Sadness, Gender and Empathy

Inmaculada Vivas Sainz

doi:10.5209/eiko.74151

Abstract

This paper is focused on private tomb scenes with mourners dated to the end of the 18th Dynasty located in the Egyptian Memphite necropolis, with a special interest on the artistic resources and the clear division of groups according to the gender of mourners, as mourning men in expressive attitudes are particularly rare in ancient Egyptian scenes. The presence of men in grief, together with the traditional female mourners, within the funerary procession is striking, portraying expressive poses which provoke feeling of empathy and sorrow in the beholder. Indeed, the expressions of feelings in mourning scenes and their diverse artistic treatment in Memphite tomb decoration reveals the innovation and originality of the artists, features that could be traced back to the reign of Akhenaten. This paper explores the complex process of creation of the funerary iconography of the Post-Amarna art, a period of religious, political and social changes which were mirrored in private tomb scenes.

Highlights

Amarna art is a controversial topic as it is a popular one[2]
This paper is focused on private tomb scenes with mourners dated to the end of the 18th Dynasty located in the Egyptian Memphite necropolis, with a special interest on the artistic resources and the clear division of groups according to the gender of mourners, as mourning men in expressive attitudes are rare in ancient Egyptian scenes
This paper explores the complex process of creation of the funerary iconography of the Post-Amarna art, a period of religious, political and social changes which were mirrored in private tomb scenes

Summary

Conclusions

The mourning scenes analysed, mainly dated to the reigns of Tutankhamun and Ay, reveal a hybrid style which is the heir of the original Amarna art and at the same time goes back to the traditional Memphite style. Male mourners could be as expressive as female ones when showing their sadness and desperation in the Amarna era, showing the same feelings within the funerary procession, but artists depicted them in a segregated fashion This new iconography of men in grief could reflect a change in their feelings towards death, which can perhaps be interpreted as an impact of Amarna religion. The scenes analysed seem to emphasise the feeling of empathy: the viewer of these scenes could experience the sadness of the loss through the mourners in the funerary procession and could imagine the loss and desperation of the relatives of the deceased This feeling of strong empathy is gained by several artistic resources, such as frantic movement, diverse poses and original compositions, which avoid repetition, looking at individualised figures. Artists were recreating the feelings of sadness and loss, using an iconography understandable for any human being

Introduction

Sources of inspiration

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Written sources and bibliographical references