This question was very popular among candidates.
The candidates were required to (a) Describe the three major periods in the study of ancient Egyptian art; (b) explain how Egyptian art was made to last forever.
Candidates performed satisfactorily with the (b) part but many of the candidates performed poorly pat1icularly with part (a). The candidates were tillable to interpret the question correctly.
The expected answers include:
(a) (i) Old Kingdom: 2700-2190BC
- It was the period that portrait studies were idealized.
- The seated statue of king Chephren (khafre) is one of the few remaining statues of the pyramid period
- In stone sculpture, the figure is rectangular and cubical, but the head is made to look life-like.
- Several V Dynasty figures of Renofer, of painted limestone represent the frontal type of 50 characteristics of Egyptian art.
(ii) Middle Kingdom: 2040-1674BC
- The XII Dynasty left a number of distinguished portrait statues in hard-stone, which have insistent appeal.
- A black granite human-headed sphinx found at Tarns now in Cairo, shows a deeply - cut muscular face, believed to represent King Amenemhat III.
(iii) New Kingdom: 1152-1674BC
- This period yielded more monuments than any other period.
- Statues were no longer kept in the tomb chambers, but were placed in the open.
- Sculpture became so varied that one could hardly speak of a single style.
- With the ascent to the throne of Amenhotep IV who adopted the name Ikhnaton, an unprecedented realism temporarily revolutionalized art.
(b) - The Egyptians, belief in "life after death" made them prepared for the life beyond.
- They built pyramids with chambers that can preserve the dead forever.
- The body of the king was embalmed so as to hold his spirit forever in the tomb.
- Portrait statues were made to look-exactly like the people themselves.
- Portraits (sculptures) were executed in granite to house the soul of the Pharaoh.
- Slaves and maids were buried with the king to serve the king in the life after death, etc.
