Online Activities: Ancient Egypt
Most Recommended:
Dr. Gay Robins is Associate Professor of Art History and Faculty Curator of Ancient Egyptian Art in the Michael C. Carlos Museum at Emory University. Her books on Ancient Egyptian Art are well-written, clear, and authoritative. Anyone interested in Egyptian Art will enjoy her work, but her books will be especially useful for Art Teachers and students who really want to understand the principles and practices of the ancient artists and craftsmen.
- The Art of Ancient Egypt. Cambridge Mass: Harvard University Press, 1997. Hardcover, 271 pages, fully illustrated in colour and black and white. This book is beautiful enough for the coffee-table, but contains as well some of the clearest essays ever written about Egyptian Art. If you are really interested in tis subject, this is the book to buy.
- Egyptian Painting and Relief. Aylesbury, Bucks: Shire Publications, 1986. Softcover, 64 pages. This small book, part of the excellent Shire Egyptology Series, will provide students and teachers with an excellent introduction to Egyptian art, particularly with respect to the 'Grid System'. There is no clearer introduction to Egyptian Art.
- Proportion and Style in Ancient Egyptian Art. Austin: University of Texas Press, 1994. Softcover, large format, 283 pages, index, profusely illustrated with black and white photos and drawings by Ann S. Fowler. For teachers and students of Egyptian Art, this book will prove invaluable. Dr. Robins examines the well-known but often misunderstood 'grid' on which much of Egyptian painting was executed. Technical, but clearly written and thorough.
Also Recommended:
There are now many beautiful and helpful books on Egyptian Art. The following books have been chosen for their availability as well as their excellence.
- Aldred, Cyril. Egyptian Art in the Days of the Pharaohs. London: Thames and Hudson, 1980, Softcover, 199 illustrations, more than 20 in colour. Indexed. An excellent introduction to Egyptian Art, clear and comprehensive.
- Jewels of the Pharaohs. New York: Ballantine Books,1971, 1978. Abridged Edition. Softcover, 173 illustrations, 109 in colour photographs by Albert Shoucair. Dr. Aldred, Late Keeper of Egyptian Antiquities at the British Museum, became so interested in Egyptian jewellery, that he studied the jeweler's craft to better understand how the Ancient Egyptians achieved their spectacular effects. A wonderful book for students of design, or anyone who likes to look at beautiful things.
- Andrews, Carol. Ancient Egyptian Jewelry. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 1990. Hardcover, large format, 186 illustrations, 140 colour plates. Dr. Andrews, a curator in the department of Egyptian Antiquities in the British Museum, is interested in the uses and meanings of Egyptian jewelry as much as the techniques and materials. A fine book for design students or the general reader.
- Arnold, Dorothea. When the Pyramids Were Built: Egyptian Art of the Old Kingdom. New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1999. Hardcover, large format, 144 pages, 130 full-colour illustrations, indexed. Dr. Arnold's lovely book is a pleasure to look at, with brief but insightful essays. A fine gift book.
- Berman, Lawrence M. and Bernadette Letellier. Pharaohs. Oxford University Press and the Cleveland Museum, 1996. Softcover, 100 pages. Introduction, and index, over thirty colour and black and white illustrations. Essentially a catalogue to accompany a travelling exhibition of Egyptian art from the Louvre, this slender volume would be a fine introduction to the finer points of Egyptian art appreciation. Each short essay is readable and useful. Among the pieces discussed are the fine red quartzite head of King Dejedfre, a seated statue of Senwosret III, a torso of the woman king, Sobek-neferu, and a number of pieces from the Amarna period.
- * Capart, Jean. L'Art Egyptien. Bruxelles et Paris: Vromant & co., 1911. Hardcover, photos and line-drawings, indexed. The late Dr. Capart's books are now usually found only in second-hand shops and good libraries, but are well worth seeking out, either in the original French, or in English translations. His insights and appreciation's have not become stale with the passage of time. There is still much to be learned from his elegant and graceful prose.
- Hope, Colin. Egyptian Pottery. Shire Publications, 1987. Softcover, 64 pages, index and glossary. 72 black and white illustrations. Another fine entry in the Shire Egyptology series, this book discusses the methods Ancient Egyptians used to produce their pottery, and explains the use of many shapes of vessels.
- James, T.G.H. Egyptian Painting. Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press, 1986. British Museum series. Softcover, 72 pages, 50 colour, 38 black and white illustrations. An excellent introduction to the Egyptian artist and his materials.
- Killen, Geoffrey. Egyptian Woodworking and Furniture. Shire Egyptology, 1994. Softcover, 64 pages, indexed, well illustrated with black and white photos and line drawings. Another fine book from the Shire series.
- Lucas, A. Ancient Egyptian Materials and Industries. Fourth Edition, revised by J. R. Harris. London: Histories and Mysteries of Man, LTD., 1989. [First published 1926.] Hardcover, 253 pages, indices. What was it made of? Where did they get the materials? How did the Egyptians make their paints? Lucas and Harris attempt to answer such questions through reason, experiment, and exploration. This book will be a fine addition to a school or personal library. It is one of the most often used Egyptological reference books. Fairly technical, but very clearly written and well organized.
- Russman, Edna R. Egyptian Sculpture, Cairo and Luxor. Austin: University of Texas Press, 1989. Photographs by David Finn. Hardcover, large format, 230 pages, indexed. The photographs in this book are so beautiful that it may be some time before the reader notices the wonderful essays that accompany them. Dr. Russman has no equal for writing about Egyptian art in a sensitive and moving as well as scholarly manner. She makes us look, and then look again. This exquisite, fairly expensive book will grace any library, and would be a wonderful present for someone who really loves Egypt.
- Scheel, Bernd. Egyptian Metalworking and Tools. Shire Publications,1989. Softcover, 68 pages, Index and glossary, 62 black and white illustrations. Wonderfully clear explanations of how the Egyptians mined, worked, and smelted metals.
- Smith, W. Stevenson, revised by William Kelly Simpson. The Art and Architecture of Ancient Egypt. Penguin, 1981. Softcover, 501 pages, indexed, over 400 black and white illustrations. This is the standard history of Egyptian art, essential to the school library, while interesting and useful to the general reader.
