Egyptian Art and the Idea of Eternity

Ancient Egyptian art was designed to last forever, and that goal shaped how it looked. Most surviving works come from tombs and temples, where images were believed to help the dead and the gods. Artists followed strict conventions for nearly 3,000 years: figures were shown with the head and legs in profile but the eye and shoulders from the front, so each part appeared in its most recognizable form. Grids helped artists keep proportions consistent.

The pharaoh appeared calm, youthful and larger than others, expressing order (maat) rather than individual personality. The Narmer Palette, from around 3100 BCE, already shows these features. Monuments such as the Great Pyramid of Khufu, built around 2560 BCE, show the immense resources a state could organize around beliefs about kingship and the afterlife.