Through the Eras

Visual Artsa child. One year later Hatshepsut declared herself coking.Senenmut’s relationship with the princess musthave helped him secure new positions with the new coking.He held many positions, the most important beingChief Steward of the god Amun. In the course of hiscareer, he was an important patron of the visual arts. Histwo tombs are unusual because artists decorated themwith the Book of the Dead, an unusual practice for nonroyalofficials in the Eighteenth Dynasty. He also commissionedat least 25 statues, many of unusual types. Hisstatues with Princess Neferure draw on the tradition ofthe Old Kingdom statue of Ankhnes-meryre II and PepiII. A cube statue of Senenmut depicts the princess’s heademerging from the top. Senenmut was also the first commonerto commission statues depicting him makingofferings, formerly a royal pose. For example, one statuedepicts him offering Hatshepsut’s name in the form ofa royal standard to the god Montu. In fact scholars’ interpretationsof Senenmut’s role in history depend onhis tomb depictions, his statues, and the inscriptions onthem. Many scholars have speculated that his relationshipwith Hatshepsut might have been romantic sincehis works of art suggest he had privileges denied to mostcommoners. These theories remain unsupported speculation.Senenmut disappeared from history in Year Sixteenof Hatshepsut’s reign. His end remains unknownother then his death date of 1466 B.C.E.SOURCESPeter Dorman, The Monuments of Senenmut: Problems inHistorical Methodology (London: Kegan Paul International,1988).Peter Dorman, The Tombs of Senenmut: The Architecture andDecoration of Tombs 71 and 353 (New York: MetropolitanMuseum of Art, 1991).DOCUMENTARYSOURCESNo written documentary sources survive from ancient Egyptto discuss the visual arts. Listed here are some major monumentsof the visual arts from ancient Egypt that represent“firsts” or high aesthetic achievements. Since artists wereanonymous, no listing is included for the artist.Colossal Head of King, BMA 54.3 (c. 2625 B.C.E.)—Thishead may be the oldest known over life-size head of aking, coming from what must have been one of theearliest colossal statues in Egyptian history.Female Figurine, BMA 07.447.505 (c. 3500–3300 B.C.E.)—This figurine of a woman with a beak-like face is oneof the earliest figures of a human.Kneeling Statue of Pepi I, BMA 39.121 (c. 2338–2298B.C.E.)—This early example of a statue of a kneelingking making an offering is a type that continued to bemade for 3,000 years.Narmer Palette (c. 3100 B.C.E.)—This is the first knownEgyptian work of art to follow typical Egyptian style.Seated Statue of King Djoser (c. 2675–2625 B.C.E.)—KingDjoser commissioned the first known life-size statue ofhimself.Seated Statue of King Khasekhemwy (c. 2800–2675 B.C.E.)—King Khasekhemwy commissioned the first knownseated statue of a king, a type that continued to bemade for over 3,000 years.Seated Statue of Pepi I (c. 2338–2298 B.C.E.)—This is anearly example of a statue that reads like a hieroglyph,taking the images and treating them as hieroglyphicsigns.Statue of a Deity, BMA 58.192 (c. 2575–2625 B.C.E.)—Thisstatue of a deity is the first known standing statue of agod, showing the pose of striding forward with the leftleg for the first time. This pose will be standard for3,000 years.Statue of Ankhwa (c. 2575–2625 B.C.E.)—The shipwrightAnkhwa commissioned the first known seated statue ofan official from ancient Egypt.Statue of Khafre (c. 2555–2532 B.C.E.)—This statue firstcaptures the most basic expression of the Egyptian attitudetoward the king as the strong, athletic, and sereneprotector of the country.Statue of Menkaure and Khamerernebty (c. 2532–2510B.C.E.)—This masterpiece of Old Kingdom art shows aroyal pair statue.Statue of Rahotep and Nofret (c. 2585–2560 B.C.E.)—Thisearly pair statue showing a husband and wife retains allof its original paint, illustrating the colorful Egyptianideal for statuary.Stele of King Djet (c. 3100–2800 B.C.E.)—Djet’s stele is anearly example of combined perspective, showing both atop and side view of the same object combined intoone image.310 Arts and Humanities Through the Eras: Ancient Egypt (2675 B.C.E.–332 B.C.E.)