Egyptian art

lecture at: Second Vatican Coffin Conference (June 6-9, 2017), Museo Gregoriano Egizio, Vatican (publication in the conference proceedings will be in co-authorship with Rogério Sousa, whom I thank many new insights on this fascinating piece).

One image dominates our contemporary world above all others: the human body. How Art Made the World travels from the modern world of advertising to the temples of classical Greece and the tombs of ancient Egypt to solve the mystery of why humans surround themselves with images of the body that are so unrealistic.

The main theme of this episode is how people rarely created images of the body that are realistic. By understanding this we  also understand something about our bodies, and human nature in general.

The Venus of Willendorf, in the Natural History Museum in Vienna, is a small Venus figure with exaggerated breasts, hips and sexual organs. These exaggerations are symbolic of fertility,  what is significant is that the artist ignored other parts of the body, such as her face and arms. Similar Venus figures with similar exaggerations and omissions have been found all over Europe and Russia. Professor Ramachandran explains why features were exaggerated. By making comparisons to research with Herring Gulls showing how their chicks, which are stimulated by the red stripe on their parents beaks, can be over stimulated by simulating a beak with additional stripes. He suggests that the same neurological process stimulated early man, explaining why they exaggerated these features of fertility over others.

Moving forward several thousand years. The Egyptians, who valued consistency and order in their society, abandoned the exaggerations of their ancestors and chose to use a mathematical approach to creating images of the body. They chose to show each part of the body from it’s clearest angle, developing their recognisable style and then preserving this style for thousands of years. When the Ancient Greek’s culture came into contact with the Egyptians, this ignited an artistic revolution across the Greek city states. The Greek culture wanted a more realistic representation of the figure for their temples, and as with the Kritios Boy, they measured and reproduced the body to exact dimensions in their sculptures. A generation later, however, the Greeks abandoned this ultra realism preferring exaggerated representations of the body based on the aestetic theories created by Polykleitos, such as the Riace Bronzes. Prof Ramachandran explains that art needs this exaggeration to be interesting.

The programme concludes with what we choose to exaggerate, saying this  “is where the magic comes in”. The choice of what to exaggerate has changed over the centuries to match changing human values.

Persians occupied Egypt during the 27th dynasty. Persians were tough invaders if compared with previous invaders, who have ever controlled the throne of Egypt. They were certainly not as familiar as Nubians with the Egyptian art. Some of ancient Egyptian high officials were represented on tombs while wearing Persian costumes such as clothing (Persian Jacket), like Ptahhotep and others.
It is so confused to see Egyptian artisans ignoring the impact of Persian rule as much as possible in their artistic production although some of the Egyptian high officials were depicted with Persian costumes. Ancient Egyptians tried seriously to keep their traditional costumes with its’ remarkable features far from the Persian influences, but some of the Egyptian officials who worked as a collaborative for Persian ruler, appeared wearing the Egyptian costumes in Persian taste for many reasons. These examples present a new style of costumes, which became common during 27th Dynasty as 'Persian court- dress'. This term became the stylistic criterion used by many scholars to ascribe objects to the Twenty-seventh Dynasty.
Based on that, this paper will discuss the development of some Egyptian costumes during 27th Dynasty and will focus on the Persian additions on the Egyptian costumes. I will also focus on the costumes of Egyptian high officials (e.g. clothing- jewelry) during 27th Dynasty, which comprise the Egyptian traditional elements and the Persian taste

Entries for 10 Egyptian objects from Museum August Kestner, Hannover / Germany (Cat. I.9 - I.17), and Rijksmuseum van Oudheden, Leiden / The Netherlands (Cat. I.8) in the beautiful publication (Schriftenreihe des Landesmuseums Natur und Mensch, Heft 63) accompanying the cross-cultural exhibition "Tierisch moralisch. Die Welt der Fabel in Orient und Okzident" at Landesmuseum Natur und Mensch Oldenburg / Germany (22 February - 1 June 2009). - For the relevant essay, see differendt PDF. - Egyptian stories in which animals act like humans are known from written sources only as late as the 2nd century AD (e.g. the famous Demotic papyrus Leiden AMS 75 - was part of the exhibition!). However, similar stories existed in Pharaonic Egypt for thousands of years. Proof are animal stories of which only "pictorial versions" are preserved (e.g. the "other side" of the famous pornographical papyrus Turin 55001 or numerous ostraca). Particularely fascinating in this respect is the purely "pictorial story" at Antikenmuseum Basel (Ae 1081) painted on stuccoed linnen from the New Kingdom (c. 1200 BC), which therefore is the focus of the essay. The text of this fairly complex animal story can unfortunaltely not be reconstructed. The existence of this purely pictorial story shows well that fables existed in Pharonic Egypt for millenia, however, only in oral transmission which - when not written down at one point AND also preserved - got lost ... likely forever. - (in German)

Aunque las secuencias narrativas de imágenes no son desconocidas por los estudios del arte, apenas se ha investigado, desde el punto de vista formal, cómo están estructuradas secuencias visuales como las de la Columna de Trajano o las de los manuscritos iluminados. Este trabajo pretende elaborar un primer esbozo de los principales patrones formales que escultores y miniaturistas siguieron, desde la Antigüedad a la Edad Media, para organizar dichas imágenes en un relato, analizando asimismo las necesidades tecnológicas y sociales que influyeron en la elección de determinadas opciones estilísticas.

Although narrative sequences of images are not unknown to Art Studies, a formal analysis about the structure of visual sequences like those we can find in illuminated manuscripts or all over Trajan’s Column, has never been undertaken. The aim of this article is to provide an overview of the main formal patterns sculptors and illustrators followed from Antiquity to the Middle Ages, in order to organize images in a narrative way. In addition, we will also analyze the technological and social needs that influenced the formal choices made by these pioneer visual narrators.

Presenting the German government funded project in cooperation of the two Egyptian collections at Roemer- und Pelizaeus-Museum Hildesheim and at Museum August Kestner Hannover as well as the department of information technologies at the university of Kiel and the department art history at Hochschule Wismar.

This file contains the theoretical content of the academic course: Mural Technology (Tools and Materials), presented in Arabic by Zeinab Nour who has been teaching the course since the year 2011/2012 to the students of the third level of Mural painting section in the department of Painting, at the Faculty of Fine Arts, Helwan University.
The course has also been activated as the first e.course with approved content from the Painting Department of the Faculty of Fine Arts at Helwan University; its scientific content was reviewed by an external committee consisting of:
- Prof. Mohamed Salem, professor of mural painting at Alexandria University
- Prof. Amal Sabry.. Professor of mural painting at Minya University
And that was in the year 2014/2015.
The content was subsequently updated more than once to date.
Worth mentioning the expression "Mural Painting" or "mural design" refers to the academic specialization in Fine arts faculties in Egypt, it basically refers to public artworks, and it is more related to the design of exterior and interior architectural spaces and surfaces.
PS:
** Course content is downloaded by the students themselves without any intermediates and free of charge.
** All figures and illustrations are shown only during lectures.

"Delicacies from Cairo! The Egyptian Collection of the Pastry Shop and Coffee House Owner Achille Groppi (1890-1949)" edited together with André Wiese (Antikenmuseum Basel) - Catalogue of the exhibition with the same title at Museum August Kestner, Hannover / Germany (23 January - 4 May 2008) and at Antikenmuseum Basel / Switzerland (15 October 2008 - 15 March 2009); with contributions by Laetitia Delaloye, Didier Devauchelle, Jasmin El-Sonbati, Christine Insley Green and photos of Andreas F. Voegelin (Basel) und Claudia Wiens (Cairo).

Catalogue of the exhibition "Lost! Die Ägypten-Sammlung und ihre (Kriegs-)Verluste" (Lost! The Egyptian Collection and it's (war) losses) at Museum August Kestner (21 July through 6 November 2011) containing an entire list of the "lost" objects of the Egyptian Collection in Hannover. The book is divided into three parts: "Gaining objects" (how the Egyptian Collection was gathered), "Lost" (how the POST-war losses happened) and a catalogue of all "lost" objects arranged by the the periods of their entry into the museum.

Contribution to the catalogue published in connection with the exhibition
"Bes. Dæmongud – Ægyptens beskytter" (Bes. Demon God – Protector of Egypt), at Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, Copenhagen (20 May–31 October 2021). The catalogue was published in a Danish and an English version. - (in English)

"Animal Stories and Fables in Ancient Egypt" - Essay in the beautiful publication (Schriftenreihe des Landesmuseums Natur und Mensch, Heft 63) accompanying the cross-cultural exhibition "Tierisch moralisch. Die Welt der Fabel in Orient und Okzident" at Landesmuseum Natur und Mensch Oldenburg / Germany (22 February - 1 June 2009). - Egyptian stories in which animals act like humans are known from written sources only as late as the 2nd century AD (e.g. the famous Demotic papyrus Leiden AMS 75 - was part of the exhibition!). However, similar stories existed in Pharaonic Egypt for thousands of years. Proof are animal stories of which only "pictorial versions" are preserved (e.g. the "other side" of the famous pornographical papyrus Turin 55001 or numerous ostraca). Particularely fascinating in this respect is the purely "pictorial story" at Antikenmuseum Basel (Ae 1081) painted on stuccoed linnen from the New Kingdom (c. 1200 BC), which therefore is the focus of the essay. The text of this fairly complex animal story can unfortunaltely not be reconstructed. The existence of this purely pictorial story shows well that fables existed in Pharonic Egypt for millenia, however, only in oral transmission which - when not written down at one point AND also preserved - got lost ... likely forever. - (in German)

"Amulets in Ancient Egypt" - Essay for the publication which appeared in conjunction with the exhibition "Zierde, Zauber, Zeremonien. Amulette zum Schutz von Körper, Hab und Seele" (Adornment, Magic, Ceremonies. Amulets for the Protection of the Body, Possessions and the Soul / Schriftenreihe des Landesmuseums für Natur und Mensch, Heft 51 / 2007, pages 47-58) at Landesmuseum für Natur und Mensch in Oldenburg / Germany (10 June – 26 August 2007). - The PDF also includes the foreword by Mamoun Fansa (p. 7-8), the introductory chapter by Katharina Herrmann (p. 9-21) and the catalogue with selected objects of the amulet collection of the famous ethnologist and Islamic amulets expert Peter W. Schienerl (1940-2001). - Parts of his huge collection of mainly modern Egyptian amulets are nowadays in Vienna (Weltmuseum), Berlin (Ethnologisches Museum), Dresden (Museum für Völkerkunde) and what had remained was bequested to the Oldenburg museum by his widow Jutta Schienerl (1937-2002) and entered the Landesmuseum für Natur und Mensch in 2003. - (in German)

The Oxford Handbook of Egyptology presents a series of articles by colleagues working across the many archaeological, philological and cultural subdisciplines within the study of ancient Egypt from prehistory through to the end of the Roman period. The volume seeks to place Egyptology within its theoretical, methodological, and historical contexts, both indicating how the subject has evolved and discussing its distinctive contemporary problems, issues and potential. Transcending conventional boundaries between archaeological and ancient textual analysis, it stresses the need for Egyptology to seek multidisciplinary methods and broader collaborations if it is to remain contemporary and relevant.  It therefore serves as a reference work not only for those working within the discipline, but also as a gateway into Egyptology for archaeologists, anthropologists, sociologists and linguists.

Tod im Weltall: Der sechste Kriminalfall des Privatermittlers Achille Corso.
Im unendlichen Weltraum lauert eine tödliche Gefahr: Autoritäre Mächte versuchen die kommende Mondlandung der Vereinigten Staaten von Amerika zu sabotieren. Um die Verschwörung aufzudecken, wird ein spezielles Crewmitglied ins Astronautenteam der NASA eingeschleust. Doch der Showdown im All wird alles verändern. Ein packender Spionagekrimi mit Achille Corso und Pentesilea Orsini.
Buchtrailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0GGxo--mb4

The article contains a discussion of three stone sculptures which were repeatedly published as significant additions to the corpus of royal sculpture of the New Kingdom. The author excludes them from this corpus through identification as forgeries of the 20th century A.D. modelled after photos of well-known works of pharaonic art kept in the Egyptian museums of Cairo and Luxor. The three principal incriminated objects are:

(1.) Berlin Egyptian Museum, VÄGM 1997/118, known as "statue head of Amenophis III";
(2.) Munich, State Museum of Egyptian Art, ÄS 6770, originally published as "statue head of Amenophis III", later called "Thutmosis IV";
(3.) fragmentary seated pair statuette, originally published as "Ahmose and Ahmes-Nefertari (?)", later called "Amenophis I and Nefertari" and "a Ramesside work of art" (privately owned though at a time exhibited at the Munich State Museum of Egyptian Art).
The author further presents a series of five similar "statue heads" allegedly representing Amenophis III which he compares to the Berlin head (1.) and which he likewise identifies as modern sculptures.

The article includes comments on several other "New Kingdom royal statue heads" (known from German publications) which the author regards as forgeries (they are not discussed in detail):
- Munich, ÄS 7276, called "Sethy I"; a white stone head in the Upper Egyptian crown attributed to "Thutmosis IV" (privately owned);
- a "red jasper head of a composite statue of Sethy I or Rameses II", later called "statue head of Hatshepsut", and
- a quartzite head of an "Amarna princess". The latter two sculptures are privately owned and known from their exhibition at the Munich State Museum of Ancient Egyptian Art.

The author calls for improved research possibilities at Universities and a better training in Egyptian art for students, especially in Germany, in order to avoid costly acquisitions of forgeries for museums and private collections in the future.

Less than a month apart, two independent exhibitions recently opened to commemorate an important chapter of Egyptian Modernism and the achievements of a Cairo-based group of young rebels calling themselves Art and Liberty.
The exhibitions, later traveling separately on different international museum tours from Seoul to Liverpool, are the first substantial surveys on the Egyptian surrealists since 1987 and aim to position avant-garde Egyptian art as part of the narrative of global modernity. As they unveil to the international public thrilling connections with notions of Western surrealism, the breadth of the Cairo exhibition and the depth of the Paris exhibition should help change the paradigm of looking at non-Western surrealist contributors as mere splinters or derivatives.

As Charles Burnett put it in the incipit of a seminal article on the “Images of Ancient Egypt in the Latin Middle Ages” (2003), “It is commonly thought that the Latin Middle Ages was a barren period for knowledge of and interest in Egypt – between the enthusiasms of the late hellenistic Neoplatonists and the rediscovery of Horapollo and the Corpus Hermeticum in the 15th century.” In this sense, and from the vantage point of this conference aiming at “A Cultural Biography of Ancient Egypt” (outside Egypt), the medieval era can be considered as a middle age or period, between classical Antiquity and the Renaissance. The paper attempts to characterise what really changed in this perspective with the end of Antiquity and the collapse of the Roman Empire in the western figurative uses of and references to Ancient Egypt, addressing the multiplication and diversification of discourses about this bygone civilization, as well as the issue of the loss of the Egyptian style. It then focuses on the exceptional case of some Egyptian-looking sphinxes and lions produced in Rome in the 13th century AD, in order to try clarifying their meaning and agency

El arte del período predinástico se ha estudiado y entendido como característico de unas culturas neolíticas que precedieron a la unificación de Egipto y el comienzo de la I dinastía. Sin embargo, las investigaciones y excavaciones realizadas en los últimos años revelan que el arte faraónico tuvo algunos de sus precedentes en este período.
En este artículo analizaremos la evolución del arte y su intencionalidad a lo largo de dicho período, al tiempo que estudiaremos las manifestaciones artísticas desde la óptica de la antropología cultural para entender el arte del Egipto predinástico en su contexto cultural y social, en especial en el ámbito de los rituales y en el proceso de creación de una memoria cultural.

The art of the Predynastic period has been studied and understood as a cultural manifestation of the Neolithic cultures preceeding to the unification of Egypt and the beginning of the 1st dynasty. However, the investigations and excavations carried out in recent years have showed that Pharaonic art had some of its origin in this period.
In this article we will analyse the evolution of art and its intentionality throughout this period, while we will be studying the artistic manifestations from the perspective of cultural anthropology, looking for new ways of asking a work of art to understand it in its cultural and social context.

L’iconographie égyptienne est avant tout l’expression d’une propagande. Elle utilise l’image et un grand nombre de codes et de conventions pour transmettre des messages de natures diverses, principalement dominés par la politique, la religion et les préoccupations funéraires des anciens Égyptiens. C’est dans cet état d’esprit qu’il faut replacer l’image des enfants dans l’iconographie.

Since its discovery by Battiscombe Gunn, it is believed that Saqqara's Ostrakon is able to improve our understanding of how Egyptians designed curved elements, but the geometric significance of the hieratic values is still uncertain. Indeed, in order to obtain an indisputable result, the distance between the vertical ordinates is required, and this distance is not explicitly indicated on the limestone artefact.
But since there were no algebraic formulas at the time of the Pharaohs, a simple grid-based procedure was developed such as those used by the Egyptians to reproduce the scale drawings, to try to decipher the geometric meaning of the curve drawn on the find.
To conclude, this simple process permits to understand that the five hieratic values of the Saqqara Ostrakon describe a segmental arch whose span and rise correspond to the architectural proportions of several Egyptian tombs and arches, and that the numerical sequence of the artefact could be considered the most "ancient" mathematical formula of the circle.

Catalogue of the exhibition “Amenhotep II and His Time. The Discovery of the Pharaoh’s Tomb/ II. Amenhotep és kora. A fáraó sírjának felfedezése” (Curators of the exhibtion: Patrizia Piacentini · Christian Orsenigo · Éva Liptay): Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest, 16 September 2021 – 9 January 2022.

Ancient Egyptian art was a visual language. It wasn't primarily intended to be decorative or even represent reality. Rather, Egyptian art had purpose: to perform a magical function, project an ideal into eternity, and send a message. In the 5th-Dynasty offering chapel of Kaninisut (G 2155) this message carried a double narrative of survival and power. With a close examination of its elements, the grammar of this visual language shows between the lines.

Since its discovery by Battiscombe Gunn, it is believed that Saqqara's Ostrakon is able to improve our understanding of how Egyptians designed curved elements, but the geometric significance of the hieratic values is still uncertain. Indeed, in order to obtain an indisputable result, the distance between the vertical ordinates is required, and this distance is not explicitly indicated on the limestone artefact.
But since there were no algebraic formulas at the time of the Pharaohs, a simple grid-based procedure was developed such as those used by the Egyptians to reproduce the scale drawings, to try to decipher the geometric meaning of the curve drawn on the find.
To conclude, this simple process permits to understand that the five hieratic values of the Saqqara Ostrakon describe a segmental arch whose span and rise correspond to the architectural proportions of several Egyptian tombs and arches, and that the numerical sequence of the artefact could be considered the most "ancient" mathematical formula of the circle.

Schmuck und Objekte aus Gold von Tutanchamun, KV 55 und Tanis.
Gold, überall Gold war das erste was Howard Carter 1922 durch das kleine Loch in der Mauer erkennen konnte. Der grösste archäologische Goldschatz aller Zeiten: Zahlreiche Objekte aus dem Grabschatz von Tutanchamun gehören zu den spektakulärsten Objekten der Ägyptologie. Manches wurde erst vor kurzem erkannt, so erwies sich ein vermeintlicher Kalzedon in einem Schmuckstück als Glas aus der Wüste, welches durch einen Kometeneinschlag entstand. Viele Schmuckstücke haben auch versteckte Botschaften in ihrer Gestaltung: So spielen viele Objekte mit dem Thronnamen Neb-Chepru-Re als Bildmotive (Sonnenscheibe, Skarabäus, Plural-Striche und Siebkorb). Die Schmuckstücke sind sowohl persönlicher als auch kultischer Natur und sollten die Transformation des Königs ins Jenseits unterstützen. Die Schmuckstücke setzen Tutanchamun mit Sonne und Mond gleich und bewirken seine Verwandlung in eine Gottheit. Das Buch präsentiert eine Auswahl der schönsten und interessantesten Objekte aus dem Alten Ägypten, welche aus Edelmetall gearbeitet sind und erzählt die Geschichten dahinter und was die Forschung bisher herausfinden konnte. Auch andere Schatzfunde sind herausragend, wie die Königsgräber von Tanis. Die Kunst des Alten Ägypten hat zudem in der Neuzeit einen wichtigen Einfluss auf das Art Déco ausgeübt. Diese Inspiration aus der Vergangenheit auf die Industrie Kunst in der ersten Hälfte des 20. Jahrhunderts wird in ihren Motiven genauer betrachtet.
Als gedrucktes Buch: 298 Seiten, über 100 Abbildungen, mehrheitlich in Farbe.
ASIN: B0B34RDW4Z
https://www.amazon.de/dp/B0B34RDW4Z/

In the chapels of Mereruka and his son Meryteti in the Teti cemetery at Saqqara, the rare stance of the tomb owner standing 'hand in hand' with his wife and son occurs in the reliefs. This type of positioning of the hands is more common among minor figures where it appears to be drawn more accurately but there are a few examples of tomb owners 'hand in hand' with another person. The people they hold hands with varies as does the positioning of the hands and fingers but invariably when the tomb owner is shown 'hand in hand' with his fingers in the open position, his hand is reversed. This is not always the case with minor figures.

"Perfect Addition: From the private collection into the collector's museum - The head of an Egyptian lion-goddess at Museum August Kestner, Hannover" (Germany) - Contribution in: LIBER AMICORUM - Claus Pelling zum 90. Geburtstag (editors: Thomas Finkenauer, Alfred Nordheim), Tübingen 2022, pp. 157-176. Publishing the exquisitly worked head from a composite statuette made from rare (and therefore precious) obsidian. One of the main results of the investigation: the lioness is shown with human eyes! (in German)

Research paper that showcases how "Everything Is Kitsch" in today's world due to globalization.

It focuses on Egypt and how globalization, social classes and the lack of having an individualistic culture; led to a major deculturation within the country.

The paper further provides a solution by showcasing the positive impact if all social classes join forces into seeing that kitsch is no longer the exclusive product of the uneducated masses but, is in fact today's global aesthetic. Also, by developing a "balanced" culture of individuality, could we then truly have a positive global influence (rather than being influenced) and take advantage of the fact that Egypt is a "kitsch museum".

It covers aspects regarding the 'Infitah' that occurred in Egypt, Entrepreneurship in Egypt and Arab Pop- artists to indicate a "balanced" culture of individualism is the best solution to generate global influence.

Egyptian epigraphy and palaeography may significantly contribute to the study of the artists and craftsmen responsible for the creation of ancient Egyptian monumental decoration and, in return, this double discipline can also greatly benefit from a better knowledge of those crucial actors in the production of its own object of research. A consideration of all marks of a work’s history (from its genesis to its decline) allows one to detect—and document—the material traces of the making of the monument, and hence of its maker(s). This chapter discusses those issues, as well as the societal identity of the actors of artistic and epigraphic production in ancient Egypt; the great diversity of their skills, education, and literacy; the social and geographical mobility among their ranks; their varying work conditions, involving issues such as ergonomics and work organization; and evidence of their adaptation of parts of their work, such as standard formulae and work procedure.

In Egyptology and in Art History in general, certain terms are often used vaguely because they lack a clear definition. In the context of studies on sculpture, the term WORKSHOP is one of them. Giving a definition is not an easy task, but it is a necessary one especially since in the case of art the scholar’s approach does not rely on scientific objectivity only, but also on perception, feeling and the “eye” of the art historian. While not all researchers might agree with the same definition, it is important to propose one for the terms employed. Several questions occur to the scholar who studies a corpus of artifacts or works of art. Where do the artisans work? How many people are involved? Do they specialize in a particular production or are they more versatile? In the case of sculptors, do they work in the quarries or in their proximity, or in studios connected to temples or palaces? Is a group of artisans sedentary or itinerant? Do sculptors all work for the king and the royal court or can we identify regional styles? Such questions arise when dealing with the corpus of the Late Middle Kingdom statuary. As this paper tries to demonstrate, it appears that different productions are identifiable based on three main factors: the material in which the statues are carved, the architectural context for which the statues are produced, and the clientele to which they are destined.  These three factors are closely intertwined and determine the types of sculpture that were realized.

Abstract: This study explores the question of innovation and new pictorial resources in New Kingdom art, especially in the 18th and 19th Dynasty private Theban tombs, which seem to have been a more convenient context for artists’ innovations, where they explored new possibilities. A good example may be the transgression of some Egyptian ‘rules’ of display which artists have followed over centuries, such as the attempts to create
depth and perspective in the composition. Frontal  Images are also an example of the emancipation from Egyptian ‘rules’ of display, attested in human figures and animals. In this research focussed on innovation, I have paid special attention to the frontal poses of animals, such as the cats represented under the seats of their owners in tomb scenes, or the frontal dogs shown
in the popular desert hunt scenes. These hunting dogs shown en face, sometimes even in a twisted pose, reflect a ‘break’ of the movement of animals, being attested in several private Theban tombs. I believe this type of animal frontal poses could have worked as ‘visual hooks’, calling the attention of the viewer to particular details. It is difficult to say if these innovations are
just a self-developed process within the Theban workshops, or if they are the result of artistic foreign influence. We must bear in mind that it was a period of intense contact with the world abroad, when foreign objects displaying new motifs and poses arrived to Egypt, and were appreciated by the elite. In fact, frontal poses in animal depictions are also attested in wooden
boxes of NK date or even in objects from the royal sphere, such as pieces from the funerary equipment of the tomb of Tutankhamun, maybe reflecting the so called ‘International Style’ of the 14th century BC, in which iconographic elements and idioms passed between Egypt, the Aegean and the Near East. The most skilled artists could be inspired by foreign iconography and
poses when decorating the NK private Theban tombs.

L'égyptologue Robert Vergnieux nous parle d’une période qui fascine beaucoup de monde, la période amarnienne.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUpoqjDZrY4

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