The Art of Ancient Egypt (NA) - Softcover

Robins, G

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0674003764 ISBN 13: 9780674003767

Publisher: Harvard University Press, 2001

Synopsis

THIS EDITION HAS BEEN REPLACED BY A NEWER EDITION.. From the awesome grandeur of the great pyramids to the delicacy of a face etched on an amulet, the spellbinding power of the art of ancient Egypt persists to this day. This beautifully illustrated book conducts us through the splendors of this world, great and small, and into the mysteries of its fascination in its day as well as in our own. What did art, and the architecture that housed it, mean to the ancient Egyptians? Why did they invest such vast wealth and effort in its production? These are the puzzles Gay Robins explores as she examines the objects of Egyptian art--the tombs and wall paintings, the sculpture and stelae, the coffins, funerary papyri, and amulets--from its first flowering in the Early Dynastic period to its final resurgence in the time of the Ptolemies. Spanning three thousand years, her book offers a thorough and delightfully readable introduction to the art of ancient Egypt even as it provides insight into questions that have long perplexed experts and amateurs alike. With remarkable sensitivity to the complex ways in which historical, religious, and social changes are related to changes in Egyptian art, she brings out the power and significance of the image in Egyptian belief and life. Her attention to the later period, including Ptolemaic art, shows for the first time how Egyptian art is a continuous phenomenon, changing to meet the needs of different times, right down to the eclipse of ancient Egyptian culture. In its scope, its detail, and its eloquent reproduction of over 250 objects from the British Museum and other collections in Europe, the United States, and Egypt, this volume is without parallel as a guide to the art of ancient Egypt.

About this title

Review:

delight anyone interested in the art and archaeology of the ancient world. Robins has produced the first significant general survey of ancient Egyptian art in the English language since Cyril Aldred's "Egyptian Art in the Days of the Pharaohs, 3100-320 BC "and W. Stevenson Smith's "The Art and Architecture of Ancient Egypt"...Unique to this survey is the inclusion of Ptolemaic art and the attention paid to the decoration of sarcophagi, coffins, and mummy cartonages over three millennia. The text is authoritative and fully referenced with an excellent bibliography. This work will interest general readers as well as scholars and is recommended for all public and academic libraries.--Edward K. Werner "Library Journal " Covering three millennia of Egyptian art, this beautifully illustrated volume presents and chronological survey of the monuments and art works of the ruling elite of ancient Egypt...This book is sure to delight anyone interested in the art and archaeology of the ancient world.--Rhonda Cooper "KLIATT "

About the Author:

Gay Robins is Samuel Candler Dobbs Professor of Art History at Emory University.

About this edition

• Publisher: Harvard University Press
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 0674003764
• ISBN 13: 9780674003767
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 288