Sunday, February 21, 2010

Legacy of Egyptian Art

The Egyptians were a unique people. The distinct style of their art reminds us of their culture and way of life. The art forms used by the Egyptians is so unique that a person can usually identify a piece of Egyptian art very easily. They have created quite a legacy. So, why was it so important to the Egyptians that their art remained in the same style? Personally, I believe it had to do with their identity and the fact that it gave them recognition as a nation, almost like a national symbol. This is why I think continuance and permanence was such a huge deal to them. Other nations, I'm sure, recognized their architecture as well as their large sculptures, and these were probably intimidating. Also, I think the art had very personal meaning to the Egyptian people. It might have represented spiritual events of importance and worship; we see that their art definitely represented their culture. All these things are an expression of their life as a society which was very distinctive, and I can see why they would want to express that in the way they did their art. In creating pieces in the unique style that they did, I wonder if they could actually fathom how much permanence it would have even today. Did they know their technique was that powerful? Maybe not, but the fact that they were so concerned with permanence and seemed to avoid change makes me think that they were aware of the identity there artwork and architecture gave them as a society. Personally, I think the fact that the Egyptian style of art was maintained is really neat, and I would love to see the legacy live on.

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