Deities from Ancient Egypt
When thinking about non-Western art forms, the first thing that comes to mind is the country Egypt. Their writing is known as hieroglyphics, a mixture of symbols and images. Often, these are depicting stories of their deities. 
Ra-Horakhti, Amun, the deified king, Ma’at, and Andjeti in the tomb of Ramses V/VI
It is unknown exactly who or when this piece of art was created. It tells the story of a king named Ra-Horakhi, who was combined with the god Amun, who renamed him Amun-Ra (Calvert 2022). The form you see in this image of the artwork is not the only way that Amun-Ra is depicted. He can be depicted as a circular disk, falcon, or many other ways. He was a fluid deity known to soar through the sky on his "boat." Something I find beautiful about this art form is the precision it took to add details. Each figure is clothed in gold, which "represents the divine and eternal" (Dabney 2024). Something interesting is that in all paintings I have observed or carvings painted over top of, the women are always painted a lighter color than the men. Ancient Egyptian artwork is something that I would love to be able to understand and know the deep history that is embedded in all of it.
Another deity is Osiris, who is known as one of the most important deities. He "originated as a fertility god and was associated with the Nile inundations that rejuvenated the land" (Calvert 2022).
Osiris in the tomb of a son of Ramses III in the Valley of the Queens.
He is "often depicted with black or green skin symbolizing the fertile mud of the Nile and regeneration. He is also frequently shown as a mummy or in partially mummified form in his role as Judge of the Dead" (Mark 2025). Something that I find interesting is the four figures on what I assume is a plant. I would love to know more about what they represent. It may represent a power he is thought to have, which brings new life. It is said that Osiris had been torn apart, and his consort, Isis, gathered the pieces and brought him to the underworld, where Osiris was revived and later became the ruler of the underworld (Calvert 2022). The throne he is sitting on in the painting is his throne in the underworld. Where he is ruling over the undead and reviving those worthy. The rich colors stand out, and the golden background shows him sitting in high standing according to the chosen color. Osiris is painted to sit tall and proud.
Isis in the tomb of a son of Ramses III in the Valley of the Queens
The last depicted deity that I will be discussing has already been mentioned. Her name is Isis, and she is the consort of Osiris. Isis was "the symbolic mother of the king, and she may have originated as a personification of the power of the throne" (Calvert 2022). Often, she is shown to have special powers, most of them showing her healing side where she revives Osiris and their son Horus. As I mentioned, the gold on her skin represents her high status. She is esteemed for her healing and revival powers. The symbol of Ra is above her head, showing her connection to Ra and making her stand out amongst the rest.
The way people are depicted in the ancient Egyptian artwork is that the deities are always sitting higher above the rest or standing tall. In comparison, the common folk or lesser are depicted as kneeling, showing their status. It is always clear who the important people are based on their position and the colors they are surrounded by or their skin color. It is so interesting that color makes such a difference in how these art pieces are viewed. I want to understand the history behind them better and who made the art pieces.
Bibliography
Calvert, Amy. Egyptian Deities, Smarthistory, 9 May 2022, smarthistory.org/egyptian-deities/.
Dabney, Sevyn. The Role of Art in Depicting Egyptian Deities, 21 Nov. 2024, egyptmythology.com/the-role-of-art-in-depicting-egyptian-deities/.
Mark, Joshua J. “Osiris.” World History Encyclopedia, 22 Apr. 2025, www.worldhistory.org/osiris/.
I’m so glad that you picked Egypt for our final assignment. I was also considering Egypt but settled on the silversmiths of Mexico. I’ve always been intrigued by Egyptian art. I remember when the King Tut exhibit visited the Pacific Northwest when I was in grade school. I would have loved to have seen it in person. Your analysis brought out some points that I would not have recognized, such as the women’s skin was always portrayed as lighter than the males. I too would be interested in better understanding the history behind these art pieces and the people that created them.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your discussion about Isis. I find it fascinating that her gold skin shows her high status, which highlights how important color is in showing who is powerful and who is not. You also did a great job explaining how artwork shows power differences in society. The way deities are often shown sitting or standing tall while common people are depicted as kneeling really highlights their authority and reflects the values of that time. I'm curious to know more about these pieces. Looking into the meaning of colors and how figures are positioned in the art will definitely help.
ReplyDeleteFocusing on an ancient civilization was an interesting pick for this post! It's fascinating to focus on how art had roots in the earliest of humanity. The focus on how color was used to highlight importance was a good point. I think that was also used in the west, especially with Christianity. Gold or white circles (halos) behind someone's head was a representation of being holy in these Christian depictions.
ReplyDeleteHello Tiambria,
ReplyDeleteThank you for posting this. One appealing thing that stood out to me while reading this was the theme of status, specifically how you mentioned that the common-folk are usually depicted kneeling compared to the deities being shown sitting or standing higher in comparison. I chose Japanese art during the edo-period but it was good seeing what was going on somewhere else in a different time period. Overall this was a nice learning experience.