Art as Reflection of Anciant Civilization :: essays papers

Ancient Egytian and classical sociaties both do significant contri hardlyions to western civilization, specificaly in the argonas of politics and social body structure. The political body of antient Egypt was primarily based on the religios belife that the Pharoah was a divine entity, while Greek politics were based in a democratic system that value individuals in a unique way. The poitical and social advancments of both Greek and Egyption civilizations are best reflected in the advancement of each cultures artwork. In the early body politic of the Egyption civilization the Pharoah rulled as a God-King and dictated the religion and laws of the land. He promoted a polytheistic religion that was used to explain natural phinaminans and life aft(prenominal) death. Accourding to this religion all Egyptions not only the ruling class were offered the desire of survival in the next world, as a reward for a pricy life in the present world. The idea of a good life is defined by th e devotees accomplisments in the eyes of Osiris the judge of the knackered. Funeral services were divised to exeplify these belifes and help to guid the spirit of the dead into the afterlife (Cunningham and Reich, 6). The ridged structure of this Thocracy greatly limited individualism in all aspect of life, but most importantly art.The art of the Early kingdom was prodominetly bassed on the theological system of the Pharoh, and his statuse in sociaty. The most famuse example of the Theocracies influance on art would be the owing(p) Spinx and the Pyramids of Chefren. These emence works of art were created to show the importance and divine power of the Pharoah, as well as, to serve as a burial tomb. The Sphix itself is sculped with great percisian and slopped attension was paid to the basic anatimy of the human face, but the fetures of the Pharoah are idialize. It is a portiat not of an individual but of the concept of divinity (Cunningham and Reich, 9). The lion body, falc on headgear and transendental stare of the Sphinx shows a certain calmness and mystery, that encapsalates the specimen perfection of the ideal perfection of the Pharoah.In the Middle Kindom Akhenaton came to power and changed the religius structure of Egypt. He belived in a monotheistic system that placed all faith in one God, Aton-Ra. Akhenaton did not dipict himself as an all powerfull God-King, but a messenger through which Aton-Ra spoke (qtd.