ETERNAL EGYPT Masterworks of Ancient Art from the British Museum - Critical Essay

The history and culture of Egypt, one of the earliest of the world's l great civilizations, can be traced back more than 5,000 years. While Europe and America were still inhabited by primitive tribes, Egypt was already unified as a great nation. It is difficult to comprehend from our perspective--living in a country just 225 years old--that a sophisticated government and society emerged so long ago and then thrived for three millennia.

Indeed, ancient Egypt was regarded as "ancient" even by many other civilizations that we today regard as being ancient. For instance, Egypt was a powerful nation 1,000 years before the Minoans of Crete built their palace at Knossos; 900 years before the Israelites followed Moses out of bondage; and while tribesmen still dwelled in huts along the Tiber River. To further put it in context, Egypt was viewed by the Greeks and Romans in much the same way that we look back on the classical era.

Partly because of its ancient history, Egypt has always been regarded with a certain amount of awe and amazement. The great Greek historian, Herodotus, after a tour of Egypt, wrote of its "wonders more in number than those of any other !and and works it has to show beyond expression great." This sentiment has been born out time and again by writers from numerous countries over many centuries.

Travelers to Egypt are still impressed with its great pyramids, slender obelisks and avenues of monuments. The sheer size of these ancient buildings and public sculptures reduces all else to insignificance, while their enigmatic hieroglyphics intrigue both old and young alike. Egypt's magical and mystical other-worldly presence captivates our curiosity with an appeal that crosses all boundaries of time, geography and culture.

It has often been said that history begins with the invention of writing. Hieroglyphics describe the foundation of Egypt's civilization, and now testify to an illustrious past. Of course, for many centuries, this extraordinary writing was indecipherable, and the knowledge of the ancients remained a mystery. That is, until 1799, when a military expedition led by Napoleon discovered the now-famed Rosetta Stone.

This unique tablet includes three different registers of inscriptions: one in Greek, one in "Demotic"--the language of the Egyptian people--and one in priestly hieroglyphics. Within 20 years of the tablet's discovery, the French linguist, Jean Francois Champollion, deduced that these glyphs were not simply pictographs, but rather characters of a once-spoken, yet long-forgotten, language.

This remarkable discovery opened a new window on Egyptian history, and also elevated Champollion to a key position as a leader in the new science of archeology and the related field of Egyptology.

The art and history of this ancient civilization is now revealed in a spectacular exhibition titled Eternal Egypt: Masterworks of Ancient Art from the British Museum. Comprising over 145 objects selected from one of the foremost collections of Egyptian antiquities in the world, this presentation will travel to seven museums across America over the next three years.

The works are arranged chronologically to reveal artistic development over 35 centuries, from about 3100 B.C. through the Roman occupation in the 4th century A.D. The four major periods of Egyptian history--the Old Kingdom, the Middle Kingdom, the New Kingdom and the Late Period--are explored in depth. As such, this exhibition and its accompanying catalog provide the first comprehensive survey of the art of this great culture.

Included are masterworks in a variety of media such as stone, wood, terra cotta, ivory, gold, glass and papyrus. The full range and significance of pharonic art is examined, as is the development of portraiture, a major Egyptian contribution to art history.

To modern viewers accustomed to constant and rapid changes in every aspect of life, 3,500 years of Egyptian art might seem somewhat static. Yet, the chronological presentation of artworks in this exhibition illustrate dramatic stylistic evolutions through four main historic periods and 31 dynasties.

In about 3100 B.C., King Menes forcibly united many small kingdoms of the Nile Valley into a single nation and thus became the founder of the First Dynasty. The term "dynasty" refers to a succession of kings belonging to one line of family descent. The history of Egypt is measured by the reigns of these families of rulers. The 31 dynasties are then grouped into periods called Kingdoms.

The pharaohs, religion and the afterlife are among the dominant themes in Egyptian art, and all can be combined into a single theme. The ancient Egyptians believed the soul would continue to live after death so long as the body was preserved. Thus, images representing the deceased were created and protected, and elaborate preparations to protect both body and soul began early in life.

The most elaborate tombs, sculptures, furnishings and accessories, of course, were reserved for royalty and officials in high positions. To help ensure a safe passage to everlasting life, priests assembled a collection of prayers, which were placed in the tombs. The Egyptian "Book of the Dead" is the most famous example of these prayers.

During the Old Kingdom (ca. 3100-2181 B.C.), most of the artistic conventions and standards were established, including the centrality of human figures in art and the distinctive method of representing the human figure. In sculptures dating from the Old Kingdom, the human form is depicted in a manner that is strictly frontal, formal and with little indication of personality or movement. The presentation of the human form in painting or in relief followed similar strict and rigid conventions.

A typical Egyptian two-dimensional view of the body depicts the head and legs in profile, with a frontal view of the torso. In architecture, this is the period of the great pyramids, which symbolized the earthly and divine powers of the pharaohs, and remain today among the great wonders of the world.

In the Middle Period (ca. 2060-1633 B.C.), one can perceive a shift to greater naturalism in the representation of the human figure. Although not an invention of this period, portraiture emerges as a more important genre both in its depiction and its function.

The style of the New Kingdom (ca. 1550-1070 B.C.) is represented by statues and personal possessions of renowned pharaohs including Amenhotep III, Akhenaten and Rameses the Great. This is also the era of King Tutankhamun. The creation of colossal royal figures and an emphasis on elaborate self-imagery are features of this period.

Despite Egypt's increasing political weakness during the Late Period (ca. 1070 B.C.-A.D. 395, Egyptian art resisted the influence of its emerging neighbors, primarily by imitating the styles of its own past. Artists sought to revive previous styles in hopes of returning to the grandeur and power of an Egypt that was lost forever. Eventually, foreign ideas and styles became fused with those of Egypt to cream a hybrid style, largely based on Hellenistic sources, from which there was no return.

As collections of Egyptian art in the United States are few, this exhibition affords the greater American public the rare opportunity to experience a comprehensive survey of superb art objects.

Eternal Egypt: Masterworks of Ancient Art from the British Museum is organized by the American Federation of Arts (AFA) and The British Museum. The exhibition and its national tour are made possible by Ford Motor Company. The catalog is supported, in part, by Helen H. Scheidt, and is published by the University of California Press in association with the AFA.

ITINERARY

The Toledo (Ohio) Museum of Art Through May 27, 2001

Wonders: Memphis (Tenn.) Intl. Cultural Series June 28-0ct. 21, 2001

Brooklyn (N.Y.) Museum of Art Nov. 23, 2001-Feb. 24, 2002

Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, Mo. April 12-July 7, 2002

The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco California Palace of the Legion of Honor August 10-Nov. 3, 2002

The Minneapolis Institute of Arts Dec. 22, 2002-March 16, 2003

The Field Museum, Chicago April 26-Aug. 10, 2003

Walters Art Museum, Baltimore Sept. 21, 2003-Jan. 4, 2004

Mark M. Johnson is Director of the Montgomery (Ala.) Museum of Fine Arts, and is a Contributing Editor for Arts & Activities.

COPYRIGHT 2001 Publishers' Development Corporation
COPYRIGHT 2001 Gale Group