Egyptian Antiquity

Egyptian civilization
The border of Egypt proper runs along the Lower Nile Valley, an oasis formed by the annual flooding of the river. This vast and originally marshy land (papyrus and reeds) was named "Kemet" (the Black), in reference to the black silt deposited by the river. Gradually worked into alluvial terraces, it became the cradle of one of the greatest civilizations in Antiquity and extended, at different times, from Palestine to Lower Nubia. Egyptian civilization’s identity was essentially founded on the centralized system of government which it very quickly adopted to cope with the flooding of the Nile. The Pharaoh ran the country: military commander, supreme magistrate and high priest, he was obeyed and venerated as the successor of Horus, the falcon god. His main task was to maintain the balance and harmony of the country according to the laws of Ma’at (the goddess of order), while ensuring all the deities were satisfied.

Sacred art
In this context, art was constantly promoting transcendence, whether political, religious or social. It mainly served beliefs and rites, and enabled a dialogue to be established with divine forces. Functioning as a real intermediary and strictly codified, it adhered to the age-old laws which aimed to ensure the effectiveness (“menekh”) of works of art. For Egyptians, these works in effect always took on a very precise meaning and role. Most frequently, they had magical properties and could act as substitutes for humans or gods. Animated with a vital force, the sacred effigies in particular had the power to communicate with the gods. Artistic creations were often also part of the social structure, by contributing to the sanctity of politics – the enormous size of royal effigies, a celebration of the Pharaoh’s military exploits – and the glorification of the sacred – the splendour of religious architecture, the pomp of temples’ decoration.

An aesthetic reaching into eternity
Above all functional, Egyptian art is extremely transparent. It is characterized by simple shapes, colours generally applied in blocks, the use of a standardized symbolic vocabulary, standard postures (either face on or in profile) and symbolic variations in scale (height of characters corresponding to their importance). Although Egyptian civilization stretches over more than 3000 years, which saw several periods succeed one another, from the Thinite Period (from 3150 BC to 2700 BC) to the Roman and Byzantine Period (from 31 BC to AD 668) taking in the great period of the Empires (High, Middle and New Empire), the art it produced underwent relatively little change. That is because, being deeply rooted in its founding traditions, it did not depart from its original functions, which limited its autonomy and encouraged the longevity of forms, in line with its desire for eternity.