The Palette of Narmer & Egyptian Conventions

         The artistic conventions utilized by the Ancient Egyptians were extremely unique in regards to representing the form of humans, animals, or objects during their era. The human form is depicted in a composite view in typical Ancient Egyptian style art, generally with a profile of the face with a front view of the eye, both shoulders and a frontal view of the torso, and both legs in profile view as well. They were very specific with the arrangements of their works and used a grid known as “Canon of Proportions” to craft with mathematical precision and get the same form and style every time. If a human figure were to stand approximately 18 units high on the grid, the knees would start at the 6^th unit, and the shoulders would be at the height of the 16^th row and about 6 units wide. The Canon of Proportions allows the same style to be reflected over in this way with the same ratios. The Egyptians based their work off of this grid for nearly three millennia.

         The Palette of Narmer is a prime example of the repetition of style in the art of Ancient Egypt. The piece stands 25 inches tall and is made of green schist, with the main focus of the front being King Narmer preparing to execute what is labeled by a hieroglyph as an enemy of comparable size. The slab has registers dividing the depictions of other scenes with many smaller figures, including Narmer’s sandal bearer to his left, other enemies running in fear and defeat underneath, and the falcon god Horus bringing Narmer a decapitated head attached to some papyrus (a symbol of Lower Egypt), indicating that Narmer was clearly the ruler of the area. The backside introduces a scene where enemies lie decapitated with their heads between their legs, awaiting inspection by the royal procession, including Narmer wearing the Red Crown of Lower Egypt. Below this is a circular indentation between the elongated and intertwined necks of lions in which makeup might have been prepared. Finally, at the bottom is a bull (representing the power of the king) striking down another enemy. The majority of the figures on the tablet were created in the stylized Egyptian method, using the Canon of Proportions mentioned before.
         The Egyptians were creative, even though their art was made mostly to serve a function. I believe the worst art on the planet still had to have some sort of creativity that inspired it to come into being. Their creativeness is supported by the fact that they invented a system to work by, and the elements of art reach a fine equilibrium in their pictorial reliefs, statues, and paintings. Their composite forms are more descriptive and still recognizable, whereas they might not be—if depicted how they would actually appear to the eye.

I do not think that the Egyptians were much concerned with their degree of creativity. It did not seem as important to them as the messages they were conveying with their art. However, creativity can be found in it everywhere. Even if it lacked ingenuity, it would still be valued today for how long it has survived and for the study of its purpose.