Discuss the canon of human proportion used by the Egyptians in their representative art

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

The canon for artists in ancient Egypt governed the way in which they represented the human form. The proportions of the human body were determined according to a module (or standard of measurement) represented by the width of the clenched fist. More generally, Egyptian artists adhered to a set of guidelines by which they might "capture" the most characteristic and essential aspects of the subject matter: in depicting the human figure, the upper torso is shown from the front, while the lower is shown from the side; the head is depicted in profile, while the eye and eyebrow are frontal. This method of representation is conceptual—that is, based on ideas—rather than perceptual—that is, based on visual evidence. Artists were also capable of naturalistic representation and realistic details can be seen in many Egyptian frescoes. For instance, in the New Kingdom tomb of the scribe Nebamon (himself depicted in a stylized and conventional pose), the figures are surrounded by marsh birds so accurately rendered that ornithologists have been able to identify them by species.
The Egyptian artist's approach to space was also conceptual. Spatial depth is indicated by placing one figure above (rather than behind) the next, often in horizontal registers, or rows.