Ancient Egyptian art gives researchers glimpse into how artists worked

Art at the Chapel of Hatshepsut. Differing quality suggests the left wig was made by an apprentice, the right by a master. (M. Jawornicki via Antiquity)

Researchers documenting ancient Egyptian art in the city of Thebes say two massive reliefs have offered new insight into how artists worked.

By studying massive reliefs at the Temple of Hatshepsut, Anastasiia Stupko-Lubczynska from the University of Warsaw, said researchers now have a better insight into what the creation process was like and who made the art.

The reliefs – located in the largest room at the temple, known as the Chapel of Hatshepsut – were dedicated to the female pharaoh, Hatshepsut. She ruled from 1473 to 1458 BC.

The reliefs, nearly 13 metres long, depict 100 figures bringing offerings to the pharaoh and an offerings menu.

In a new paper published online on Wednesday by the journal Antiquity, Stupko-Lubczynska said the documentation team rendered the wall surfaces at a 1:1 scale on plastic-film sheets that were attached directly to the walls.

“These were then scanned and processed as vector graphics,” Stupko-Lubczynska said in a press release. “I couldn’t stop thinking our documentation team was replicating the actions of those who created these images 3,500 years ago. Like us, ancient sculptors sat on scaffolding, chatting and working together.”

According to the release, archeologists have known for a long time how art was made in ancient Egypt, but not how each individual step was performed.

“The chapel’s soft limestone is a very promising material for study, as it preserves traces of various carving activities, from preparing the wall surface to the master sculptor’s final touches,” Stupko-Lubczynska said in the release.

By studying the two mirrored reliefs, the research team was able to determine they were created in seven steps.

First, the wall was smoothed and plastered for defects and to fill joints between blocks.

Next, the wall was divided into sections and a square grid was applied before a preliminary sketch is drawn out in red paint. This would have copied from a prepared drawing.

Then a master artist would correct the sketch and add other details using black paint.

After that, text would be added and, once the outlines were done, sculptors would begin working, following along the black lines.

Lastly, the finished surface would be whitewashed and colour would be added.

Researchers were also able to identify which parts of the relief were made by which types of artists.

While the paper said the total number of artists who worked on the reliefs is a “matter of speculation,” there were groups with more experience and groups of those with less experience.

“In the case of the Chapel of Hatshepsut, it can be presumed that all the relatively large and plain surfaces with limited detail were executed by artists B, while more intricate areas were completed by artists A,” the paper reads.

Stupko-Lubczynska said while it’s generally believed that ancient artists in Egypt were trained outside of architectural projects, the team’s research proved there was also some on-the-job training.

According to the paper, on one part of the chapel`s north wall there is an area where students were taught to carve in more elaborate detail.

There was also “numerous correction in areas of minor complexity,” which suggests less experienced sculptors worked on the reliefs, Stupko-Lubczynska wrote.

The paper said the research also determined different crews worked on each of the reliefs.

“In the Chapel of Hatshepsut, some details indicate that two groups of artists may have been working independently on the two lateral walls,” the paper reads. “Such a separation is suggested by differences (either in workmanship or iconography) in the same type of object carried by an offering-bearer.”

Ultimately, by carefully studying the mirrored reliefs, Stupko-Lubczynska said they were able to reconstruct the sequence of actions required to make them.

“In doing so, we believe we have achieved a better understanding of the conditions under which the artists worked,” the paper reads.