Interesting But Irelevant
Written 2006, Freshman year of college for an Art History class. The teacher called it "intersting, but irelevant". Enjoy:
Egyptian artwork has been admired for centuries for its unique forms and mysterious history. Today these artifacts, statues, and wall paintings can be seen in museums all around the world. The Rosicrucian Museum in San Jose, California is a perfect example of this. The museum itself is a sight to behold, as its buildings are painted and formed similarly to Egyptian and Roman buildings. Giant statues of hippos and other animals of Egypt line the entrance to the museum. Inside the museum, there are three main rooms that have sarcophaguses, mummies, wall reliefs, sculptures, and jewelry from Ancient Egypt. Two of the more interesting statues housed here are of Cleopatra VII and the goddess Sekhmut. At first glance these statues may seem similar in shape and function, but if you consider the way they are viewed in today’s world, they could not be more different.
When you first enter the room that these two statues are held in, the statue of Cleopatra VII immediately catches the eye. It is placed on a round platform at the center of the room, unconsciously drawing the viewer to it. Though it is relatively small in size when compared to other statues, being only 105 cm in height, Cleopatra VII appears authoritative and powerful. The statue is made of a dark stone, probably diorite, which was popular in the Egyptian era. Cleopatra’s hands are held stiff against her body with her fists clenched. She stands strait with her left foot forward. Her body appears to have idealistic features and used a canon of proportions to achieve this. She wears a typical headdress which is decorated with what appears similar to braids, with the figure of the asp at the top. The statue has no real damage appears on the figure except for the nose, which is partially destroyed. Everything from the pose to the headdress was typical for Egyptian statues. Most pharaohs made statues of themselves because they believed that when they died their soul or “ka” would reside for all eternity in that statue. The written description of the statue from the Rosicrucian Museum tells the story of Cleopatra and her well known affair. After Cleopatra’s death Egypt fell to the Roman Empire and the artwork that followed was then altered and changed to fit Roman ideals of sculpture. Because Rome took over most of the statues of Cleopatra were destroyed and now only seven, including this one from 30 B.C.E. exist.
Away from the statue of Cleopatra, against a wall, is the statue of the Egyptian goddess Sekhmut. Made in the New Kingdom era of Egypt, this statue has the head of a lion and the body of a female. Like the Cleopatra statue, Sekhmut follows the precedence of earlier Egyptian statues with a stiff body and frontal pose. Also like Cleopatra, the statue is made of diorite. Her right hand seems to clasp at her dress while the other holds a flower, probably papyrus. The statue was damaged on the head and there appears to be no headdress. But from looking at other statues of the same goddess, a large disc and a headdress with an asp were often placed on her. The Rosicrucian Museum’s description of the statue states that Sekhmut was the goddess of surgeons and healing. Pharaoh Amenhotep III had the statue made to thank Sekhmut for healing him and curing his health problems. The mixture of animal and human forms was common for Egyptian gods. The majesty of the lion head mixed with the feminine body give the Sekhmut statue a regal and gentle appearance.
Although the Cleopatra VII statues are separated by more than a thousand years, they have many similarities. This is due to the Egyptians’ continuous use of the canon of proportions and stiff poses they gave to statues and paintings. The statues are also similar in their purpose and function in Egyptian culture. Both statues were made by pharaohs. Both statues were meant to be admired, worshiped, and respected. Both had similar poses, headdresses, and both had feminine attributes. Although these statues were similar in form, they differed greatly in other areas.
The Cleopatra statue was far rarer than the Sekhmut statue. All around the Rosicrucian Museum, dozens of statues of Sekhmut can be found ranging in different sizes and with different headdresses. Cleopatra’s statue was made clearly after a specific person while the Sekhmut statue was used to represent a goddess. Perhaps the most surprising difference is the way these states are seen in today’s society.
If you were to ask a random person if they knew who Sekhmut was, you would probably get a blank stare and a confused expression. If you were to ask that person if they knew who Cleopatra was, however, they would not only know that she was an Egyptian Queen, but they would also probably know a little about her past affairs as well. Cleopatra has become a memorable part of Egypt’s history just as its pyramids have. This can partially be attributed to the fact that several books and movies have been made based on the story of Cleopatra. Today you can go out and buy photos of her, movies about her, and you can even dress up as her for Halloween. It seems strangely ironic then that a human pharaoh of Egypt has become more famous than any of the Egyptian gods or goddess. This could be the reason the statue of Cleopatra was placed in the center of the room, while the statue of Sekhmut was off against the wall.
Although the actual person who made these statues is unknown, the purpose they were meant for his clear. Both were meant to be seen and honored by people living in the society. Both statues were meant to show the subject in a perfect from, thereby suggesting that the subject itself was perfect. But the way these to statues are seen by people in today’s society has changed. For those who know little of Ancient Egypt or its artwork, the statue of Cleopatra would still seem familiar. However the statues of the goddess Sekhmut, who was known in Egypt to control something as important as the health of its people, would be less memorable and significant when compared to the famous pharaoh Cleopatra. I guess it shows that what was once held above all things in one society will be seen in a less mystical light in another society, not to say that Cleopatra should be forgotten or be seen as less important. With the rise in monotheistic religions the belief and respect for multiple gods slowly vanished. Now those old gods and goddesses have almost been forgotten by the every day citizens of the world. That is why art is so important. It is a way to connect the society of today to the civilizations of yesterday. It’s a way to look back and see what those people believed, how they lived there lives, and what ideals they upheld.
Egyptian artwork has been admired for centuries for its unique forms and mysterious history. Today these artifacts, statues, and wall paintings can be seen in museums all around the world. The Rosicrucian Museum in San Jose, California is a perfect example of this. The museum itself is a sight to behold, as its buildings are painted and formed similarly to Egyptian and Roman buildings. Giant statues of hippos and other animals of Egypt line the entrance to the museum. Inside the museum, there are three main rooms that have sarcophaguses, mummies, wall reliefs, sculptures, and jewelry from Ancient Egypt. Two of the more interesting statues housed here are of Cleopatra VII and the goddess Sekhmut. At first glance these statues may seem similar in shape and function, but if you consider the way they are viewed in today’s world, they could not be more different.
When you first enter the room that these two statues are held in, the statue of Cleopatra VII immediately catches the eye. It is placed on a round platform at the center of the room, unconsciously drawing the viewer to it. Though it is relatively small in size when compared to other statues, being only 105 cm in height, Cleopatra VII appears authoritative and powerful. The statue is made of a dark stone, probably diorite, which was popular in the Egyptian era. Cleopatra’s hands are held stiff against her body with her fists clenched. She stands strait with her left foot forward. Her body appears to have idealistic features and used a canon of proportions to achieve this. She wears a typical headdress which is decorated with what appears similar to braids, with the figure of the asp at the top. The statue has no real damage appears on the figure except for the nose, which is partially destroyed. Everything from the pose to the headdress was typical for Egyptian statues. Most pharaohs made statues of themselves because they believed that when they died their soul or “ka” would reside for all eternity in that statue. The written description of the statue from the Rosicrucian Museum tells the story of Cleopatra and her well known affair. After Cleopatra’s death Egypt fell to the Roman Empire and the artwork that followed was then altered and changed to fit Roman ideals of sculpture. Because Rome took over most of the statues of Cleopatra were destroyed and now only seven, including this one from 30 B.C.E. exist.
Away from the statue of Cleopatra, against a wall, is the statue of the Egyptian goddess Sekhmut. Made in the New Kingdom era of Egypt, this statue has the head of a lion and the body of a female. Like the Cleopatra statue, Sekhmut follows the precedence of earlier Egyptian statues with a stiff body and frontal pose. Also like Cleopatra, the statue is made of diorite. Her right hand seems to clasp at her dress while the other holds a flower, probably papyrus. The statue was damaged on the head and there appears to be no headdress. But from looking at other statues of the same goddess, a large disc and a headdress with an asp were often placed on her. The Rosicrucian Museum’s description of the statue states that Sekhmut was the goddess of surgeons and healing. Pharaoh Amenhotep III had the statue made to thank Sekhmut for healing him and curing his health problems. The mixture of animal and human forms was common for Egyptian gods. The majesty of the lion head mixed with the feminine body give the Sekhmut statue a regal and gentle appearance.
Although the Cleopatra VII statues are separated by more than a thousand years, they have many similarities. This is due to the Egyptians’ continuous use of the canon of proportions and stiff poses they gave to statues and paintings. The statues are also similar in their purpose and function in Egyptian culture. Both statues were made by pharaohs. Both statues were meant to be admired, worshiped, and respected. Both had similar poses, headdresses, and both had feminine attributes. Although these statues were similar in form, they differed greatly in other areas.
The Cleopatra statue was far rarer than the Sekhmut statue. All around the Rosicrucian Museum, dozens of statues of Sekhmut can be found ranging in different sizes and with different headdresses. Cleopatra’s statue was made clearly after a specific person while the Sekhmut statue was used to represent a goddess. Perhaps the most surprising difference is the way these states are seen in today’s society.
If you were to ask a random person if they knew who Sekhmut was, you would probably get a blank stare and a confused expression. If you were to ask that person if they knew who Cleopatra was, however, they would not only know that she was an Egyptian Queen, but they would also probably know a little about her past affairs as well. Cleopatra has become a memorable part of Egypt’s history just as its pyramids have. This can partially be attributed to the fact that several books and movies have been made based on the story of Cleopatra. Today you can go out and buy photos of her, movies about her, and you can even dress up as her for Halloween. It seems strangely ironic then that a human pharaoh of Egypt has become more famous than any of the Egyptian gods or goddess. This could be the reason the statue of Cleopatra was placed in the center of the room, while the statue of Sekhmut was off against the wall.
Although the actual person who made these statues is unknown, the purpose they were meant for his clear. Both were meant to be seen and honored by people living in the society. Both statues were meant to show the subject in a perfect from, thereby suggesting that the subject itself was perfect. But the way these to statues are seen by people in today’s society has changed. For those who know little of Ancient Egypt or its artwork, the statue of Cleopatra would still seem familiar. However the statues of the goddess Sekhmut, who was known in Egypt to control something as important as the health of its people, would be less memorable and significant when compared to the famous pharaoh Cleopatra. I guess it shows that what was once held above all things in one society will be seen in a less mystical light in another society, not to say that Cleopatra should be forgotten or be seen as less important. With the rise in monotheistic religions the belief and respect for multiple gods slowly vanished. Now those old gods and goddesses have almost been forgotten by the every day citizens of the world. That is why art is so important. It is a way to connect the society of today to the civilizations of yesterday. It’s a way to look back and see what those people believed, how they lived there lives, and what ideals they upheld.
posted by Jessica at
12:40 PM
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