Egyptian sculpture

PTOLEMAIC 183

decoration of the temple wall. But if it is examined more closely the detail proves to be startlingly bad, especially when it is remembered that this, as a representation of a religious subject and as an important piece of temple sculpture, would display the sculptor’s powers. The figure of the king is moderately well proportioned, in spite of the narrowness of the waist and hips; the outline is not worse than many figures of a slightly earlier date; but in the matter of detail it is worth while noting the attempt to render the modelling of the knees by one deep transverse cut. The ignorance of the artist is shown in the hands of all the figures; the king has two left hands; and in order to show the thumb, the upraised hands of the goddesses are on the wrong arms. The royal garment appears to be so tight as to make a ridge across the chest, the necklace is hardly more than indicated, the ritual tail has become a spike. To realise the complete decadence and degradation of the sculpture of this period, compare this figure with Narmer slaying his enemy, with the Running Senusert

(Pl. XX. 2), and with the Kneeling Sethy I (Pl. XXVII. 1). |

The figures of the goddesses are noticeable for the artist’s complete disregard for nature. The faces, especially the goddess on the left, have a certain dignity, and the outline, though conventional, is at least possible; but the outline of the bodies and legs is extraordinary. As is usual with Ptolemaic female figures, there is only one breast, which is over-emphasised; the next emphatic point is the abdomen, which is represented as almost globular, with a large round hole for the navel; the extreme length of the body, from the arm-pit to the top of the hip, should be remarked. The back of the body is curved almost symmetrically with the front, giving the effect of a kind of cylinder. The outward curve of the further thigh is an Egyptian convention particularly