Comparing and Contrasting Ancient Egyptian Art Forms

Compare and Contrast Essay

When it came to pre-historic art forms there were several distinctive patterns and areas of focus that each specific ancient civilization held onto. The Mesopotamians and Egyptians used art to represent their gods and rulers. Certain pieces of artwork were able to capture the cultures, ruling styles and ideology that these leaders possessed. There are several pieces of artwork that show the gradual changes that took place within these two different cultures. The first piece is the Victory Steele of Naram-Sin. The Steele portrayed the king as a god, the first king to call himself a god, which was a big change. The second piece is the official statue of Khafre. His sculpture shows the traditional characteristics that most pharaohs portrayed. The third piece is the statue of Akhenaton, and this statue shows us how Egyptian culture changed for a short period of time. These three works of art all came from different times in history, they were most likely created in different areas, and the rulers all had different beliefs, yet they all seem to have certain similarities as well as distinct differences.

Overtime, it has been observed that many similarities exist between the artworks found in most nearby ancient civilizations. Whether it was the style of the art, the materials used, or the messages that were portraying through them. When we consider the Victory Steele of Naram-sin, a Mesopotamian ruler, we are being told a story. This story is full of propaganda that shows the strength and vitality of the ruler. Naram-sin is portrayed in tablet where he is taking his army on a battle and is shown single handedly defeating the enemies. Showing himself as a strong and powerful man that could take control of any situation. He cleverly depicts this by showing the organization of his troops that are standing behind him and chaotic behavior of the enemies he has defeated. He is also shown wearing a horned helmet, representing himself as a god. Sumerians worshipped nature gods and the rulers or kings were known as gods’ representatives, never as gods themselves. Naram-Sin tried to transform the beliefs of the Sumerians by claiming he was a god, and the stele was one of the pieces of art work that clearly defined this point.

In the context of change, the victory stele is similar to the statue of Akhenaton from the temple of Aton. Akhenaton was an Egyptian pharaoh from the 18th dynasty, and he was one the first pharaohs to stray from traditional ancient Egyptian art forms. A few years after he began his reign, he changed the religious views that were established in Egypt. Instead of worshipping pharaohs as gods, he claimed Aton, the sun disk, as the only god the Egyptians would worship. Akhenaton detached the title of god-king from himself and pledged his allegiances with Aton. His statue at the temple of Aton shows him off as being more realistic and less idealized compared to