Ancient Egyptian art was famously virtually unchained for thousands of years. However, there was a brief period when innovation was allowed, before the "old rules" emerged again. Here's a good YouTube video about it:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=GLqYUeNH98o
I asked ChatGPT for its perspective on the topic.
This is a question about Egyptian painting or illustrations during the time of the pharaohs. Generally, the illustrations were extremely stylized, and followed, very tight rules with amazingly little change from century the century, even over 1000 years. However, I heard that there was one feral, or one short. were the rules were loosened up and there was a perfusion of experimentation in the Egyptian illustrations. This window closed after a generation or two, and the old rules were reinstated. Does this sound familiar?
ChatGPT
Yes, it sounds like you're referring to the period of the Amarna Age, which occurred during the reign of Pharaoh Akhenaten (approx. 1353–1336 BC). This was a unique time in ancient Egyptian art, where traditional forms and rules were significantly altered.
Before and after this period, Egyptian art was highly stylized and adhered to a specific set of conventions for the portrayal of gods, people, and nature. The standard form of human representation, for instance, was in an "aspective" view - showing body parts from their most recognizable angle (head in profile, torso front-facing, legs in profile). This was a convention that remained largely unchanged for nearly three millennia.
However, during Akhenaten's reign, there was a significant shift in art as well as religion. Akhenaten declared the Aten, the disk of the sun, as the only god, introducing monotheism. Accompanying this religious revolution, he also encouraged a new artistic style that broke away from the traditional stylized and idealized depictions. Art from the Amarna period is characterized by more naturalistic and individualistic portrayals, where people were depicted in relaxed and intimate scenes, and even the pharaoh himself was portrayed in a more realistic and less idealized manner.
The reign of Akhenaten and the following Amarna period was short-lived, though, and after his death, both the religious and artistic practices reverted to their traditional forms. This period remains one of the most studied and controversial eras of Ancient Egyptian history due to these significant deviations from the norm.
User
Do you have access to more historical detail about how the period ended? Of course I realize it’s not like people left behind letters and diaries, but there must be some research about how the period of experimentation ended and the period is static forms, reasserted itself.
ChatGPT
The end of the Amarna period and the return to the traditional religious and artistic practices of Ancient Egypt can be traced to the political and religious upheaval following Akhenaten's death.
Akhenaten's religious revolution was not popular among many Egyptians, especially among the powerful priesthood of Amun at Thebes, who lost their influence when Akhenaten declared the Aten as the sole god. After his death, there was a strong incentive for the next rulers to distance themselves from his controversial reign and restore the old religious order to regain the support of the people and the priesthood.
This return to the old ways was led by a series of rulers who succeeded Akhenaten, including his probable son, Tutankhaten, who later changed his name to Tutankhamun, reverting back to the traditional worship of Amun. Tutankhamun, although only a boy-king, made significant religious changes, including moving the capital back to Thebes and restoring the old temples.
As for the artistic conventions, they likely followed suit as the traditional religious order was restored. Egyptian art was not just for decoration, but it had deep religious and symbolic meanings. The stylized and idealized depictions in the art represented the eternal, unchanging order of the universe, as the Egyptians perceived it. So when the traditional religion was restored, it would have been natural for the old artistic conventions to return as well.
lso, it's important to note that these changes didn't happen overnight. There was a transitional period where elements of the Amarna style can still be seen. However, by the time of Horemheb, the last pharaoh of the 18th Dynasty, the traditional style had been fully reinstated, and all traces of Akhenaten's religious revolution were systematically erased. His city of Akhetaten was abandoned and destroyed, and his name and the names of his immediate successors were excluded from the official king-lists, in an act known as "damnatio memoriae", or condemnation of memory.
It's a fascinating period of history, and one that continues to be researched. The exact timeline and sequence of events can be hard to establish due to the ancient Egyptians' practice of erasing the traces of what they considered illegitimate rulers. However, this is the broad overview of how the period of experimentation ended and the period of static forms reasserted itself.
User
I’m surprised they have not heard of this before, it seems like such a powerful metaphor. One thinks of the roaring 20s in United States with a lot of experimentation, and then a much more staid conservative approach coming back in the 1930s and 1950s.
ChatGPT
Indeed, the period of the Amarna Age in Egypt and its abrupt end can serve as a compelling metaphor for societal changes and cycles of liberalization and conservatism throughout history. It demonstrates how periods of significant change, innovation, or experimentation can often be followed by a return to traditional norms, especially when those changes are tied to a particular leader or political context.
The Roaring Twenties in the United States, characterized by economic prosperity, cultural dynamism, and social change, followed by the Great Depression of the 1930s and a return to conservatism in the 1950s, is a good comparison. It’s interesting how these patterns of societal ebbs and flows repeat in different contexts and times.
User
I am always struck by pictures of businessman in the 1950s, all wearing basically the same suits, the same thin, dark ties, and wearing the same dark felt hats. It’s almost as if they were in boarding school.
ChatGPT
Indeed, the 1950s in the United States are often characterized by a kind of uniformity in style, particularly in men's business fashion. This period saw the rise of what's known as "The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit", a term that came from a 1955 novel of the same name by Sloan Wilson, which was later turned into a film. The book and the term symbolize the corporate culture of the time, marked by conformity, conservatism, and the pursuit of success within narrowly defined parameters.
The '50s were marked by economic growth and the strengthening of the middle class in the post-War period. However, along with this prosperity came a push towards traditional family values, conformity, and uniformity. The businessman in a suit and hat became the emblematic figure of this era.
In contrast to the more experimental periods that would come before and after it (like the Roaring '20s or the countercultural '60s), the '50s saw a return to certain norms and conventions. The connection to the Amarna Period in ancient Egypt could be seen in this cyclic pattern of societal change, even if the specifics are obviously different.
User
And sometimes it’s uniformity in the counterculture, too, so you see people wanting to be different today, but they might have very similar sleeve, tattoos and nose rings, and black, leather clothes.
ChatGPT
Absolutely, conformity can manifest within any group or subculture, including those that define themselves by their non-conformity to mainstream culture. The desire to belong and identify with a group is a powerful human instinct. Even in subcultures that value individualism and uniqueness, certain styles, behaviors, and beliefs can become norms.
As you've mentioned, the counterculture or alternative groups today often have their own recognizable styles, whether it's tattoos, piercings, certain types of clothing, or specific styles of music. These shared markers can foster a sense of identity and community among group members, even as they differentiate themselves from mainstream culture.
However, it's important to note that within any group, there is also a diversity of individual expression. Even when certain styles or behaviors become common, people can and do express their individuality in many ways. The balance between the desire to fit in and the desire to stand out is a constant tension in any culture or subculture.
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Another example of relative stasis over centuries were custom- and rules-based Byzantine (Eastern Orthodox) icons.
