Around 1350 BC, the Egyptian grain accountant Nebamun commissioned the walls of his tomb-chapel to be painted with scenes depicting his afterlife, and the world in which he lived. Nebamun worked in the temple of Amun at Karnak during the reign of Amenhotep III (c. 1390-1352 BC). Amenhotep was one of the most important kings of the 18th Dynasty, one of the high points of Egyptian wealth, but his reign preceded a period of dramatic upheaval in Egyptian society. In 1820 eleven pieces were removed from the walls of the tomb-chapel, location now unknown, and were acquired by the British Museum, where they are now iconic masterpieces of the collection.This free course explores the history and meaning of these paintings.This course has been produced by the Open University in collaboration with the British Museum.
Overview
Syllabus
- Week1Week 1 The influence of Egyptian art
- Introduction
- 1 European exploration of Egypt
- 2 The lens of ‘Orientalism’
- 2.1 Gustave Flaubert – novelist
- 2.2 Amelia Edwards – traveller
- 2.3 Howard Carter – archaeologist
- 3 West versus East
- 3.1 The views of G.W.F. Hegel
- 4 Orientalism and European art
- 4.1 Inspiring the Victorians
- 5 The avant-garde and Paul Gauguin
- 5.1 Paul Gauguin
- 6 Twentieth-century popular culture
- 7 Beyond the myths
- Summary
- References
- Acknowledgements
- Week2Week 2 History of the Nebamun paintings
- Introduction
- 1 Painting modern life
- 2 A modern view of ancient Egypt
- 2.1 Egyptian painting
- 3 Contrasting purposes
- 4 Beginning to decode Egyptian art
- 5 Decoding the Nebamun paintings
- 6 Easel painting
- 7 Wall painting
- 8 How the paintings were obtained
- Summary
- References
- Acknowledgements
- Week3Week 3 The Nebamun paintings
- Introduction
- 1 Funerary offerings
- 1.1 Exploration
- 1.2 Reconstruction
- 1.3 Summary
- 2 The banquet scene
- 2.1 Exploration
- 2.2 Reconstruction
- 2.3 Summary
- 3 Produce and offerings
- 3.1 Exploration
- 3.2 Reconstructions
- 3.3 Summary
- 4 Hunting in the marshes
- 4.1 Exploration
- 4.2 Reconstruction
- 4.3 Summary
- 5 Garden of the west
- 5.1 Exploration
- 5.2 Summary
- 6 Acquisition of the paintings
- 6.1 Original locations
- 7 Selecting the fragments
- 8 Selection based on subject
- 8.1 The Bible
- 8.2 Animals
- 8.3 Orientalism
- 8.4 Conclusion
- Summary
- References
- Acknowledgements
- Week4Week 4 Nebamun the man and his tomb
- Introduction
- 1 Exploring the evidence
- 1.1 A man of wealth
- 2 Belief in an afterlife
- 3 Daily life
- 3.1 A hierarchical society
- 3.2 Death rituals
- 4 Tomb-chapels
- 4.1 The west bank of the Nile
- 5 Tomb layout
- 6 Tomb decoration
- 6.1 Tomb graffiti
- 7 Symbolism
- Summary
- References
- Acknowledgements
- Week5Week 5 The creative process
- Introduction
- 1 Modern thinking about art
- 1.1 Exercising artistic skill
- 1.2 Autonomy
- 1.3 Artistic authors
- 2 A paradox and its consequences
- 2.1 Art or cultural product?
- 2.2 Towards acceptance
- 2.3 The nature of artistic practice
- 2.4 Returning to Nebamun
- 3 Preparing the tomb
- 4 Designing the decoration
- 4.1 From plan to wall
- 4.2 The use of reliefs
- 5 Applying the paint
- 6 The skills of the painters
- 7 Conventions of representation
- 7.1 The skill of ‘foreshortening’
- 7.2 Dissimilarity within conventions
- 8 Conventions of Egyptian art
- 8.1 Beyond the stereotype
- 9 Principles of Egyptian art
- 9.1 Schäfer’s principles
- 9.2 The principles in practice
- 9.3 The lack of shadows
- 9.4 Ramifications
- 9.5 Hunting in the marshes
- 9.6 Produce of the Estates
- 10 Symbolic dimension
- 10.1 Egyptian ‘genres’
- 11 Change and innovation
- 12 Nebamun: the lesson of looking
- Summary
- References
- Acknowledgements
