Khafre, three-quarter view, left side.
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Title |
Khafre, three-quarter view, left side. |
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Date |
2520-2494 BCE? |
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Cultural Context |
Egyptian
Ancient Egyptian
African
North African
Middle Eastern |
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Style/Period |
Egyptian (ancient)
Old Kingdom (Egyptian)
Fourth Dynasty |
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Subject |
Sculpture
Men
Kings
Rulers
People associated with politics & government
Muscles
Clothing & dress
Headdresses
Headgear
Cobras
Snakes
Reptiles
Beards
Thrones
Chairs
Seating furniture
Furniture
Sitting
Bas-reliefs
Plants
Animals
Lions
Wild cats
Birds
Falcons
Gods
Myths
Legends
Supernatural beings
Fictitious characters
Symbols
Power (Social sciences) |
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Description |
From Gizeh, Egypt, Dynasty IV. "The seated statue of Khafre is one of a series of similar statues carved for the pharaoh's valley temple near the Great Sphinx. The stone is diorite, an exceptionally hard dark stone brought some 400 miles down the Nile from royal quarries in the south. […] Khafre wears a simple kilt and sits rigidly upright on a throne formed of two stylized lions' bodies. Intertwined lotus and papyrus plants - symbol of the united Egypt - are carved between the throne's legs. The falcon-god Horus extends his protective wings to shelter the pharaoh's head. Khafre has the royal false beard fastened to his chin and wears the royal linen nemes headdress with the uraeus cobra of kingship on the front. The headdress covers his forehead and falls in pleated folds over his shoulders. (The head of the Great Sphinx is similarly attired.) As befitting a divine ruler, Khafre is shown with a well-developed, flawless body and a perfect face, regardless of his actual age and appearance. The Egyptians considered ideal proportions appropriate for representing imposing majesty, and artists used them quite independently of reality. This and all other generalized representations of the pharaohs are not true portraits and were not intended to be. Their purpose was not to record individual features or the distinctive shapes of bodies, but rather to proclaim the godlike nature of Egyptian kingship. […] The seated king radiates serenity. The sculptor created this effect, common to Egyptian royal statues, in part by giving the figure great compactness and solidity, with few projecting, breakable parts. The form manifests the purpose: to last for eternity. Khafre's body is attached to the unarticulated slab that forms the back of the king's throne. His arms are held close to the torso and thighs, and his legs are close together and connected to the chair by the stone the artist chose not to remove. The pose is frontal, rigid, and bilaterally symmetrical (the same on either side of an axis, in this case the vertical axis). The sculptor suppressed all movement and with it the notion of time, creating an eternal stillness." (Excerpt, p.65) |
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People Pictured |
Khafre, King of Egypt, r.2520-2494 BCE
Horus (Egyptian deity) |
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Material |
Diorite
Rock
Stone (rock) |
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Measurements |
Approx. 5' 6" high |
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Technique |
Sculpting
Carving (processes) |
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Work Type |
Sculpture
Statues |
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Repository |
Egyptian Museum (Cairo, Egypt) |
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Source |
Kleiner, Fred S., and Christin J. Mamiya. Gardner's Art Through the Ages. 12th ed. Belmont, CA: Thomson/Wadsworth, 2005. (fig.3-12, p.65) |
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Rights |
Photo credit/reproduced in Kleiner courtesy: Araldo de Luca. |
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Digital Publisher |
University of Louisville Department of Fine Arts/Allen R. Hite Art Institute Visual Resources Center |
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Format |
image/jpeg |
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Digital File Name |
VRC 825-22.jpg |
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Rating |
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