Ancient Egyptian carvings were done in two parts: the simplest, which was limbs and the torsos. The more complex pieces of art required master craftmen to tackle like faces.
An Egyptologist at the University of Warsaw concluded this conclusion after studying two reliefs from Temple of Hatshepsut, Thebes. They were 3500 years old.
Hatshepsut was a pharaoh of Egypt’s Eighteenth Dynasty — and the second historically confirmed female pharaoh — who ruled from 1473–1458 BC.
The 43-feet-long reliefs, mirrors of each other, line the temple’s largest room (or the Chapel of Hatshepsut), showing a 100-strong procession taking gifts to the pharaoh.
Moreover, they contain evidence for nearly every step in the relief production — something typically not seen, as usually each subsequent stage covers up the last.
Given this, archaeologists have previously relied on half-finished pieces — each preserving snapshots of the art in progress — to determine how reliefs were made.
Analysis of the Hatshepsut reliefs, however, have revealed new insights into the production process — such as how labour was divided up.
It also overturned the notion that artists in ancient Egypt were not trained ‘on the job’ — as some parts were clearly started by masters and finished by apprentices.
Apprentices were responsible for carving simple parts of ancient Egypt’s artworks, while master craftsmen dealt with more complex pieces such as faces. Pictured: part of one of the mirrored reliefs on the north and south walls of the Chapel of Hatshepsut in Thebes
An Egyptologist at the University of Warsaw concluded this after studying two reliefs from Temple of Hatshepsut, Thebes.
These 43-foot-long mirrors of themselves line the largest temple room, or the Chapel of Hatshepsut. They display a 100-strong procession that brings gifts to Egypt.
Hatshepsut was a pharaoh of Egypt’s Eighteenth Dynasty — and the second historically confirmed female pharaoh — who ruled from 1473–1458 BC
Moreover, they contain evidence for nearly every step in the relief production — something typically not seen, as usually each subsequent stage covers up the last. Pictured: two offering offering bearers, one carved by a master (right) and the other by an apprentice (left)
‘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,’ said paper author Anastasiia Stupko-Lubczynska.
To study the reliefs, Dr Stupko-Lubczynska and her team first rendered each relief surface at a 1:1 scale on plastic-film sheets that they attached directly to the walls.
She added that “these were then scanned, and processed as vector graphics.”
‘I couldn’t stop thinking our documentation team was replicating the actions of those who created these images 3,500 years ago.
It’s like us: Ancient sculptors used to sit on scaffolding talking and working together.
These scans enabled the researchers to examine the evidence left in stone by old chisels.
In this way, Dr Stupko-Lubczynska explained, ‘it was possible to “grasp” several intangible phenomena, which normally leave no evidence in the archaeological record.’
This included the ability to distinguish which parts of the reliefs were made by apprentices — or, at least, less-skilled artists — and those which were fashioned by masters of their craft.
Just like in the Renaissance workshops of 14th–17th century Europe, it appears that less experienced artists would have worked on less complicated parts of large pieces of art — while masters tackled complex details like faces, alongside correcting the mistakes of their inferiors.
An exception seems to have come in the form of depicting wigs — a time-consuming task on which masters and apprentices are thought to have worked together.
This may have offered the more experienced artists an opportunity to pass on some of their skills. In one area, the team determined that a master would start each wigs, with an apprentice going on to try to finish them to the same standard.
‘In one place, a master’s workmanship is so remarkably detailed I feel it was done in front of the [apprentice] sculptor(s) learning from him — and seems to say “Look at this! Who can beat me?”,’ said Dr Stupko-Lubczynska.
‘It is generally believed that in ancient Egypt, artists were trained outside of ongoing architectural projects,’ she continued.
‘But my research in the Chapel of Hatshepsut proves that teaching also took place as reliefs were being executed — “on the job training”.’
It seems like in ancient Egypt — just like workplaces today — not every trainee ends up working out, as the team found evidence of one wig that was only half-finished, suggesting that the apprentice sculptor didn’t finish his part.
To study the reliefs, Dr Stupko-Lubczynska (pictured) and her team first rendered each relief surface at a 1:1 scale on plastic-film sheets that they attached directly to the walls. ‘These were then scanned and processed as vector graphics,’ she explained
‘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,’ said paper author Anastasiia Stupko-Lubczynska, pictured here in the chapel
The scans allowed the researchers to study the traces left in the stone by ancient chisels. According to Dr Stupko/Lubczynska, “it was possible” to “grasp several intangible phenomenon, which usually leave no evidence within the archaeological record.” Pictured: two offering bearers in the relief. Analysis has revealed that the faces were done by a master, while the wigs appear to have been done by an apprentice
Just like in the Renaissance workshops of 14th–17th century Europe, it appears that less experienced artists would have worked on less complicated parts of large pieces of art — while masters tackled complex details like faces, alongside correcting the mistakes of their inferiors. Pictured: examples of where work had been corrected
Just like in the Renaissance workshops of 14th–17th century Europe, it appears that less experienced artists would have worked on less complicated parts of large pieces of art — while masters tackled complex details like faces, alongside correcting the mistakes of their inferiors. An exception seems to have come in the form of depicting wigs — a time-consuming task on which masters and apprentices are thought to have worked together. Pictured: wigs sculpted by different artists. C appears to have bene started by a master and completed by an apprentice, while j was never finished by the apprentice
!['In one place, a master's workmanship is so remarkably detailed I feel it was done in front of the [apprentice] sculptor(s) learning from him,' said Dr Stupko-Lubczynska. Pictured: some blocks attributed to the Chapel of Hatshepsut come from excavations, and were studied separately](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/11/16/18/50567671-10208661-image-a-151_1637086408585.jpg)
“A master’s work is so precise that it feels like it was done right in front of my eyes. [apprentice]Dr StupkoLubczynska said that sculptors learn from him. Dr. Stupko-Lubczynska said that it is common belief that artist were trained in Egypt prior to starting architectural projects. But my research in the Chapel of Hatshepsut proves that teaching also took place as reliefs were being executed — “on the job training” ‘ Pictured: some blocks attributed to the Chapel of Hatshepsut come from excavations, and were studied separately
Dr StupkoLubczynska explained that initially she had hoped to be able, through her analysis, to determine the hands of individual artists.
This, however, this was rendered impossible, as all the artists appear to have been trying to create a homogenous work in a shared, standardised style.
However, due to their slight differences, it was still possible to discern that different teams worked on each of these mirrored reliefs.
On the south wall relief, for example, a jug is portrayed as a clay container on a rope — whereas its north wall counterpart is made of metal, instead.
Analysis also showed areas where artists may have been forced to depart from the norm. Some hieroglyphics around the wigs for instance, seem to have been added in a later stage than they would normally be.
This, Dr Stupko-Lubczynska said, means that the sculptors must have began their work on the wigs before all the outlines of the inscriptions had been put down in paint — perhaps because the scribes had no access to that part of the wall earlier.
Antiquity has published all of the findings.
Dr Stupko-Lubczynska, along with her team, studied two reliefs that were 3,500 years old in Deir el-Bahari’s Temple of Hatshepsut.
According to archaeologists, ancient Egyptian reliefs could have been made in seven stages. After the wall was smoothed and any defects in the stone and joints between blocks were plastered over, the surface was divided into sections and a square grid was applied — as depicted here (on the north wall relief — and on a preparatory flake, bottom right)
Who was HATSHEPSUT? WHERE IS HE BURIED.
Hatshepsut was crowned queen of Egypt after she wed her half-brother Thutmose II at age 12.
She was one of the two elder daughters to Thutmose I, Ahmes’ queen.
Around 1473 BC, she assumed the full power of a Pharaoh and became co-ruler in Egypt.
Hatshepsut was aware that Hatshepsut’s ascension to the position of pharoah had been conterversial.
In statues and paintings, she tried to recreate her image.
So, she requested that she be depicted in the role of a male pharaoh. She would have a beard, large muscles, and large eyes.
Howard Carter found the modest grave of Hatshepsut, famously revealing Tutankhamun’s.
Her mummy was one of a pair found inside – although that wasn’t obvious when they were first found.
Experts analysed the tooth of a queen and found it to match the largest of the two mummies. This suggests that the queen had rotten teeth, pendulous breasts, and was overweight.
Howard Carter discovered Hatshepsut’s modest burial place, and famously showed Tutankhamun his grave. It is assumed that this mummy belonged to Pharaoh Tuthomis II, her husband.
Zahi Hawass was Egypt’s top archaeologist and stated that the match had been made in 2007.
Our imaginations are captured by ‘Queens, particularly the powerful ones such as Nefertiti or Cleopatra.
“But, it’s perhaps Hatshepsut who was both an emperor and queen that is most interesting.
“Her reign in the 18th Dynasty of Ancient Egypt was prosperous, but she mysteriously disappeared from Egyptian history.”