Fine Art Curriculum

Art: Ancient Egypt

Download the Artist Study Discussion Questions to have in-depth conversation about each art piece!

Here’s a list of the pictures for our Quarter One picture study:

• Narmer Palette - This shield-shaped stone, or palette, has been carved to tell a story. Long ago the villages along the Nile River were divided into Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt. One man, Narmer, conquered them all and became king of both lands. What details of that conquest do you see depicted on the front and back of this palette? Which character do you think represents Narmer on each side? The people of the ancient world often carved records of important events and depictions of their achievements in stone. Why do you suppose they did that?

• 3 Pyramids - If you will look closely at these three pyramids, you will see three tries at building a monument that was considered elaborate enough for an Egyptian pharaoh’s grave. For Pharaoh Djoser they made this Step Pyramid. Can you tell what gives it that name? How do you suppose it was constructed? For Pharaoh Snefru they thought they had figured out how to convert a step pyramid into a smooth-sided pyramid, but partway up they realized their calculations were off. Can you tell at what point they had to change their design on this Bent Pyramid? On the third try they succeeded, building Kufu’s great pyramid. At more than 450 feet tall, Khufu’s pyramid was considered one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Do you have any guesses as to how it was constructed?

• Great Sphinx of Giza - Near the pyramids of Egypt stands this giant statue of a sphinx. A sphinx was a mythological creature with the body of a lion and the head of a man. Parts of this sphinx have worn away during the 4,000-or-so years of its existence. What do you notice about it? Scholars think that the head depicts Pharaoh Khafre. The missing nose is about 3 feet wide, and the statue stands more than 65 feet high and is more than 240 feet long. How do you suppose it was built? And why?

• Rosetta Stone - This great black stone is a key. Well, not literally a key that you would stick into a door lock, but it was a key to solving a mystery that had puzzled scholars for hundreds of years. What do you notice about it? The three sections were written in three different languages. Scholars could already read the bottom two languages, but for centuries they hadn’t been able to figure out Egyptian hieroglyphs, like those on the top section. Once they realized that this stone contained the same decree in all three languages, they were able to work backwards and determine how to read the hieroglyphs. Do you see any cartouches on that section or any hieroglyphs you recognize? They named the stone after the place where they found it: Rosetta.

• Stele of Amos Honouring Tetisheri - This ancient Egyptian stele shows Pharaoh Amos I honoring his grandmother, Tetisheri, by presenting her with a table full of bounty. The two sides of the scene look like mirror images at first, but what can you see that is different between the left and right sides? The stele also features a lot of Egyptian hieroglyphs and includes some cartouches, or names of people. You can see a cartouche directly above the pharaoh’s hand in the picture. A cartouche always has a ring around its hieroglyphs. If you look carefully at the vertical cartouche above his hand, you may be able to find the same one written horizontally in the rows of hieroglyphs below the scene.

• Karnak Temples of Amun-Ra Frieze - This frieze was carved on a wall in a temple complex called Karnak in Ancient Egypt. Egyptian art was very symbolic and meant to tell a story. They often pictured the gods they worshiped by putting animal heads on human bodies. Can you find the figures that represent their gods on this wall? Do you recognize any of the other figures? (Look for the pharaoh’s double crown.) Can you find any cartouches? What do you suppose the scenes on this temple wall were meant to illustrate? A frieze is a long stretch of artwork, usually painted or sculpted or carved. How do you suppose this frieze was made? Look carefully at the areas that are missing for clues.

• Nefertiti Bust - This statue is of beautiful Queen Nefertiti, who was the wife of Pharaoh Akhenaten. For hundreds of years traditional Egyptian art was meant to symbolically tell a story; the artists were not concerned about showing people as they really were. But during the reign of Akhenaten, many traditions were turned upside down. Compare this artwork with the woman pictured traditionally on the stele of Amos honoring his grandmother. How are the two depictions different? A bust is a statue of a person’s head and shoulders. This bust of Nefertiti was made out of limestone and then painted. Notice the different textures used in the different parts of the bust. How do you suppose they got those textures from limestone and paint? What can you learn about fashion for a queen during Akhenaten’s reign?

• Ramses Statues at Abu Simbel - Probably more than other pharaoh, Ramses II commissioned great statues of himself to be erected all over Egypt. These four giant ones, more than 65 feet tall, grace the entrance of a famous temple, Abu Simple. What do you notice about the statues and the other features around them? The second statue was damaged in an earthquake. You can see the upper portion lying on the ground in pieces. The smaller statues by the legs of Ramses II depict his chief wife, his mother, and some of his children. Why do you suppose they are portrayed so much smaller? Across the top of the doorway you will find a row of baboons with their arms raised toward the sun. And just above the doorway, two images of the pharaoh are shown with a falcon-headed Egyptian god. What do you think was the purpose of this display outside this temple door?

• King Tut Funeral Mask - This elaborate golden mask was part of the treasure found in the tomb of Pharaoh Tuthankhamun, placed over the face of his mummy. We can learn a lot about an ancient Egyptian pharaoh’s costume by looking closely. What do you notice? The Egyptians used animals to symbolize their gods. The cobra and vulture on the headdress are symbols of the two patron gods of Upper and Lower Egypt. In addition, the cobra was considered the guardian of the pharaohs, spitting fire at his enemies. With all the gold, glass, and semi-precious stones used in this mask, it weighs 24 pounds.