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Lesson Plans
Art History ©1999
by Marilyn Stokstad
Focus Lesson 3
Chapter 3: "Art of Ancient Egypt"
AP* Course Description
- Ancient Through Medieval
- Prehistory, the Ancient Near East, Egypt
Key Components
- Instructor's Resource Manual with Tests, Vol. I: pp. 14–16, 59–60, 94–100, 195–198
- Study Guide, Vol. I: pp. 14–21
Key Web Sites
Check the Online Companion Web site for updated information and links to other sites.
Key Words and Terms
- abstract
- register
- ka
- sarcophagus
- freestanding
- temple complex
- rock-cut tomb
- faience
- demotic
- pylon
- obelisk
- sunken relief
- pictograph
- groundline
- veneer
- necropolis
- engaged column
- colonnade
- relief sculpture
- hieroglyph
- cartouche
- clerestory
- pyramidion
- papyrus
- canon of proportions
- serdab
- ziggurat
- attached column
- portico
- modeling
- hieratic
- hypostyle hall
- peristyle court
- axial
Suggested Pacing
Allow one to two weeks for studying the art of ancient Egypt. The exact length of time needed depends on how much time you wish to spend on non-Western art later in the year or on the presentation of student projects during the year. In teaching this chapter, plan to spend more time on Dynasty 4 (the Great Pyramids, the Great Sphinx, etc.) and Dynasty 18 (Akhenaton). They are likely to appear on the AP* test.
Test Strategy
Differentiating between the dynasties studied in this chapter is one of the most challenging tasks students will face during the course. Using style as a guide, students should be able to recognize a sculpture from Dynasty 4 and compare it to one from the Amarna period, Dynasty 18. Students should also be aware that they may be tested on the poses used in Egyptian sculpture and may be asked to compare poses from different dynasties.
Key Concepts
- Concepts of death
The Egyptian fascination with the afterlife is the focus of much of the art of this region and time period. Refer back to the discussion in Chapter 2 about the use of art in the service of religion. You might wish to introduce the idea of a Book of the Dead for additional background. - The Amarna Revolution
The artistic revolution of Akhenaten is a major concept in the survey of Egyptian art, and one likely to appear on the AP* exam. Students should be able to explain how art of Dynasty 18 differed from the art that preceded it. Constructing a table of characteristics is a useful way to help students learn and understand the changes. - Patronage and symbolism
The concepts of patronage and symbolism in ancient Egyptian art should be compared with examples from the Near East (Chapter 2). - Egyptian mythology
Having students study the importance of the afterlife in Egyptian mythology in conjunction with this chapter can be useful in helping them see the pervasiveness of this concept. The story of Osiris is a good example. The annual flooding of the Nile serves as a loaded metaphor for this cycle of death and rebirth. Students might discuss how Egyptian pharaohs used symbols associated with Osiris in their own funeral trappings—for example, the inner coffin of Tutankhamun's sarcophagus (p. 122).
Summing Up Student Understanding
Use this activity to introduce the essay writing process and the 30-minute time limit for writing the longer essays on the AP* art history test. Topics for shorter essays are given in the Instructor's Resource Manual, Volume I, on pp. 99–100, or use the prompt given below. Either read the prompt aloud, duplicate and distribute it, or present it on an overhead.
Present the writing prompt and then have students spend three minutes jotting notes based on the information you provided and any relevant information they may know from other sources and from their studying. Call time and then have students spend three minutes drafting a thesis statement for an essay. At the end of three minutes, have students share their thesis statements for critiquing for clarity, accuracy, and completeness.
What role did the ancient Egyptians' beliefs about death play in their art and architecture? Support your ideas with examples of sculpture, painting, and architecture.
Students might build the plan for their essays around the following information:
- Egyptian preoccupation with death is visible in the majority of the art studied in this chapter.
- No greater evidence is available than the Great Pyramids from Giza.
- The painted papyrus Judgement before Osisris shows a scene from an Egyptian Book of the Dead (p. 125).
- Funerary sculpture is common, for example, the Inner coffin of Tutankhamun's sarcophagus (p. 122).
- The chapter ends with sections about "Preserving the Dead," "Tomb Decoration," and "Books of the Dead."
If students choose to argue that Egyptian art is the product of more humanistic values, they may cite as evidence:
- the Seated Scribe (painting, p. 107).
- the model of a house and garden (architecture, p. 109).
- Harvest Scene (painting, page 111).
Ultimately, when students experience humanistic art in ancient Greece, or the Renaissance, the differences between those cultures and that of the Egyptians will become clearer.