Egyptian relief carving of a man leading a bull: the background has been cut away
Egyptian artists used different carving techniques in the Old Kingdom (about 3000-2000 BC) than they did in the New Kingdom (about 1500-1000 BC). This project shows you how much harder some ways of carving are than other ways.
Background or foreground?
Ramses Killing a Libyan, New Kingdom Egypt – carved into the stone
First try making a picture the way the Old Kingdom Egyptians did it. Old Kingdom artists carved away the background of their reliefs and left the figures standing out. You can try drawing a picture by coloring in the whole background but none of the figures.
Next, try painting a picture the way they did it in the New Kingdom. New Kingdom artists decided to cut corners by carving out the figures and leaving the background uncarved. You can try coloring the figures and leaving the background alone. Which way is faster? Why? Which method do you like better? Why do you think the Egyptian artists changed the way they carved their reliefs?
