Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut
Near Luxor, Egypt. New Kingdom, 18th Dynasty. c. 1473-1458 B.C.E. Sandstone, partially carved into a rock cliff, and red granite.
Near Luxor, Egypt. New Kingdom, 18th Dynasty. c. 1473-1458 B.C.E. Sandstone, partially carved into a rock cliff, and red granite.
It sits directly against the rock which forms a natural amphitheater around it so that the temple itself seems to grow from the living rock. Most beautiful of all of the temples of Ancient Egypt.
Form
- Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut is cut into the stone of the cliff-side
- done purposefully to increase the perceived power of a structure by making it seem as though it is almost a part of nature and holds the stability of the mountainside itself
- we can see aspects of symmetry as well as the use of columns (Egyptians didn't know how else to hold up a roof!)
- Kneeling Statue is made from granite, which is very durable
- is also very large at almost nine feet tall (would impress any viewer, especially because it would be placed with a number of other large statues depicting the queen)
Content
- Kneeling Statue depicts Queen Hatshepsut in a kneeling position
- she was one of the only, and most powerful, female pharaohs
- though we can tell that she is female, she has many male physical features:her breasts are de-emphasized, she has the classic beard of the pharaohs, and wears the royal male headdress
- her masculine depiction is consistent with the upkeep of continuity and stability for Egyptian rulers (there is no word for "queen" in Egyptian--she truly saw herself as a king)
- different style than other Egyptian statues--her kneeling position humanizes her, and she is depicted in offering, most likely to a deity
- Temple features a lengthy, colonnaded terrace
- you must walk up a long ramp to enter into the temple (reminiscent of the horizon, Egyptian creation mound)
- temple held many statues of Hatshepsut, as well as relief depictions of her as well as the gods in the afterlife
- aligned with the winter solstice sun
Function
- Mortuary Temple was a funerary shrine to Queen Hatshepsut
- was a place for people to go and appreciate her power by looking at all of the different statues of her
- especially important because she was female, so she had to work extra hard to establish her authority
- meant to help her in her journey to the afterlife
- people could pray to the gods "housed" in the temple
- statues impressed upon people Hatshepsut's power and piety
Context
- shows an interesting aspect to traditional Egyptian continuity
- break in continuity that Hatshepsut was a female, but many aspects were kept the same--she was still depicted in the stiff, idealized form for her statue, and wore the male accoutrements of office
Khan Academy: https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/art-history/ap-art-history/ancient-mediterranean-ap/ancient-egypt-ap/v/mortuary-temple-of-hatshepsut-and-large-kneeling-statue-new-kingdom-egypt
