New Kingdom Egyptian Art
Ramses III and prisoners
Ramses III killing a Libyan (New Kingdom)
Ramses III (New Kingdom)
After Amarna, around 1200 BC, Ramses and
his successors brought in new interests to art, where the main idea
was to be very big and impressive, even if the details were not so fine.
Reliefs are cut into the stone, instead of the background being cut
away as they were in Old Kingdom art. New Kingdom
artists, and their audiences, liked a loose, enthusiastic style, more
than the old tightness and precision. And, because the Egyptians were
doing a lot of conquering at
this time, the reliefs often show wars or prisoners.
Old Kingdom Art
Middle Kingdom art
Amarna period art
Main Egyptian art page
Main Egypt page
Main art page
To find out more about Egyptian art, check out these books from Amazon.com or from your library:
Eyewitness: Ancient Egypt, by George Hart. For kids.
Ancient Egyptian Art, by Susie Hodge (1998). Shows kids how Egyptian art relates to Egyptian religion and culture.
Hands-On Ancient People, Volume 1: Art Activities about Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Islam, by Yvonne Merrill and Mary Simpson. Art projects for kids, though the directions are really aimed at teachers or parents.
The Art and Architecture of Ancient Egypt (Yale University Press Pelican History of Art), by William Stevenson Smith and William Kelly Simpson (revised edition 1999). The standard for college courses.
Egyptian Art, by Cyril Aldred (1985). Another standard.
