We decorate the interior to resemble ancient Egypt. The development of painting in ancient Egypt What do the drawings on the walls of the pyramid mean?

In ancient times, people were not particularly far-sighted and optimistic, and generally believed that people would at most live until 2012, and then they would burn in fiery hell. Therefore, they did not have the ability to explain things, or at least hint at their essence, in general, as well as the ability to do simple things. The Mayans made a post-apocalyptic calendar, which caused a lot of molehills and thoughts about life in the average person, and the ancient Egyptians built pyramids, the purpose of which worries even artists. And if so, we will learn how to draw pyramids with a pencil. The Pyramids of Cheops are one of the wonders of the world, a bunch of cobblestones that bring in a lot of income from the influx of tourists, as well as an architectural masterpiece built before our era. In ancient times, during the reign of the sun god Ra, they were used for the burial of pharaohs, sacrifices, platonic contacts with the other world and other mass entertainment. The pyramid-shaped structure turned out to be a very reliable structure, so similar buildings were built in Mesopotamia, China, Mars and Las Vegas. If you believe accurate sources from Wikipedia, then the pyramids in Egypt are called Egyptian, in China Chinese, and so on. Well, you understand.

One thing I know for sure is that drawing mystical structures is much easier than building them, especially if you do it according to these steps:

How to draw a pyramid with a pencil step by step

Step one. Draw several triangles, preferably even ones, and below there will be a sand background with camels. For now, let's denote them by circles.
Step two. Carefully select the shapes of the pyramids and outline the contours.
Step three. Now let's add some Bedouins with camels.
Step four. Let's add a few touches for believability. You can even color it with colored pencils. But I’ll leave this to you:
Try to draw other mysterious places on our planet.

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?

From the very beginning of Egyptian culture, painting played the role of the main decorative art. The painting of Ancient Egypt slowly developed over thousands of years. What did the Egyptians achieve during this time?

The basis for painting was most often walls with bas-reliefs. Paints were applied to plastered walls. The placement of paintings was subject to strict norms dictated by the priests. Principles such as the correctness of geometric shapes and contemplation of nature were strictly observed. The paintings of Ancient Egypt were always accompanied by hieroglyphs explaining the meaning of what was depicted.

Space and composition. In Egyptian painting, all elements of the composition look flat. When it is necessary to represent figures in depth, artists superimpose them on top of each other. The drawings are distributed in horizontal stripes, which are separated by lines. The most important scenes are always located in the center.

Image of a human figure. Egyptian drawings of people include features in front and profile equally. To maintain proportions, the artists drew a grid on the wall. Older examples consist of 18 squares (4 cubits), while newer ones have 21 squares. Women were depicted with pale yellow or pink skin. To create a masculine image, brown or dark red was used. It was customary to depict people in the prime of life.

to maintain proportions, the artists used a grid

Egyptian painting is characterized by a so-called “hierarchical” view. For example, the higher the social status of the person depicted, the larger the size of the figure. Therefore, in battle scenes, the pharaoh often looks like a giant. Images of people can be divided into archetypes: pharaoh, scribe, artisan, etc. Figures of lower social strata are always more realistic and dynamic.

Application of color. The artists followed a pre-established program, which means each color had a specific symbolism. It is believed that the origins of the meaning of colors in Egyptian painting were in the contemplation of the color tints of the Nile. Let us highlight the meaning of the main colors used by artists:

• blue - promise of new life;
• green - an expression of life's hopes, rebirth and youth;
• red is a symbol of evil and barren land;
• white is a sign of victory and joy;
• black is a symbol of death and return to life in the other world;
• yellow is an expression of eternity and incorruptible divine flesh.

The tone of the background depends on the era. The Old Kingdom has a gray background, while the New Kingdom has a pale yellow background.

Painting of the Old Kingdom

The Old Kingdom covers the period from the 27th to the 22nd centuries BC. It was then that the construction of the Great Pyramids took place. At this time, bas-relief and painting were not yet distinguished from each other. Both means of expression were used to decorate the tombs of pharaohs, members of the royal family and officials. During the Old Kingdom, a uniform style of painting was formed throughout the country.

Peculiarities

The first wall paintings are distinguished by a rather narrow range of colors, mainly black, brown, white, red and green shades. The depiction of people is subject to a strict canon, the stricter of which is the higher, the higher the status of the person depicted. Dynamism and expression are characteristic of the figures depicting minor characters.

Mostly scenes from the life of gods and pharaohs were depicted. Colorful frescoes and reliefs recreate the environment that should surround the deceased, no matter what world he is in. The painting reaches high filigree, both in the images of characters and in the silhouettes of hieroglyphs.

Example

Sculptures of Prince Rahotep and his wife Nofret (27th century BC) are considered one of the most significant monuments of the Old Kingdom. The male figure is painted brick red, while the female figure is painted yellow. The figures' hair is black and their clothes are white. There are no halftones.

Painting of the Middle Kingdom

We will talk about the period that lasted from the 22nd to the 18th century BC. During this era, wall paintings exhibited structure and orderliness that was absent during the Old Kingdom. A special place is occupied by the painted multi-colored relief.

Peculiarities

In cave tombs one can see complex scenes that are more dynamic than in previous eras. Additional attention is paid to contemplation of nature. Paintings are increasingly decorated with floral patterns. Attention is paid not only to the ruling class, but also to ordinary Egyptians, for example, you can see farmers at work. At the same time, the integral features of painting are perfect order and clarity of what is depicted.

Example

Most of all, the paintings of the tomb of the nomarch Khnumhotep II stand out against the background of other monuments. Particularly noteworthy are the hunting scenes, where animal figures are rendered using halftones. The paintings of the tombs in Thebes are no less impressive.

New Kingdom Painting

Scientists call the period from the 16th to the 11th centuries BC the New Kingdom. This era is distinguished by the best examples of Egyptian art. At this time, painting reached its greatest flowering. The proliferation of tombs encourages the development of painting on walls covered with plaster. Freedom of expression is most evident in the tombs of private individuals.

Peculiarities

The era of the New Kingdom was characterized by a hitherto unknown color gradation and light transmission. Contact with the peoples of Asia brought a fascination with detail and ornamented forms. The impression of movement is enhanced. Dyes are no longer applied in an even matte layer; artists try to show soft tonal tints.

Through painting, the pharaohs demonstrated their strength to the border peoples. Therefore, depictions of scenes reproducing military episodes were common. Separately, it is worth mentioning the theme of the pharaoh in a drawn war chariot, the latter was introduced by the Hyksos. Images of a historical nature appear. Art increasingly resonates with national pride. Rulers transform temple walls into "canvases" that focus on the pharaoh's role as protector.

Example

Tomb of Nefertari. This is a perfect ensemble of painting and architecture. Currently this is the most beautiful tomb in the Valley of the Queens. The paintings cover an area of ​​520 m². On the walls you can see some chapters from the Book of the Dead, as well as the queen’s path to the afterlife.

• The first surviving ancient Egyptian monumental painting was discovered in a 4000 BC funerary crypt located at Hierakonpolis. She depicts people and animals.
• The ancient Egyptians painted with mineral paints. Black paint was extracted from soot, white from limestone, green from malachite, red from ocher, blue from cobalt.
• In ancient Egyptian culture, the image played the role of a double of reality. The painting of the tombs guaranteed the deceased that the same benefits awaited them in the afterlife as in the human world.
• In Ancient Egypt, images were believed to have magical properties. Moreover, their strength directly depended on the quality of the painting, which explains the special care with which the Egyptians treated painting.

Despite numerous studies devoted to the painting of Ancient Egypt, not all the secrets of this art have yet been solved. To understand the true meaning of each drawing and each sculpture, scientists will have to work for centuries.

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 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 millennia 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.