Egyptian Art

Egyptian art is almost unbelievable to me. I do not particularly like the paintings or sculptures more than other eras, it is the architecture that surpasses every other form of architecture I have ever seen. Egyptians thought about the future, making sure their art work would survive throughout the ages. This was because art was created for religious reasons. The people believed that this life was only lived to prepare for the afterlife. After death, the ka, or soul, would leave the body and go into the world of beyond. Although their body lay on earth, they needed a body in death. This is why the bodies were mummified. Organs were removed and saved in jars, such as the brain through the nostrils. The pharaoh, or ruler, was considered to be the king and a god-like figure. This is why the pharaohs had sculptures, paintings, and pyramids made for them to occupy. Supposedly, the body would lay inside the tomb in the pyramid, while the ka would go into a sculpture or other work of art in their next life. As a result of the beliefs, all art had to have every body part shown, while their heads were usually turned, creating a distorted look, yet surprisingly realistic. When the mummies were put in their tombs, they had jewels, food, drinks, toys, and other items with them for the after life, all depending on how wealthy they were in life. Architecture not only involves art, but it takes math knowledge as well. Egyptians made pyramids of huge stone, so heavy we can only imagine how they maneuvered it to go in the correct space, angled so they would not erode, some even having designs to them. I chose a picture of a pyramid called The great sphinx because it simply blows my mind away to even ponder about making this now, let alone thousands of years ago. It has a head and a body of a cat. The head looks evenly proportioned even after all these years, a few chucks clipped out of it. Simply brain-numbing.
Another work of art I chose is a highi relief sculpture of Queen Nefertiti. The Egyptians honored their rulers and wished them well afterlives, statues being one way to provide for both. This piece is very realistic, unlike most of the other works, and I enjoy the large hat, even though I would not wear it-but I'm not a much of a hat person :)