The Artist Clause Samples

The Artist. All decoration in a tomb required the abilities of a craftsman experienced in the techniques of drawing/painting/sculpting and since he is a vital element in this process, his role cannot be ignored. The role of the ‘artist’ can be comprehended as an anonymous enabler and purveyor of accurate representation; he thus assumes a central albeit undefined position in the realization of the tomb-owner’s posthumous existence/state of being. The system of representation however was influenced by a convention as to how the visual depiction had to be executed. The artist was there to ensure that what was depicted was recognizable, and was repeated, such that reality was codified by integrating function and position into a single motif109. As far as the individual artists, more correctly the ‘dependent specialists’110 are concerned there is not much evidence as to their identity111. 108 ▇. ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇, A History of Egyptian Sculpture and Painting in the Old Kingdom (New York: Hacker Art Books, 1978) 167. 109 ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇, "Vom Sinn der Ägyptischen Kunst," in 5000 Jahre Ägypten : Genese und Permanenz pharaonischer Kunst., ed. ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ and ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇. (Nussloch: IS-Edition, 1983), 43-60. For an account by an ancient artist on his abilities and his training see ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇, Das Selbsterzeugnis eines altägyptischen Künstlers, Münchner Ägyptologische Studien