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Dana Kuehn9/19/14ART 187 H A

Reflective Journal 1

Chapter three, Art of Ancient Egypt, was definitely one that held many pieces of powerful

art. One piece in particular that really struck me as powerful was the sculpture “Menkaure and a

Queen,” from Giza, which could be found in chapter three of the book on page 59. This depiction

of the king of Khafre and his king displays how stoic, calm, and confident these rulers of the

ancient world were.

The couple is taking a stride forward, and the wife is holding her husband, as if they are

taking step into the future of ruling, but doing it together. I think that one detail that most would

not notice is the fact that this statue portrays the King and Queen at nearly the same height. Since

we associate height with power, the fact that the Queen is depicted at almost as tall as the king

says a lot about his reign, shows that he must have included his wife, and that she must have had

some of the power as well. At almost five feet tall, this statue is very large compared to most of

the era, and due to its size in relation to the hieratic scale, we know that the citizens who would

view this statue valued it highly.

This portrayal of unity is what really stood out to me. This king must have cared a lot

about his queen, if artists would take the time and craftsmanship to depict them together. I do

think that this statue holds the absolute same effect to a modern day audience. This piece is

timeless in the way it displays a couple holding power, and we see this image over and over.

From 2490 BCE to the present day, we see couples in power in this exact pose, without truly

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realizing how much this stance is recreated. For my contemporary example, I chose a picture of

President Obama and his wife, Michelle, photographed extremely similarly to the statue.

Whereas overtime the traditional Pharoanic dress and accessories morphed into suits and

gowns, the power is still so evident in these ruling couples. I think that this modern example

exudes power similarly to the Egyptian couple; both are striding forward calmly and confidently,

with an air of regality. Comparing an artist’s rendering of a couple in a position of power

thousands of years ago to a photograph of a couple in a position of power in the modern day may

seem like grasping at straws, but I found the similarities striking. Just looking at that statue from

thousands of years ago made me think of couples through the years in the same position; every

couple holding that pose had a few key elements in common, including confidence, serenity, and

strength. I truly agree that for thousands of years, audiences have viewed Menkaure and a Queen

as a symbol of true power, and I think that powerful sub-context that comes with this statue will

hold for thousands of years to come.