UNIT 2 Art Appreciatio
The two arts chosen for this exercise are the Head of a Ptolemaic Queen and the Kushite Pharaoh from the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
1. Head of a Ptolemaic Queen, Hellenistic, ca. 270–250 B.C.
The head of a Ptolemaic Queen is an ancient art preserved at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It is wholly made of marble and in such a manner to be inserted in a statue independently. The design of the queen head followed the refined style of classic that was developed in Greece in the fourth century B.C. evidence from the back of the queen’s head indicate the presence of a veil at some time given that it is rough and less refined than a typical face. The head is believed to be of Arsinoë II, who reigned with her blood brother, Ptolemy II, between 278 B.C. until her death in 270 B.C. (The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2002) The statue is in the form of a portrait. After her death, Ptolemy II rose to power and declared her as an independent deity. He occasionally referred to her in connection to royal decrees he made. Furthermore, the Ptolemaic Queen was worshiped both by the Greek and Egyptian as a goddess.
2. Kushite Pharaoh, Late Period, Dynasty 25, ca. 713–664 B.C.
The distinctive Sudanese regalia of this art makes it clear that it is a Kushite Pharaoh of Egypt. The piece of art is made of Bronze with gilding. The cap crown of the Pharaoh has a unique engraved falcon at the back, something synonymous with a Kushite Pharaoh at the time. While the belt usually bears the Kings’ names, this stature does not have it implying that it was erased (Matthews & Roemer 2003). The kneeling Kings were to compliment the miniature divine image found in the temple to appease the gods and guarantee blessings to the land of Egypt (The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2002). The King was obliged to provide the gods with their desires so as to have blessings showered upon Egypt while for the entire period he is in power. Kushite Pharaohs were credited with creating harmony and stability in the land of Egypt during their reign. They are also said to have been responsible for the resurgence of traditional art, architecture and religion in Egypt.
In comparison, the two pieces of art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art are both representational pieces of art of their time belonging to the royalty. While the identity of the Ptolemaic Queen is unquestionable, it is difficult to establish the exact identity of the Kushite Pharaoh owing to the erasure of his name at his belt. Furthermore, the stature of the Ptolemaic Queen is made out of marble whilst that of the Kushite Pharaoh is curved out of bronze and has a gold gilding (The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2002).
The Ptolemaic Queen is believed to be of a dynastic ruler cult because of the association of the sculptured head with the cult in the period after her death. While the Ptolemaic Queen was worshipped as goddess by both the Greek and Egyptians, the Kushite Pharaoh was recognized as King in Egypt only.
The two images also differ in the nature of their subject matter. While the Ptolemaic Queen was curved in the represent Queen Arsinoë II, the sculture of the Kushite Pharaoh was not sculptured to depict an image of any particular King from that period (meaning that it was abstract).
The two pieces of art have similarity in the sense that they come from the same different ancient periods – the Queen from the Hellenistic period, and the Pharaoh from the Dynasty 25 period (Matthews & Roemer 2003). They are also both sculptures, which were sculptured for remembrance and worship of the Queen and King during this period.
References
Matthews, R., & Roemer, C. (2003). Ancient Perspectives on Egypt. London: Routledge.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art (2002). Head of a Ptolemaic queen, Hellenistic, ca. 270–
250 B.C. Retrieved from: http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/2002.66.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art (2002). Kushite Pharaoh, Late Period, Dynasty 25, ca. 713–
664 B.C. Retrieved from: http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/2002.8.
