Egyptian sculpture

30 EGYPTIAN SCULPTURE

his powers to create a naturalistic representation in his portraiture, and produced an artistic realism which is not found so early in any other country.

Though the Proto-dynastic period has certain characteristics which distinguish it from the prehistoric era as well as from the later dynasties, it is possible to see a change in the art from the Ist dynasty to the IIIrd. Conventionalism sets in at the same time as stone architecture, as the enthroned figure of King Kha-sekhem shows. Artistically, therefore, the middle Proto-dynastic period may be regarded as the time when the conventionalities of Egyptian art first became fixed. Yet convention was not strong enough to prevent expression, and in the Proto-dynastic period and the Old Kingdom the artist’s aim seems to have been to express character; therefore, in this early time the finest and most living portraiture was produced.

STATUES

The amount of sculpture in the round that remains from the Proto-dynastic period is very small, but two at least of the few pieces are not only fine examples of Egyptian portraiture, but bear comparison with the portraiture of any country, ancient or modern.

Pl. V. ris the head of an unnamed king, generally ascribed to Narmer (Menes), the first historic king of Egypt. It isa square block of limestone, and appears to be the sculptor’s life-study of the king from which to make the necessary statues. The edge only of the royal head-dress is indicated, the ears are merely roughed out; the artist has concentrated entirely on the portraiture. Whether seen full-face or in profile, the naturalistic rendering of the bony and muscular structures, which underlie the skin, shows that the sculptor