Egyptian Art History and Sitemap

Ancient Egyptian art is a highly stylized and symbolic tradition that remained remarkably consistent for over 3,000 years, deeply intertwined with the civilization's religious beliefs, particularly those concerning the afterlife and the concept of universal order (Ma'at).

Most surviving art comes from tombs and monuments, and thus focuses on achieving immortality.

The contemporary history of Egyptian art is characterized by a dynamic interplay between national identity, social commentary, and a rich historical heritage, evolving from Western-influenced modernism to a diverse, globally recognized scene.

Thutmose | The Sculptor of the bust of Nefertiti

Queen Nefertiti's Long Lost Tomb

QV66 is the tomb of Nefertari, the Great Wife of Pharaoh Ramesses II, in Egypt's Valley of the Queens.

It was discovered by Ernesto Schiaparelli (the director of the Egyptian Museum in Turin) in 1904.

Nefertari, which means "beautiful companion", was Ramesses II's favorite wife; he went out of his way to make this obvious, referring to her as "the one for whom the sun shines" in his writings, built the Temple of Hathor at Abu Simbel to idolize her as a deity, and commissioned portraiture wall paintings.

Egyptian blue | The first synthetic pigment in history

Egyptian blue, also known as calcium copper silicate (calcium copper tetrasilicate) or cuprorivaite, is a pigment that was used in ancient Egypt for thousands of years.

It is considered to be the first synthetic pigment.

It was known to the Romans by the name caeruleum.

After the Roman era, Egyptian blue fell from use and, thereafter, the manner of its creation was forgotten.

In modern times, scientists have been able to analyze its chemistry and reconstruct how to make it.

Tomb of Amunherkhepshef, son of Pharaoh Ramesses III

Ashraf Abdel Mohsen, 1964 | Abstract painter

Dr. Ashraf Abdel Mohsen is an Egyptian artist and futuristic architect who founded founded CUBE Consultants, an architecture studio based in Egypt, in 1990.

Besides running his company, he is also a professor of Architecture at Ain Shams University.

Among the most important achievements would be development of the National Theater development, Khufu Avenue and plaza, the Fustat Open Museum, the New Administrative Capital and finally TUTERA City.

Timeline of Art History

An Art Period is a phase in the development of the work of an artist, groups of artists or art movement.

The history of art is immense and the earliest cave paintings pre-date writing by almost 27,000 years!

Ancient Classical art

Minoan art

Ancient Greek art

Roman art

Ancient Egyptian colors

Percy Bysshe Shelley | Ozymandias, 1818

"Ozymandias" is a famous sonnet written in 1818 by British Romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822)🎨, in which he reflects on hubris and the implacable passage of time and on the decline of leaders and their empires.

The poem is widely believed to have been inspired by a broken statue of Ramses II that is now, like many priceless Egyptian artifacts, in the possession of the British Museum.

Ancient Egyptian Sculpture

The culture and monuments of ancient Egypt have left a lasting legacy on the world.

The cult of the goddess Isis, for example, became popular in the Roman Empire, as obelisks and other relics were transported back to Rome.

The Romans also imported building materials from Egypt to erect Egyptian-style structures.

Early historians such as Herodotus, Strabo, and Diodorus Siculus studied and wrote about the land, which Romans came to view as a place of mystery.

Thutmose | The Sculptor of the bust of Nefertiti

The King's Favourite and Master of Works, the Sculptor Thutmose - (also spelled Djhutmose and Thutmosis), flourished 1350 BC, is thought to have been the official court sculptor of the Egyptian Pharaoh Akhenaten in the latter part of his reign.

German archaeological expedition digging in Akhenaten's deserted city of Akhetaten, at Amarna, found a ruined house and studio complex (labeled P47.1-3) in early December 1912; the building was identified as that of Thutmose based on an ivory horse blinker found in a rubbish pit in the courtyard inscribed with his name and job title.