King Aspelta Analysis

The work I chose to analyze was from a wall fragment from the tomb of Ameneemhet and wife Hemet called Mummy Case of Paankhenamun, found in the Art Institute of Chicago. The case of the Mummy Paankhenamun is one of the most exquisite pieces of art produced by the Egyptian people during the time before Christ. This coffin belonged to a man named Paankhenamun, which translates to “He Lives for Amun” (Hornblower & Spawforth 74). Paankhenamun was the doorkeeper of the temple of the god Amun, a position he inherited from his father.

It is important to first begin with the basics of each piece of artwork. The graywacke statue of Menkaure and a Queen was made between c. 2490-2472 BCE during the Old Kingdom period in Giza, Egypt. Although the artist is unknown, it is understood that the time during which this artwork was made was during the Old Kingdom period, which lasted from c. 2575-2150 BCE. This statue is smaller in height than the average human being, being 51 ½ inches tall, which is a little over four and a quarter feet tall (Stokstad and Cothren: 60). The stone that it is made from is a rocky, rough stone, that took a considerable amount of sanding to get the statue to look as smooth as it is. The second set of statues I will be comparing and contrasting to the Menkaure and Queen are the limestone statues, Anavysos Kouros and the Peplos Kore. Both were made in c. 530 BCE during the Archaic period in Athens, Greece. Similar to Menkaure and a Queen, the Anavysos Kouros and the Peplos Kore do not have a known artist, however it is known that the time period in which the statues were made was during the Archaic Period, which lasted from c. 600-480 BCE. These statues are more life-like in size. The Kouros statue is around the size of a tall male, six feet four inches tall. On the other hand, the Kore statue is smaller in stature, about four foot tall . Both statues were made from carved marble, although some of the other kouros and kore statues that were made were from terra cotta, wood, or limestone

The sculpture of Menkaura and queen Khamerernebty 2nd, is a free standing, full body statue that was discovered in Menkaura Valley Temple at Giza, Egypt and dates back to the 4 Dynasty (2490-2472 BCE). Standing 1.39 metre tall and made from diorite ( an extremely hard stone closely related to granite). Both Menkaura and Queen Khamerernebty 2nd standing along a vertical axis side by side. Menkaura is represent in the familiar Egyption posture standing looking like his left leg is extended forward, his arms held stiff at his sides and his first clenched like holding some cylindrical objects.

This art history analysis will define the themes of wealth and power in an examination of “Khafre Enthroned” (2500 B.C.). This statute defines a high level of artistic skill that reflects the wealth of Pharaoh Khafre in the Old Kingdom. During this era in Egyptian history, Khafre wielded extraordinary wealth to create a statue in the rarified diorite stone used to make this high quality statute. This unique statuary provided a symbol of the power and prestige of Pharaoh Khafre’s leadership at the height of the Old Kingdom. The political and religion-based themes of wealth and power will also be examined in this study of “Khafre Enthroned”, which provide a historical basis for an examination of the statue. Pharaoh Khafre commissioned this statue as a reflection of his political power and great wealth as a symbol of his status in the Afterlife. In essence, an artistic analysis of the themes of wealth and power will define the historical uniqueness of “Khafre Enthroned” (2500 B.C.) in Egyptian Old Kingdom statuary.

This first act as king brought with him a shocking speculation and hostility between his throne and the priesthood of Amun. Inside the temple was an entirely new style of art, which was often described, as “naturalistic” in Akhenaten’s portrayal of the human body. No longer was the Pharaoh portrayed as half animal with the perfect body fitted for the afterlife. Akhenaten and the royal family were shown with long toes, massive hips, extremely long fingers, skinny torso, ample breasts, big buttocks, and an elongated face. This exaggeration of the royal family’s bodies altered classic Egyptian art and became better known as Amarna Art.

This rich history inspired renditions of the goddess in many styles and forms. The two major works that will be focused on here are the Egyptian relief necklace charm of Menat of Taharqo: the King Being Nursed by the Lion-Headed Goddess Bastet and the Egyptian free standing Statuette Bastet. Both works are on view at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. (aslo known as “The MET”)

The Statue of Asklepios is a classic Greek sculpture that portrays a person of the most perfect and athletic form. The piece is of a man standing beautifully while draped in a toga. The toga is draped over his left shoulder and cuts across to the right side of his body near his lower abdomen and then continues to cover his legs until his ankle. The toga also is draped over the pieces entire back. The piece is missing his head, his left arm and both his right foot and almost its entire right arm. The piece has a smooth, but not glossy, exterior in all of the areas except for the parts that have been broken off. Asklepios is portrayed as an incredible fit and beautiful being. The abdomen is extremely muscular and shows off the miraculous fitness of the model. The toga has many wrinkles, creating a lot of shadow and darks and lights. It also is wrapped in a way that is both loose and tight in different areas of the sculpture. It is tied right next to the left pectoral and the left armpit. This piece emphasizes the muscular body of this man while at the same time portraying him standing in such a nonchalant way through the curvature and relaxed look of the figure. And unlike the Torso of a God, this piece clearly shows movement through the shape of the body and the folds of the toga because

In the short stories we read death was a strong comparison between all of the readings. In Even the Queen by Connie Willis, the protagonist is worried about her sister who joined the cyclists. Cyclists do not ride bicycles they menstruate. The name cyclist comes from cycles because they do not take a pill which causes women to not menstruate. The story is based in a society where women are not treated equally so and the pill is just one examples that men do to suppress women. Some women will not conform and turn to the cyclists. However, cyclists are not some care group, they are considered terrorists and attack public buildings. One thing that comes with the job is murder. These women go around assassinating men and in turn are hunted down

The two sculptures presented for this assignment are the Statue of Gudea, which dates back to 2090 B.C. (“Statue of Gudea,” 2000) and The Royal Acquaintances Memi and Sabu, which dates back to 2575–2465 B.C. (“The Royal Acquaintances Memi and Sabu,” 2000). Both statues represent people; however, they depict different types of people from completely different time periods and cultural backgrounds. The Statue of Gudea shows the ruler of southern Mesopotamian, Gudea, whose reign was from 2144-2124 B.C. (“The votive statue of Gudea: A formal analysis,” 2011) sitting in a praying position with his hands locked and his eyes forward. He is dressed in what appears to be a lavish robe with an inscription that clearly depicts what Gudea thought of himself and his successes during his time as ruler. The Royal Acquaintances Memi and Sabu represent what is thought to be a married ancient Egyptian couple who are lovingly embracing each other. Aside from looking at

In Persia, the Tribute Bearers Bringing Offerings relief sculpture, the human male figures look all alike except for their heights, head coverings and items they have brought, however their stance is not natural. In comparison, the Egyptian sculpture of Pharaoh Mycerinus and Queen Khamerernebty and the Greece sculpture Kouros, both statues pose with one leg forward and their weight is equal on both, therefore giving them the appearance that they can't move (Benton & DiYanni , p. 64). More comparisons also include the Tribute Bearers Bringing Offerings relief sculpture, their faces are not straight forward, just showing profiles much like the Egyptian wall

The statue of King Sahure and a Nome god is an interesting piece of Ancient Egyptian art ( c. 2500 BC ) that shows signs of Ancient Egyptian culture and beliefs. The statue is a small relief sculpture, meaning the sculptural elements are attached to the solid background of the sculpture and appears to be emerging from the material. The piece clearly depicts two figures side by side, one standing on the left and one sitting on the right (facing foreward). The purpose of this piece was probably to depict a certain symbolic interaction between the two characters.

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 Kneeling Statue of Hatshepsut is from the Eighteenth Dynasty of Ancient Egypt, located in Deir el-Bahri, and is dated around 1473-1478 BCE. This statue is 8’ 6’’ tall and is completely made of red granite. The statue shows Hatshepsut kneeling on both knees with each hand holding a sphere. However, Hatshepsut is known as a female ruler, but this statue and including other statues, she is represented as a male ruler. Upon closer inspection, her shoulders are broad, she is wearing a linen headdress, and a fake beard which is typical for a male ruler to wear. Also, the inscription, or hieroglyph, use a feminine form to identify her as a female ruler because there’s was no word for king. Adapting to the visual forms of kingship, the Kneeling Statue of Hatshepsut can demonstrate the cultural, religious, and political environment of Ancient Egypt.

What makes the sculpture different from others of this time period are two things; the subject matter, in that it depicts no god, nor Pharaoh only a mortal human writing in a mostly illiterate society. Secondly it demonstrates age shown in sagging muscles and rotund belly. Due to this relaxed style we can gather that the subject is not a Pharaoh as it was dishonourable to insinuate that they aged as they were supposed to be gods on earth.

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