We decorate the interior to resemble ancient Egypt. Development of painting in ancient Egypt Egyptian drawings

Why did the Egyptians depict all people as flat and in profile January 9th, 2017

The ancient Egyptians are well known for their phenomenal architecture, works of art, and large pantheon of exotic gods. It was the belief in the afterlife and all aspects of its manifestation that made the Egyptians famous throughout the world. When viewing many works of art of those years, you will notice that all people and gods are depicted in profile (from the side). The drawings do not use perspective; there is no “depth” to the image.

What or why was this style used?

Funeral portrait of a young man. Egypt, 2nd century AD | Photo: ru.wikipedia.org.

One would think that the point was simply that this was the only way they knew how to draw in Ancient Egypt. This was a very, very long time ago. Remember, for example, rock paintings in caves - it looks similar. In fact, they knew how to paint realistic pictures in Egypt. The most famous example of ancient painting is the Fayum portraits of the 1st-3rd centuries AD. Many historians and art critics are scratching their heads over the issues of artificial primitivism in Egyptian painting.

And here are the ideas offered...

1. At that time, the “three-dimensionality” of the image had not yet been invented

Egyptian gods on the walls of Nefertari's tomb. Photo: egyptopedia.info.

All drawings of Ancient Egypt are made “flat”, but with small details. Perhaps most artists were simply incapable of creating complex compositions with people in realistic poses. Therefore, standard canons were adopted: the heads and legs of all people and gods are depicted in profile. The shoulders, on the contrary, are turned straight. The hands of those sitting always rest on their knees.

2. Deliberate simplification as a social aspect

An official during a bird hunt. | Photo: egyptopedia.info.

The Egyptians invented a great way to get rid of the third dimension and used it to represent the social role of the people depicted. As they imagined in those years, the picture could not depict a pharaoh, god and a simple man side by side, because this exalted the latter. Therefore, all the figures were made of different sizes: pharaohs were the largest, dignitaries were smaller, workers and slaves were the smallest. But then, realistically drawing two people of different status side by side, one of them would look like a child. It’s better to depict people schematically.

3. A direct gaze is considered a challenge.

In the animal kingdom: animals avoid looking each other in the eyes. A direct gaze is considered a challenge. Look how the dogs fight. Weak - facing a strong opponent in profile, or exposing his neck. The gods are so lofty and sacred that a person, even an artist, has the right only to watch the life of the omnipotent sideways. Only Death, an equally angry god, looks straight into your eyes. Therefore, a person can only observe, and certainly not participate in the sacraments of the divine liturgies.

The second answer might explain the imaging technology.
Painted or carved figures in stone are very similar to daguerreotypes, and even shadow theater, which has survived to this day since ancient times.

Let us remember how, since childhood, we all loved to play with the shadows of our hands. Daguerreotypes are easier to perceive in profile. Ancient craftsmen used shadows cast on the walls of the pyramids from a torch or the setting sun for templates. This technology made it much easier for them to depict majestic giant figures. Therefore, the artists were exclusively priests, Egyptians of elite circles. Shouldn’t we use the shadows of a despicable slave for the outlines of the deity?

Having mastered the daguerreotype technique, the Egyptians may have gone further. How beautifully and naturally the movement is depicted in the frescoes. Where does the ability to convey step and direction come from? Were there not strong analogies in the past with today's film distribution, cartoons, or even Shadow Theater? Perhaps we do not know everything about the pastime of the young pharaohs, their holidays of veneration of deities and initiations. It is symbolic that the gods of Egypt do not look us in the face. Or we don't look at their faces.

4. Religious version

The afterlife of Ancient Egypt. | Photo: dv-gazeta.info.

According to another version, the Egyptians deliberately made drawings of people two-dimensional, “flat”. This is especially noticeable in paintings where animals are present. The ancient masters painted them colorfully, giving realistic and elegant poses.

The ancient Egyptians, with their worship of the afterlife, believed that the human soul could travel. And since the drawings were mainly carried out in tombs and burial vaults, they could “revive” a three-dimensional pictorial image of a deceased person. To avoid this, human figures were drawn flat and in profile. This way the human face is more expressive and easier to portray as similar.

In order not to revive the image, the Jews went even further. They generally banned human images and therefore subsequently many Jewish artists (not all) painted people with distorted proportions. An example of a Chagall painting. Subsequently, Muslims borrowed this prohibition from the Jews.

Some versions certainly overlap, but which one seems most likely to you? Or do you know another version?

The ancient pyramids of Egypt contain a great many secrets and mysteries. Until today, scientists have assigned the pyramids only the role of sarcophagi of the pharaohs - the rulers of the country and the Egyptian priests. People, neither in previous times nor now, could understand for what purposes and for whom these gigantic temples were built.

However, the pyramids are a very important source of information about events that occurred in the distant past. They were built by all the dynasties of Egyptian kings, who, using wall paintings and hieroglyphs, recorded all the events that took place in the life of the state and nature during the years of their reign. In those ancient times, kings were ruled by a caste of priests. The priests were a free, chosen part of the nation. They possessed the best lands and untold wealth. In addition, they were highly educated - they were well versed in law, medicine, mathematics and other sciences. The priests possessed secret and true knowledge and dedicated it exclusively to their students. Such knowledge was inaccessible to the common people. The initiation took place in gigantic underground rooms that were located under the pyramids.

After the student had acquired the required amount of knowledge, he was tested in the underground labyrinths of the pyramids. If the priests elected him, he received a pass to the mysterious sanctuary, where he swore an oath never to share his knowledge with the uninitiated. Only after such an oath did the priests reveal to him the main secrets, one of which is the dogma of one God. The priests also taught him to predict the future from the stars and come into contact with comic forces.

According to some researchers of the Egyptian pyramids, the priests used their ability to predict the future not only for the sake of their contemporaries, but also for the benefit of future descendants. And they used the pyramids to convey important information to us. Scientists, as proof of this theory, cite the results of a comparison of the proportions, sizes and locations of secret interior spaces in the pyramids. Experienced researchers drew attention to the fact that the pyramids are oriented relative to the cardinal points - this is surprising, but they are directed in such a way that on the days of the autumn and spring equinoxes the sun appears at exactly noon on the top of the pyramid, thereby crowning the temple. It is likely that the proportions of the pyramids and their orientation to the cardinal points are mysterious messages.

There is a version that the Cheops pyramid was built on the basis of an older pyramid, which was built around 14,000 BC. Its size is so large that the Cheops pyramid occupies only half the volume of the oldest pyramid. When painting and arranging the interior spaces, special lanterns were used, quite possibly electric. They were discovered during excavations, then they still gave off a faint light - and this despite the fact that millennia had passed since their burial.

The efforts of researchers and archaeologists aimed at finding at least some clues that would help understand the true purpose of the pyramids were crowned with success - they discovered various images on the edges of the Cheops pyramid that were made using grooves. If desired, the drawings can be seen in reflected light. On the southern part of the pyramid was depicted, apparently, a portrait of one of the most important gods in Egyptian mythology - the ancient Egyptian god Thoth.

A huge number of mysterious drawings were also discovered on the walls of the pyramids. The authors of these discoveries concluded about the purpose of the pyramids, which, they believe, is the desire to warn humanity against future cataclysms. It is associated with the prophetic predictions of the great Egyptian priests, as well as with messages encrypted in writing. Scientists were able to discover a rather strange pattern - the numerical designations of the pyramids coincided with known dates in the history of mankind.

So, experts deciphered the mysterious symbols and came to the conclusion that they are a kind of image of the future of all humanity - the Egyptian priests, maintaining contact with the Cosmos, were able to calculate future events thousands of years before they happened. Egyptologist Davidson compared the proportions of the galleries and passages in the interior rooms of the Great Pyramid and found evidence of the life span of Jesus Christ. He also named the period of World War II with amazing accuracy.

In addition, the Egyptologist deciphered the text of the Coptic manuscript - it was in it that the ancient builders of the pyramid conveyed information received from the Egyptian priests about the position of the stars, the achievements of science, as well as the events that occurred in Egypt during this time. The information contained in the manuscript completely coincides with the information obtained as a result of comparing the proportions of the pyramid.

It must be said that according to the drawings found on the walls of the pyramids, global cosmic cataclysms await earthly civilization, which will follow one after another for thousands of years. As a result, humanity is doomed to destruction. However, by that time people will be able to master the Universal space, and thanks to this, some of them will be able to escape. It is they who are called upon to become the creators of a new civilization, which should be based on the perfect laws of existence.

In the modern world, there is a whole science called pyramidology, which studies pyramids. The founder of this science is John Taylor. In 1859, he put forward the idea that the architect of the Great Pyramid was an Israeli and not an Egyptian. According to the Egyptologist, he acted according to the command of God. It is likely that it was Noah. Famed astronomer Charles Smith suggested in 1864 that the Great Pyramid held the secrets of interpreting biblical prophecy - from the beginning of time until the second coming of Jesus.

Belgian scientist Robert Bauval made a stunning discovery in 1933. He paid special attention to the fact that the location of the three largest pyramids corresponds to the location of the three leading stars in Orion's belt, located above the horizon exactly when they cross the Giza meridian, where the pyramids are located. Bauvel conducted a thorough computer analysis that showed that the location of the Giza pyramids corresponded to a map of the sky as it appeared around 10,450 BC. Based on this, scientists concluded that the pyramids were built precisely then.

To date, a huge number of amazing geodetic, mathematical, astronomical and physical secrets have been revealed, which the builders included in the design features of the three largest Egyptian pyramids. So what is the purpose of the Sphinx?

According to the famous soothsayer Edgar Cayce, the Sphinx was created approximately in the same period as the Cheops pyramid. According to him, the Sphinx faces exactly the point in the sky where, approximately in 10,450 BC. Three stars from Orion’s belt shone clearly in a certain place, namely above the horizon line. Therefore, the Sphinx is an additional “marker” pointing to this point.

Edgar Cayce wrote that the most important information for modern humanity can be found at the base of the Sphinx's front left paw, and not under it in underground tunnels. The information is embedded, he says, in the cornerstone of the base of the left paw. He also wrote that the tunnels under the Sphinx, still unknown to mankind, also carry an information load in their configurations. But the capsule with a message to humanity is located precisely under the front left paw.

Surprisingly, the tunnels that the famous soothsayer wrote about were actually found. Researchers used seismic equipment and found a chamber under the sphinx's front paws. A tunnel emerged from this chamber, but only a few months later the entrance to it was found - it was at a depth of 32 meters in one of the wells. In the tunnels stood a sarcophagus made of black granite. As for the “capsule with a message to descendants,” nothing is known about it until now.

The mysteries of the Egyptian pyramids will always excite human imagination and receive a response in films and books. One can only hope that modern technologies of the 21st century will still be able to reveal knowledge to people - knowledge buried under a layer of time and sand.

Egyptian culture is one of the first, most highly developed and progressive cultures in the world. It is her research that allows us to talk about a developed, clearly formed style.

To this day, the aesthetics of this mysterious civilization attracts attention, and it is not surprising that many people, even in the twenty-first century, want to use the Egyptian style in the interior of their homes.

Egyptian style and its main features

Egyptian interiors are characterized by various architectural elements - an abundance of stucco molding, columns, arches, niches, half-columns. Window and door openings can be lancet or arched. The walls are decorated with paintings and frescoes, of course, with images of hieroglyphs, signs and symbols of Ancient Egypt. Also, other elements of this great culture must certainly be present in the decor - camels, pharaohs, pyramids, lotus, Ankh, and so on.

An important feature of Egyptian interiors is the abundance of textiles. These include carpets on the floor, richly decorated curtains, bright sofa cushions with patterns. Furniture must be massive, heavy, preferably made of natural wood. A four-poster bed would be appropriate in the bedroom, and tables and chairs with carved legs in the living room.

Interior color schemes in Egyptian style

Egypt is an African, sunny country, which is why the color scheme of the interior in the Egyptian style, as a rule, is designed to create a warm, sunny atmosphere in the rooms, with bold splashes of bright accents. The color range is quite limited, colors are never mixed. The interior design palette is presented in colors such as yellow, beige, sand, and ivory.

Egyptian style means the walls of rooms are usually neutral tones, more often white or beige (shades of stone or papyrus). It is known that in the temples of Ancient Egypt the walls were covered with a continuous pattern of hieroglyphs, but this technique is hardly suitable for modern houses and apartments. Now it would be appropriate to decorate light walls with a contrasting border with active gold, bright blue and green accents, a pattern of the same hieroglyphs, lotus leaves and palm trees.

If we talk about color combinations, they are quite bold - gold is combined with chocolate, black, blue, green. By the way, ceilings are traditionally painted blue in Egyptian and Moroccan houses.

Egyptian symbols in the interior

Of course, very few people are ready to make drastic changes in the interior and completely renovate the interior in accordance with the Egyptian style. However, if the exotic aesthetics of this ancient country attracts you, then you can add an Egyptian touch to the room with little effort: after all, you can hang images in the Egyptian style or even real papyri on the walls, you can decorate the furniture with appropriate images.

There are a number of symbols that unmistakably refer us to Egyptian culture: Egyptian gods, the eye of Horus, lotuses and scarabs - several of these elements in the interior immediately create the desired mood.

Lotus

Egyptian signs and symbols play a huge role in the interior. One of the most important symbols of Egypt is the lotus. This flower is mentioned in the ancient myth about the creation of our world. The ancient Egyptians believed that the sun god Ra was born in the core of a lotus, and the flower itself was the throne of the goddess Isis. Even today, Egyptians treat the lotus with special respect; they decorate walls, textiles, and carved furniture with lotus patterns.

Ibis

The ibis bird was sacred in Ancient Egypt; it meant strength, striving for a goal, perseverance, and is identified with the Egyptian god of wisdom, Thoth. He lived among the Egyptians in the form of the sacred ibis bird and taught them a variety of sciences. In interiors, ibis are most often used in the form of wooden figurines; they decorate shelves with books and desks.

Cat

Everyone knows that the Egyptians considered cats to be sacred animals. They always depicted the goddess of beauty, love and femininity Bastet in the form of a one-color, slender cat with an elongated muzzle. The Egyptian cat is an integral element of the Egyptian-style interior; it is most appropriate to decorate bedrooms, living rooms, and recreation areas with cat figures.

Scarab

The scarab was especially revered by the ancient Egyptians, because this beetle is the personification of the Egyptian god Khepri, a symbol of the spontaneous generation of all things, the rising sun, a deity with the head of a scarab. The Egyptians gladly decorated many things in their interiors with the image of this beetle, because they believed that its symbol would give them strength and energy.

Egyptian hieroglyphs

Egyptian signs in the form of hieroglyphs are one of the first writing systems in human history; they were used as much as 3.5 thousand years ago. Hieroglyphs were actually drawings, supplemented with various phonetic symbols, they were carved on stone, papyrus, and wood.

Egyptian hieroglyphs are very original and picturesque; an Egyptian theme in the interior is unthinkable without them. Hieroglyphs, or rather, a typical ornament made from them, can decorate the ceiling and walls, wooden furniture, textile elements in rooms, vases, carpets and much more.

Ankh

The Ankh cross, with a ray at the top in the form of a loop, is the most mysterious sign known to mankind. This is a symbol of eternal life and youth; in Ancient Egypt it could be found everywhere. It was believed that amulets in the form of this sign prolong life, give health, and after death, a long afterlife. This symbol in hieroglyphic writing was part of the words “happiness”, “life”, “well-being”.

Pyramids and camels

For modern people, it is the pyramids and camels that are the main symbols of Egypt, both ancient and modern. Thinking about this country, many literally see in their minds a fascinating picture - a caravan of camels slowly walking through the desert, against the backdrop of huge pyramids.

The Egyptian pyramids, majestic and mysterious, are one of the great wonders of this world, their age is as much as 4.5 thousand years. The camel, the ship of the desert, is the main animal in Egypt, a symbol of vitality, endurance and unpretentiousness. When creating an interior in the Egyptian style, it is important to use images of both camels and pyramids. They can be depicted in Egyptian-themed paintings or textiles, or stand in the form of figurines.

Cleopatra and Nefertiti

It is difficult to imagine Egyptian history without the main queens of Ancient Egypt - Nefertiti and Cleopatra. Numerous images of them have survived to this day. The appearance of these women is mesmerizing - shining gold clothes and massive jewelry, tall wigs and complex makeup, subtle grace and elegance of poses, all this seems to take us to the era of Egypt, pharaohs, gods and pyramids.

You can decorate any room in the house with paintings and dishes with images of queens; their characteristic appearance, like nothing else, will help to recreate the true atmosphere of the mysterious Ancient Egypt.

Egyptian gods and goddesses

The ancient Egyptians had a very complex religious system, there were a huge number of Egyptian deities, literally every city and village had their own deities. The rulers of the country, the Egyptian pharaohs, were also considered gods, because after death they ascended to the stars, taking their place among other gods.

Now they appear before us, including in Egyptian interiors, in the form of statues and images in paintings, in the guise of animals, or people with animal heads.

The most famous gods are Anubis, the patron of the dead, a man with the head of a dog (his image is hardly appropriate in interiors), Apis, the god of fertility, a bull with the disk of the sun; his image in the interior can bring well-being, wealth and prosperity to the house. The god of the sun and sky, Horus, a man with the head of a falcon, brings good luck; his image, as well as the eye of Horus (the all-seeing eye), is also found in ornaments.

You can see examples of interiors decorated in ancient Egyptian style in the following video.

The most important means of expression of Egyptian art was wall painting. Most often, the Egyptians made their “drawings” on the wall with bas-reliefs. The placement of such drawings and reliefs was subject to strict norms and canons dictated by the priests. The drawings of Ancient Egypt served for its inhabitants as nothing more than a “double of reality” - a reflection of their lives.

Ancient Egypt: the meaning of the drawings

Why did the Egyptians make their drawings so detailed, investing a huge amount of time and the best resources into them? There is an answer. In Ancient Egypt, the main purpose of painting was to perpetuate the life of the deceased in the afterlife. Therefore, Egyptian art does not reproduce any emotions or landscapes.
The Egyptians painted mainly on the walls of tombs, tombs, temples and various objects that had funerary or sacred significance.

Ancient Egypt: rules for painting

The scenes depicted on the walls always correspond to the hieroglyphs attached to them; they seem to explain the essence of the entire image.
The most important rule of the artists of Ancient Egypt was to correctly depict each part of the body so that it was easily distinguishable and perfect. It should be noted that the Egyptians painted exclusively in profile, but the eye was always drawn from the front, all for the same reason - so that it was correct, since if it is drawn in profile its image is distorted, which was unacceptable.
To ensure that all the proportions of the human body were observed, the artists first drew a grid, and then figures with the correct dimensions.
The idealization of figures is directly proportional to the social status of the person depicted in the picture. So, for example, he is depicted as eternally young, he himself is motionless and imperturbable (the Egyptians had a rule: the more motionless the person depicted, the higher his social status). Also characteristic of painting is the size factor - the higher a person stood in society, the larger he is in the picture, for example - the pharaoh does not seem like a giant when compared with the soldiers.
Animals were depicted the other way around - alive, moving quickly.
Each color that was applied to the wall had its own specific symbolism. Mostly bright colors were applied, especially in places exposed to daylight, but dark tombs could also boast bright images.
Green color meant vitality, black - black soil, white - a sign of joy and victory, yellow - the eternal power of the gods, blue - the sea and eternal life.

The style was formed in Ancient Egypt (4000 BC), then it received further development.

The main differences of the Egyptian style were the luxury of decoration and the unique forms inherent to the pharaohs.

Distinctive features of the style of ancient Egypt

To create an Egyptian style in the interior, certain tones are required: golden, as well as beige shades or the color of sand.

The color blue is often present - a symbol of the Nile; it is better to combine it with green colors for overall harmony.

The interior chambers were often white due to the hot climate, and entire walls were yellow-orange with multi-colored niches and decorations.

All shades of orange tones are used for decoration: from light to terracotta.

Gold harmonizes well with the blue-black finish, the color of chocolate.

Characteristics of the Egyptian style

sand-colored (or orange) walls with Egyptian content;
columns (half-columns) with ancient paintings;
niches with luxurious frescoes and paintings;
dark blue tone of the ceiling;
lancet, arched doorways;
beautiful borders under the ceiling (one shade is possible with the ceiling and walls);
stucco molding made of polyurethane (corners, cornices);
“golden” heavy furniture with animal paws is one of the attributes of the style;
floor carpet with yellow and white stripes (tiger skin, etc.);
the presence of large chests with hieroglyphs and drawings.

Nuances of Egyptian style finishing

The walls have light plaster or marble (granite) slabs. Borders under the ceiling with frescoes or stripes are another attribute of the style.

Photo wallpapers and spectacular bas-reliefs, floral patterns on the walls (lotuses, grape leaves, palm branches) will decorate the room.

You can decorate the walls from stone: porcelain stoneware or artificial stone. Mosaic of yellow and blue tones is also an attribute of Egypt

The tone of the ceiling can be the same as the walls or a rich tone. Shades should be darker than the walls - these are the rules of style.

You can cover the floor with ceramics (stone). For greater pomp and chic, add accessories: style-themed bedspreads, curtains, animal skins and reed mats.

Furniture made from natural wood in dark tones is required, and the surrounding surfaces are glossy. This design will add luxury to the Egyptian-style design.

Advice! A gilded or ivory finish is desirable. The carving should depict animals and birds. A replacement could be photo wallpaper on this topic.

An Egyptian-style room needs as little upholstered furniture as possible. Use zigzags, yellow-black stripes and other patterns in the upholstery.

The interior assumes the presence of arches and columns with thematic designs, small podiums. Figurines dedicated to Egyptian civilization (from miniature to huge sphinxes, lions, cats, birds, pharaohs, bas-reliefs of Cleopatra, etc.) will ideally fit into the overall composition.

Instead of cabinets and cabinets, chests with original paintings are used.

Blue-sand (red-sand) interiors look impressive.

Egyptian motifs in design

There are many options for decorating an apartment in Egyptian style. There are two directions that are still used:

imitation of the chambers of the pharaohs;
creation of the spirit of Egypt, a touch of antiquity.

The difference is in the color scheme; in the first option, rich shades are needed, in the second, “antique” ones. But photo wallpaper can go perfectly in any direction. Everyone chooses what they like.

Wallpaper in the Egyptian style is a great way to fill your apartment with ancient Egyptian motifs. Dark blue upholstery of the chairs, a blue floor lamp and (or) table will complete the look.

You should carefully select decorative jewelry in the Egyptian style: vases, watches, paintings, pyramids, lotuses and other Egyptian-themed items. The Egyptian style of the Gods of that time is advantageously emphasized: Amun, Ra, Anubis, Inpu, Atum, Isis, Osiris and others.

Columns (half-columns) are replaced with false columns made of polyurethane, covered in sand or dark color with the decoration of Gods, signs, and geometric designs.