Masters and apprentices at the Chapel of Hatshepsut: towards an archaeology of ancient Egyptian reliefs

Anastasiia Stupko-Lubczynska

doi:10.15184/aqy.2021.103

Abstract

Ancient art is typically studied in terms of its aesthetic or historical value. This article presents an alternative approach, examining ancient Egyptian wall reliefs from achaîne opératoireperspective. The reliefs assessed here adorn the walls of the Chapel of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari in Thebes. The analysis reveals, for the first time, the sequence of the artists’ work, from the initial preparation of the wall surface to the master sculptor's final touches. This enables a reconstruction of the ergonomic organisation of the work, distinguishing the contributions of individual hands and revealing often intangible phenomena, such as master-apprentice interactions. A similar approach may be useful when examining carved reliefs in other parts of the world.

Highlights

Despite the widely recognised monumentality and durability of ancient Egyptian sculpture, carved reliefs, and paintings—often termed ‘art’ in the Western worldview—the creators of these works remain largely obscure. This is partly due to the specific societal context of ancient Egypt, where, in contrast to ancient Greece for example, artists were not revered
Ancient Egyptian artistic production is characterised by the prevailing role of workshops, which prevented individual styles from developing
The process of identifying ancient Egyptian artists through the investigation of the material dimensions of their work was developed in reference to studies of painted Theban tombs

Summary

Introduction

Despite the widely recognised monumentality and durability of ancient Egyptian sculpture, carved reliefs, and paintings—often termed ‘art’ in the Western worldview—the creators of these works remain largely obscure. The aim here is to understand the technological processes by which the reliefs of the Chapel of Hatshepsut were made, and to elucidate workshop organisation and to identify the work of individuals and the relationships between master and apprentice, in an holistic approach that might prove useful for the study of decorated monuments in other parts of the world.

Results

Conclusion