Talks by Constance Menand
2023, ARCE's Annual Meeting
Aesthetic and iconographic changes in art that occur during periods of cultural transition in anc... more Aesthetic and iconographic changes in art that occur during periods of cultural transition in ancient Egypt are frequently understood by art historians within the framework of political dynastic change. But transformations in art occurring directly after the Amarna period are challenging to define and their causations are often difficult to ascribe. An unprovenanced limestone plaque in the Louvre Museum that is inscribed for Ramesses II presents such a challenge. A tracing of the stylistic, iconographic and conceptual elements of the relief images and the inscriptions on the plaque defies arriving at a facile conclusion as to its date(s) of manufacture, or to the ostensible derivation of the imagery.
Perplexities include: objects depicted in the plaque which match unequivocally with objects firmly dated to the reign of Tutankhamun, with no other attestations appearing after his time; unexpected Amarna stylistic elements that are otherwise virtually unknown in post-Amarna works; and the appearance of iconographic motifs directly tied to traditions that were abandoned with the damnatio memoriae of the Amarna actors. Further, details in the treatment of the facial features do not fit easily, if at all, with the Ramesside royal likeness prototypes.
This presentation elucidates these questions, identifies some avenues for image transmission, examines intent, and proposes an operative aesthetic that may have been in play.
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Talks by Constance Menand
Perplexities include: objects depicted in the plaque which match unequivocally with objects firmly dated to the reign of Tutankhamun, with no other attestations appearing after his time; unexpected Amarna stylistic elements that are otherwise virtually unknown in post-Amarna works; and the appearance of iconographic motifs directly tied to traditions that were abandoned with the damnatio memoriae of the Amarna actors. Further, details in the treatment of the facial features do not fit easily, if at all, with the Ramesside royal likeness prototypes.
This presentation elucidates these questions, identifies some avenues for image transmission, examines intent, and proposes an operative aesthetic that may have been in play.
Perplexities include: objects depicted in the plaque which match unequivocally with objects firmly dated to the reign of Tutankhamun, with no other attestations appearing after his time; unexpected Amarna stylistic elements that are otherwise virtually unknown in post-Amarna works; and the appearance of iconographic motifs directly tied to traditions that were abandoned with the damnatio memoriae of the Amarna actors. Further, details in the treatment of the facial features do not fit easily, if at all, with the Ramesside royal likeness prototypes.
This presentation elucidates these questions, identifies some avenues for image transmission, examines intent, and proposes an operative aesthetic that may have been in play.