EGYPTIAN Paintings & ART
A narmer palette exhibited at the Royal Museum in Ontario shows the skill and craftsmanship of Egyptian art.
Painting was naturally the most important part of this cultures art. Paintings have mainly been discovered in tombs, monuments, and temples. Before painting a certain surface, it was common to whitewash it or use a layer of coarse mud plaster to make it smooth. Various minerals were used in the painting process and were chosen according to their resistance against strong sunlight. It is not clear what binding material was used in Egyptian paintings, materials like egg tempera and various other resins have been suggested. It was also common to apply a varnish which acted as a protective coating and extended the lifetime of paintings.
Famous Ancient Egyptian Artists
While there aren’t any names of famous ancient Egyptian artists that have survived history, the famous works of art have certainly stood the test of time. The oldest known masterpiece of art is called Narmer’s Palette. Egyptologists generally identify Narmer with Pharaoh Menes who unified Upper and Lower Egypt into a single Kingdom and was the first ruler of the First Dynasty. Similarly, another masterpiece is the Statue of Khufu (Cheops) which was discovered in the ancient necropolis of Abydos. Among the paintings, the Egyptian Book of the Dead has particular significance. It was a scroll consisting of various paintings serving as an introduction to the Underworld where the ancient Egyptians believed the dead people were sent. It was common to bury the Book of the Dead with the rich people. But while these and other famous masterpieces of art have survived, nothing is known about the famous artists who created them.
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