary art of Ancient

The Bust of Queen Nefertiti, which was created in 1340 BC by an unknown artist, is perhaps the most famous depiction of the Queen during her reign. The bust, being held at the Egyptian Museum in Berlin, shows an important connection between the artist and the queen herself

The depiction of Lady Sennuwy and Priestess Burning Incense are strong representations of this evolution of women in art. The first work of art is Lady Sennuwy from Middle Kingdom, Egypt. This statue is from approximately the 12th Dynasty of Egypt. The statue is a sculpture

This is Akhenaton from the Amarna period. This art work makes some differences from the regular art work at that time. It did not follow the Ancient Egyptian canon rules. Ancient Egyptian canon art work means they have to follow the same rules which their height and width have the geometrical proportion (also known as classical proportion). Comparing to previous art work, this art work does not have geometrical proportion. For example, we can see weak arms, a narrow waist, protruding belly on it. Therefore, it does not adhere the canon in this art

Hatshepsut was the first woman pharaoh ever recorded in history. Although there are a few obvious breaks, this granite sculpture was put back together nicely. Because this piece is so important, the Metropolitan Museum of Art has to be careful of what to light up on the sculpture. This does not look easy because the statue is so massive, but the Met did a good job capturing the face with light, and the top of the orbs. The shadows also reflect how angular this statue really is, and the unrealistic body of the woman pharaoh Hatshepsut.

The ancient Egyptians are known for many of the incredible aspects of their culture and everything they have produced. Some of the well known ancient Egyptian relics are the ones like the ancient pyramids, the Great Sphinx of Giza, mummies, and their many forms of art. Ancient Egyptian art is one of the most recognized styles of art. The most commonly known types of ancient Egyptian art are types like paintings, ceramics, and sculptures. Not only is Egyptian art beautiful, but it carries a huge deal of value and significance with it. A great portion of the time, the art has some kind of religious meaning to it. Consequently it is very difficult to discuss the art itself without delving into the various gods and goddesses presented in it.

This artwork is very different and much unknown. This painting does not have a well-known artist. This painting is a mystery to me, because it doesn’t talk about why or who painted this painting. I think the meaning of the painting represent the fact that it’s a painting that is well known in Egypt, but the paintings are of men and women. I think the photos in Egypt are popular. I think a lot of people have drawn this picture and its own version of Mummy Portrait of a Man. I chose this painting, because I thought it would be an easy picture to write about. But this picture has not been the easiest to write about. This painting is a challenge and it makes you really think and research things on it. I wish it was more information on this painting, that way I would be able to go into full detail on this painting. There are no evident themes of this artwork. It’s really just

During early dynasty Egypt period, Egypt’s kings were reverted as gods in human form. So, Egyptian sculptor created statues of their kings and queens. After creating the statue