Ramses II
While visiting the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archeology and Anthropology, I found numerous works of art that interested me. I was able to appreciate these works more than before because of the knowledge I now possess after having taken this class thus far. Understanding the background, time periods, and history of the works that I was practically analyzing at the museum, made the pieces even more interesting and valuable to behold. The piece of work that captured my eyes the most was the statue of Ramesses II (?). This statue was found at the Heracleopolis, Temple of Harsaphes, in Egypt. This sculpture was made somewhere between 1897 and 1834, during Egypt's Middle Kingdom. The artist was probably an ancient Egyptian who was patroned by the Pharaoh Ramesses II himself. According to the museum's description of the work, Ramesses II seized this sculpture from a former ruler and the head was replaced to fit Ramesses' satisfaction. This is a historical piece to preserve his power and immortality. This statue is an example of freestanding sculpture or sculpture in the round. It has been carved and chiseled out of Quartzite stone. This particular stone is composed mainly or entirely of quartz. "The stone is c
The subject and iconography of the work is to emphasize the success, reign and power of Ramesses II. The Egyptians were a very advanced culture for their time period. Egyptian art is known to be very compact, and this characteristic is evident in the statue of Ramesses II. The Ancient Egyptians idealized the body of the pharaoh and were not realistic when it came to portraying the actual facial characteristics of the pharaoh. Ramesses II name appears in deeply cut inscription in hieroglyphics on the throne and bases of the statue. The Pharaoh is seated with his hands placed on his upper legs. The hieroglyphics give insight to the historical occurrences of the time. The non-priests were not allowed in the temples hence the sculpture must have been near the entrance of the temple. According to the museum, there is an inscription on the left side of the throne where an error was made by the sculptor. Quartzite has a smooth fracture and is found primarily among ancient rocks. When the pharaoh is portrayed, he usually has an elaborate headdress, is larger in scale than other figures around him, wears an elaborate patterned kilt, and is in perfectly fit form. The lines are somewhat more defining for the headdress but not to the extreme. The "lines" and linear perspective of this sculpture follow a simple geometric shape. This three-dimensional sculpture occupies both mass and volume.
Common topics in this essay:
Ramesses II,
Ancient Egyptian,
II According,
Ancient Egyptians,
Archeology Anthropology,
Ancient Egypt,
Son Sun,
ramesses ii,
Ancient Greece,
Middle Kingdom,
ancient egyptian,
Harsaphes Egypt,
egyptian art,
ancient egyptian art,
statue ramesses ii,
statue ramesses,
ancient egypt,
ramesses ii according,
egypt sculpture,
sculpture ramesses,
common ancient,
museum's description,
sculpture ramesses ii,
according museum's,
common ancient egyptian,
|
Acceptance Essays
