From book cover: Tombs Temples And Ancient Art: When Joseph Lindon Smith went out to Egypt as a young artist in 1898, archaeology was beginning to uncover some of the fabled treasures of an ancient land. For the next half-century, he devoted himself to the great "finds" as they were excavated from the encroaching sands, depicting them in countless paintings for the leading museums of the world. He became the friend of Flinder Petrie, the greatest of late nineteenth and early twentieth century Egyptologists, and the co-worker of the best-known archaeologists down to 1950; he explored and painted at Petra, Persepolis, Ur Palmyra, and Baalbek; he also did work with Sylvanus Griswold Morley in the ancient Maya centers of America, and painted in the Far East. His personal account of what transpired under his eyes and of the chronology and relations of ancient art over a wide area is at once exciting narrative and important history. The many illustrations chosen from his painting provide visual accompaniment to his story of classical civilizations and reveal the literal quality of his own art, which has in notable instances preserved for us the likeness of things that have since crumbled or faded on exposure to light and air after being buried for centuries. Tombs, Temples, And Ancient Art gains strength for its informality, for while the initiated will discover facts and interpretations of high importance to science, all readers will recognize in it the work of a man alive to adventure.

From book cover: Tombs Temples And Ancient Art: When Joseph Lindon Smith went out to Egypt as a young artist in 1898, archaeology was beginning to uncover some of the fabled treasures of an ancient land. For the next half-century, he devoted himself to the great "finds" as they were excavated from the encroaching sands, depicting them in countless paintings for the leading museums of the world. He became the friend of Flinder Petrie, the greatest of late nineteenth and early twentieth century Egyptologists, and the co-worker of the best-known archaeologists down to 1950; he explored and painted at Petra, Persepolis, Ur Palmyra, and Baalbek; he also did work with Sylvanus Griswold Morley in the ancient Maya centers of America, and painted in the Far East. His personal account of what transpired under his eyes and of the chronology and relations of ancient art over a wide area is at once exciting narrative and important history. The many illustrations chosen from his painting provide visual accompaniment to his story of classical civilizations and reveal the literal quality of his own art, which has in notable instances preserved for us the likeness of things that have since crumbled or faded on exposure to light and air after being buried for centuries. Tombs, Temples, And Ancient Art gains strength for its informality, for while the initiated will discover facts and interpretations of high importance to science, all readers will recognize in it the work of a man alive to adventure.

Established in 1911, The Rotarian is the official magazine of Rotary International and is circulated worldwide. Each issue contains feature articles, columns, and departments about, or of interest to, Rotarians. Seventeen Nobel Prize winners and 19 Pulitzer Prize winners – from Mahatma Ghandi to Kurt Vonnegut Jr. – have written for the magazine.

This study of ancient Egyptian art reveals the evolution of aesthetic approaches to proportion and style through the ages. The painted and relief-cut walls of ancient Egyptian tombs and temples record an amazing continuity of customs and beliefs over nearly 3,000 years. Even the artistic style of the scenes seems unchanging, but this appearance is deceptive. In this work, Gay Robins offers convincing evidence, based on a study of Egyptian usage of grid systems and proportions, that innovation and stylistic variation played a significant role in ancient Egyptian art. Robins thoroughly explores the squared grid systems used by the ancient artists to proportion standing, sitting, and kneeling human figures. This investigation yields the first chronological account of proportional variations in male and female figures from the Early Dynastic to the Ptolemaic periods. Robins discusses the proportional changes underlying the revolutionary style instituted during the Amarna Period. She also considers how the grid system influenced the overall composition of scenes. Numerous line drawings with superimposed grids illustrate the text.

"[A] comprehensive resource, which contains texts, posters, slides, and other materials about outstanding works of Egyptian art from the Museum's collection"--Welcome (preliminary page).

The Middle Kingdom (ca. 2030–1650 B.C.) was a transformational period in ancient Egypt, during which older artistic conventions, cultural principles, religious beliefs, and political systems were revived and reimagined. Ancient Egypt Transformed presents a comprehensive picture of the art of the Middle Kingdom, arguably the least known of Egypt’s three kingdoms and yet one that saw the creation of powerful, compelling works rendered with great subtlety and sensitivity. The book brings together nearly 300 diverse works— including sculpture, relief decoration, stelae, jewelry, coffins, funerary objects, and personal possessions from the world’s leading collections of Egyptian art. Essays on architecture, statuary, tomb and temple relief decoration, and stele explore how Middle Kingdom artists adapted forms and iconography of the Old Kingdom, using existing conventions to create strikingly original works. Twelve lavishly illustrated chapters, each with a scholarly essay and entries on related objects, begin with discussions of the distinctive art that arose in the south during the early Middle Kingdom, the artistic developments that followed the return to Egypt’s traditional capital in the north, and the renewed construction of pyramid complexes. Thematic chapters devoted to the pharaoh, royal women, the court, and the vital role of family explore art created for different strata of Egyptian society, while others provide insight into Egypt’s expanding relations with foreign lands and the themes of Middle Kingdom literature. The era’s religious beliefs and practices, such as the pilgrimage to Abydos, are revealed through magnificent objects created for tombs, chapels, and temples. Finally, the book discusses Middle Kingdom archaeological sites, including excavations undertaken by the Metropolitan Museum over a number of decades. Written by an international team of respected Egyptologists and Middle Kingdom specialists, the text provides recent scholarship and fresh insights, making the book an authoritative resource.