The Comparison of ‘Maidens & Stewards’ & ‘Atum Leads Sesostris I to Amun-Re’ Sculptural Bas Reliefs

Maidens and Stewards, the fragment of the Panathenaic Procession, from the east  frieze of the Parthenon, Acropolis of  Athens is dated approximately 442-438 BCE. Its height is about 43 inches.  Atum leads Sesostris I to Amun-Re is dated about  1930 BCE. It was found in White Chapel at Karnak, Thebes. Its height is about 13 feet and 6 inches.  Reliefs of the White Chapel are considered to be the best examples of sculptural art of Egypt during the period of Middle Kingdom.  The Parthenon is also considered the brightest example of Greek sculpture and architecture.

Bas reliefs of the Whit Chapel had a religious and symbolic meaning. They depict Sunusret I, the second kind of the 12th Egyptian Dynasty.  He is considered to be the first monarch of the Middle Kingdom. Sunusret I constructed several temples. At the present moment scientists know about 35 objects created under his rule but most of them were destroyed or lost. The White Chapel was built for the traditional holiday dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the pharaoh’s rule. In general, the White Chapel has a simple structure, but it still has its charm. It is built of white alabaster and that is how it got its popular name.  Specialists state that the purity of forms peculiar to the White Chapel is inspired by the temple of Qasr el-Sagha.  Twelve pillars stand outside the kiosk, and four more pillars support the roof.  All pillars are decorated with the reliefs from each side.  Reliefs show Sensuret I in the company of Amun-Ru, or other gods of the Egyptian pantheon.

The Parthenon is a bright example of Geek classical sculpture and architecture. Desigend as a place of worship for the goddess Athena, who was considered as the patron and protector of Athens. The scultures and decorations of the Parthenon are considered to be the examples of the highest level of Greek art. In general, the Parthenon is often considered to be the symbol of Ancient Greece with its outstanding art and culture.

Atum leads Sesostris I to Amun-Re and Maidens and Stewards are both reliefs,  because they are attached to the background and figures project from it. Both reliefs can be called low reliefs  or bar reliefs because they are of very shallow depth.  Atum leads Sesostris I to Amun-Re  is even more shallow in comparison with Maidens and Stewards but still they both are bas reliefs because they do not project. Maidens and Stewards looks more round in comparison with the Egyptian relief, In addition, the figures on the Greek relief are showed from tree-quarter angle, and this position gives additional depth to the relief. Low relief, or bar relief can be seen only from the front side. This is very true for both – Atum leads Sesostris I to Amun-Re  and Maidens and Stewards.

Sculpture is one of the oldest forms of art.  Sculpture is usually three-dimensional media. Since ancient times people made three-dimensional figures and used different techniques for this. Atum leads Sesostris I to Amun-Re dated 447 – 438 BCE is a good prove for these.  Atum leads Sesostris I to Amun-Re and Maidens and Stewards are  reliefs of three-dimensional  relief. They possess height, weight and depth. There are two ways of dealing with material in the process of making a  sculpture.  The sculpture can be made through subtractive or additive process. When it comes to subtractive process the sculptor takes away extra pieces of material and creates a sculpture. In additive process the sculpture is formed by adding the material.  Carving is usually a subtractive process. Both reliefs are made in the carving technique. They are made by cutting, hammering and chipping away the parts of the material.   Atum leads Sesostris I to Amun is made of the limestone, which was quite common in use in architecture in Egypt during that time.  Maidens and Stewards is made of marble, which is quite common material used in ancient Greece. In general, stone and wood are most often used for carving, though there may be exceptions.

In ancient Egypt sculpture, same as other forms of art had religious and ritualistic rather than aesthetic meaning.  Art served as the means to assert the power of pharaoh and prove his divine origin during those times. The reliefs found in the White Chapel at Karnak, Thebes prove this function.  There reliefs depict different scenes from the pharaoh’s life and most of them also contain the depiction of Gods which show their sympathy and support for the pharaoh.  Relief shows no distinction between the material and spiritual world. Pharaoh is accompanied by Atum, the deity from the  other world.  Bas relief Atum leads Sesostris I to Amun is rather schematic. The figures are made in a rather simple manner, the author shows mainly the general lines of the body.  This bas relief contains a lot of minor details carved with great accuracy.

Maidens and Stewards is a frieze, or sculptural band which depicts several people who are placed comparatively symmetrically in order to make a kind of pattern of decoration.

Atum leads Sesostris I to Amun-Re relief shows Sensuet I, Atum and Amum-Re. Egyptian hieroglyphs frame the characters of the relief.   In this bas relief Amun-ra traditionally stands on the rectangular pedestal. There are two tall feathers on his head.  Long streamers go down from his head and reach the ground.  He raises his right arm and holds a flail. Flail is a symbol of kingship in Ancient Egypt. Atum leads Sesostris I to meet Amun-Re, who will bless him for ruling and make the king of Two Lands.  Atum proclaims: “Come in peace, O Senusret, that thou mayest see thy father, Amun Re, who loves thee, that he may give thee the kingship of the Two Lands” (Clayton).  To which Amun-Re responds: “I who am thy father, O Senusret…I establish thy crown as King of Upper and Lower Egypt on the throne of Horus, living for ever.” (Clayton).  Amun is a main deity of the Egyptian pantheon. His name is translated as “the hidden one”. The plot of the bas relief illustrates the main tendencies of the contemporary Egyptian social and political life. At those times, the pharaoh was the most important person in Egypt. His power and majesty was unlimited.  He ran the country and commanded the army. In addition, pharaoh officially headed state religion. Such high position was conditioned by the special status given to pharaoh by gods. He was considered to be the representative of God who connected material and spiritual worlds. The pharaoh in Egypt was considered to be the son of the god, but later his status was changed to the representative of god on the Earth. The relief described shows this status. Visually it is expressed by the closeness of the figures. In addition, Atum holds Sesostris I’s hand.

The main theme of the Parthenon frieze is a subject of disputes, because there is no one definite version about the meaning of the procession carved on the walls of the Parthenon. The most widespread version states that the Parthenon frieze depicts a Panathenaic procession, which took part in the Panathenaic festival. This festival was one of the main holidays of that time and was dedicated to the Athena’s birthday. The frieze is placed so that it makes one composition, which surrounds the exterior of the inner building. It has a complex plan. The sculptural procession starts in the southwest corner of the Parthenon. This the first place visitors see when they enter the building. Then the procession  divides on two parts and moves to two sides of the building.  The east part of the frieze shows the part of the procession and at the same time its culmination. The maidens and stewards from the frieze fragment called Maidens and Stewards  accompany the festival procession and follow their lords. The style of frieze relief is usually placed between the Severe Style, which was approaching its decline at that time, and the development of Late Classical style. The author of the sculptural composition of the frieze is unknown, thought several specialists express an idea that there were more than one sculptor who carved the frieze.

In contrast to Atum leads Sesostris I to Amun-Re relief, the Greek relief and sculpture of that time dedicate a lot of attention to the depiction of the human body and its beauty. The artists show increased attention to anatomical details and a lot of time is dedicated to the depiction of the smallest details of the body. The poses and gestures are various, but all of them aim to depict body from the best perspective to let the spectators enjoy its beauty. In comparison to the Greek relief, the Egyptian one looks more simple, despite it also depicts a lot of details.  Maidens and Stewards   bas relief reflects the tendencies of the art and culture of the time. The sculptures have both, ritual and aesthetic meaning. They are designed not only to serve as a religious art, but also an art object aiming to give aesthetic pleasure. The Egyptian relief possess a religious and ritual meaning and serves as a tool to prove the power and majesty of the pharaoh.

 Atum leads Sesostris I to Amun-Re and Maidens and Stewards are two bas reliefs which belong to different historical epochs, different cultures and different countries and even civilizations. More than 1500 years lie between these two works of art and they demonstrate different artistic detail, different meaning and different level of skill. Both works are bas reliefs, and it means that they are connected to the background. Both are made by the subtractive process which is usual for carving. Atum leads Sesostris I to Amun-Re I is made of limestone, while marble is used for Maidens and Stewards. Both reliefs present pieces of art peculiar to their time and both are made in the ceremonial buildings. The plot of two relies is different and each of them illustrates the subject peculiar to the time and the culture it belongs to. The style and kind of work  Atum leads Sesostris I to Amun-Re is more simple in comparison with Maidens and Stewards, which is quite understandable if to take into account that it was created much earlier . Both reliefs have aesthetic and religions function and serve as decoration and as a religious object which passes sacred information.

 

Works Cited:

Clayton, Peter , Chronicle of the Pharaohs (The Reign-By-Reign Record of the Rulers and Dynasties of Ancient Egypt), Thames and Hudson , 1994. Print

Sayre, M.Henry, A World of Art ,  Pearson; 7 edition , 2012, Print.

The terms offer and acceptance. (2016, May 17). Retrieved from

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"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016.

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"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 28, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 28, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 28, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 28, 2024]
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