"The message of the work of art had to be clear: everyone from scribes to peasants had to understand at first glance that the great image of the pharaoh was a sign of his limitless power." The Egyptians did not understand art as it is defined today. They had no word for art. Egyptians paintings and sculpture served as a means to a religious end, specifically to house a spirit of a person or deity. For over three thousand years the Egyptians kept and used a recommended set of rules as to how a work of art in three dimensions should be presented. Egyptian art was very symbolic. Of the materials used by the Egyptian sculptor -- clay, wood, metal, ivory, and stone -- stone was the best. It was available in many colors and hardness. Sculpture was often painted in stunning colors as well. Egyptian sculpture has two qualities that are different; it can be characterized as cubic and frontal. The sculpture nearly always copies the shape of the stone cube or block from which it was made, mostly, because it was an image made from four viewpoints. The front of almost every statue is the most important part and the figure sits or stands facing strictly to the front. The Egyptian artists were unable to create a naturalistic looking sculpture, but it is clear that this was not the intention. .
Most artwork was done for the pharaoh or his wealthy government officials. The large works of sculpture were often displayed at temples, which the pharaoh would build to his taste. Sculptures were stiff, formal, and serious looking. The Egyptians did not aim for realistic replica, but instead wanted to present a powerful image. Egyptians used the size of their sculptures to show the social order. The pharaoh was larger then life size, scribes and court officials were life size, and workers and peasants always shown working. Many of the smaller statues were constructed out of slate, which allowed them to survive over time.
