Ancient Egyptian Art
09/14/22 • 12 min
2 Listeners
In two-dimensional art, the ancient Egyptians practiced an approach referred to as frontalism. Each feature was shown from the ideal, most recognizable view. The head was shown in profile while the torso was facing forward. The feet would then be shown from the side as that was a more easily recognizable shape for a foot. The result was a mix of perspectives on the figure making it appear contorted but it was the ideal symbol rendering each part in ways that would be easily identified.
Another distortion we see in ancient Egyptian artifacts was hierarchical scale. Simply put, the more important a figure was, the bigger it would be in the composition. Conversely, a less important figure would be smaller. So gods and pharaohs would be shown as noticeably larger than the average Egyptian.
If you want to learn more about ancient Egypt, check out these episodes of Who ARTed:
Art Smart is an Airwave Media Podcast.
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In two-dimensional art, the ancient Egyptians practiced an approach referred to as frontalism. Each feature was shown from the ideal, most recognizable view. The head was shown in profile while the torso was facing forward. The feet would then be shown from the side as that was a more easily recognizable shape for a foot. The result was a mix of perspectives on the figure making it appear contorted but it was the ideal symbol rendering each part in ways that would be easily identified.
Another distortion we see in ancient Egyptian artifacts was hierarchical scale. Simply put, the more important a figure was, the bigger it would be in the composition. Conversely, a less important figure would be smaller. So gods and pharaohs would be shown as noticeably larger than the average Egyptian.
If you want to learn more about ancient Egypt, check out these episodes of Who ARTed:
Art Smart is an Airwave Media Podcast.
Connect with me:
Website | Twitter | Instagram | Tiktok
Support the show:
Merch from TeePublic | Make a Donation
As always you can find images of the work being discussed at www.ArtSmartPodcast.com and of course, please leave a rating or review on your favorite podcast app. You might hear it read out on the show.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Previous Episode
Ukiyo-e
The term Ukiyo-e means images from the floating world. The word Ukiyo initially referred to the Buddhist idea that life and the material world were ephemeral. It seems rather ironic that the term referring to the Buddhist philosophy of not becoming overly attached to the material world would then be used in this art that is very much about the material world. The Ukiyo-e images of the floating world were celebrations of the joys of life for these newly wealthy people.
Here are the artists and images I recommend looking at to better understand Ukiyo-e.
Hokusai - The Great Wave Off of Kanagawa
Toyoharu - Perspective Pictures of Places in Japan
Harunobu - Two Lovers Beneath an Umbrella in the Snow
Hiroshige - Bamboo Yards Kyobashi Bridge
Hokusai - Peonies and Canary
Art Smart is an Airwave Media Podcast.
Connect with me:
Website | Twitter | Instagram | Tiktok
Support the show:
Merch from TeePublic | Make a Donation
As always you can find images of the work being discussed at www.ArtSmartPodcast.com and of course, please leave a rating or review on your favorite podcast app. You might hear it read out on the show.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Next Episode
Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau was a style that rose to prominence in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. I would say the heyday for art nouveau was from around 1890 to 1910, but of course, there is not a specific start and end date for any art movement. People can’t even agree on when or where the term first appeared. Some say it was in an art magazine in Belgium in the 1880s, while others say the origin of the name came about in Paris when the collector Sigfried Bing named his gallery, La Maison de’l Art Nouveau which means, the house of the new art. Art Nouveau was a deliberate attempt to create a new art style. Illustrators, jewelers, architects and interior designers wanted something fresh that would stand apart from the historic pieces that had been dominant in the European art world for most of the previous century. I would say another big factor was the industrial revolution. As hard-edged steel and glass forms sprung up, the art nouveau movement gave people soft, organic flowing lines. It was a breath of fresh air, creating a new style by looking at the oldest inspiration of all nature as a counterbalancing force to modern industrial design.
Here are links to episodes of Who ARTed where you can learn more about a few of the artists referenced:
Louis Sullivan
Henri de Toulouse Lautrec
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