The wall paintings and reliefs of ancient Egyptian tombs and temples record a continuity of customs and beliefs over nearly 3000 years. Even the artistic style of the scenes seems unchanged from century to century, but this appearance is deceptive. In this work, the author proves - with the help of her original research into grid systems and proportions - that innovation and stylistic variation played a significant role in ancient Egyptian art. This book presents a comprehensive account of the squared grids used by the artists of these lost millennia to achieve acceptable proportions for standing, sitting and kneeling human figures. The author traces the system from its Old Kingdom origins through its development in the Middle Kingdom and its continued employment in the Late and Ptolemaic periods. She explores for the first time its use to reflect physical differences between men and women. Also included are a detailed account of the canon of proportions discovered by the author - the Amarna canon - which accompanied the revolutionary changes instituted by the heretic king Akhenaten, and the first full analysis of how the grid system influenced composition as a whole. The text is illustrated by numerous line drawings of paintings and reliefs with superimposed grids, either derived from actual traces surviving on monuments or calculated according to the methods used by the ancient Egyptians themselves.

Proportion and Style In Ancient Egyptian Art

Gay Robins

Thames and Hudson

THIS EDITION HAS BEEN REPLACED BY A NEWER EDITION..  From the awesome grandeur of the great pyramids to the delicacy of a face etched on an amulet, the spellbinding power of the art of ancient Egypt persists to this day. This beautifully illustrated book conducts us through the splendors of this world, great and small, and into the mysteries of its fascination in its day as well as in our own. What did art, and the architecture that housed it, mean to the ancient Egyptians? Why did they invest such vast wealth and effort in its production? These are the puzzles Gay Robins explores as she examines the objects of Egyptian art--the tombs and wall paintings, the sculpture and stelae, the coffins, funerary papyri, and amulets--from its first flowering in the Early Dynastic period to its final resurgence in the time of the Ptolemies.  Spanning three thousand years, her book offers a thorough and delightfully readable introduction to the art of ancient Egypt even as it provides insight into questions that have long perplexed experts and amateurs alike. With remarkable sensitivity to the complex ways in which historical, religious, and social changes are related to changes in Egyptian art, she brings out the power and significance of the image in Egyptian belief and life. Her attention to the later period, including Ptolemaic art, shows for the first time how Egyptian art is a continuous phenomenon, changing to meet the needs of different times, right down to the eclipse of ancient Egyptian culture. In its scope, its detail, and its eloquent reproduction of over 250 objects from the British Museum and other collections in Europe, the United States, and Egypt, this volume is without parallel as a guide to the art of ancient Egypt.

The Art of Ancient Egypt

Arts & Photography

History & Criticism

British Museum Press

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Books by Gay Robins

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Gay Robins. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Proportion and Style In Ancient Egyptian Art

The Art of Ancient Egypt