A Comparison of two Egyptian artworks

Seated statue of Hatshepsut and Senwosret III as a Sphinx

Any analysis of Egyptian artwork must take into consideration the purpose for which the work was created. We must assume that the statues were created according to the common process of commissioning by the reigning pharaoh, for the purposes of self-promotion. The scope for the sculptors' creativity was limited by the artistic conventions of antiquity. The Egyptians believed that preserving the likeness of a pharaoh would ensure their immortality in the afterlife. Therefore, the task of a sculptor was to chisel the image of the pharaoh out of imperishable rock and entomb it with his body, where it would not be viewed by mortals, but would be easily recognizable by the soul of the dead king ("Art Criticism."áBritannica Concise Encyclopedia. 2004.)á

The pieces under analysis here are a seated statue of Hatshepsut, ruler of Egypt during the New Kingdom period (c. 1473 û 1458 B.C.E) and a portrayal of Senwosret III as a sphinx (c. 1836 û 1818 B.C.E).

Seated Statue of Hatshepsut, Sphinx of Senwosret III, ca. 1878û1841 B.C.E.;

ca. 1473û1458 B.C.E.; Dynasty 18; Dynasty 12, reign of Senwosret III; reign of Hatshepsut and Middle Kingdom Egyptian; Anorthosite gneiss.

An important similarity apparent between these two pieces is their crafting from types of stone common to many Egyptian sculpture

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feminine contours and proportions of her body. According to Harris, Hatshepsut ruled Egypt as pharaoh for around twenty years during the Eighteenth Dynasty, initially on her nephew's behalf, and then individually, after she usurped the throne from Thutmose III and proclaimed herself king. The image Hatshepsut cultivated of herself was a male one û although she was unashamedly feminine. As pharaoh, she wore the traditional regalia of male leaders from the New Kingdom, most notably, the royal false beard. The statue of Hatshepsut seems to spring from the period of her seizure of power from Thutmose III. The key details which support this view are the mixture of attributes associated with both kings and queens of the Middle Kingdom. In order for her role as pharaoh to be taken seriously, she wears the nemes headcloth, a symbol used by the reigning monarch. Hatshepsut's statue is endowed with the titles of a female: Mistress of the Two Lands and Daughter of Re. In the hieroglyphs inscribed on the front of the throne is her official throne name û Maatkare û Daughter of Ma'at (Harris, 1997). Further, Harris explains that the sphinx of Senwosret III was carved from a single block of anorthosite gneiss. The natural grain pattern of the
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Some common words found in the essay are:
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