| Key to Art History |
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Egypt owed much of its wealth and success to the bounty provided by the annual flooding of the Nile River. Because of the predictability of the flooding, Egypt had a stable and secure economy. Consequently, Egyptians' attention shifted from concerns about survival during this life to their life after death. They created a mystical cult dedicated to the after-life, which included mummification and ritual burial. Painting the walls of the tombs was an important part of the burial ritual. These paintings were not intended for decoration. They contained information about the deceased person and instructions for the journey to the after-life. The Egyptians used their wealth to create massive religious temples and burial sites for themselves and their leaders, the Pharaohs. These monuments, often in the shape of Pyramids, were decorated, inside and out, with murals, paintings and bas-reliefs. Many of them still exist today. There are subtle differences in the art in ancient Egypt over the nearly three thousand years of its existence. For example, the Egyptian Canon , which provided strict rules for depicting royal and religious figures, became more pronounced as time progressed. But, on the whole, Egyptian art, like Egyptian society, was remarkably consistent over its entire existence. Egyptian power and influence waned about the time of the rise of the Greek military leader, Alexander the Great. So much so that the later Pharaohs of Egypt, including Cleopatra, were Greek. During this time, Egyptian art both influenced and was influenced by the artistic style known as Hellenism .
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