Introduction
Hatshepsut, who was the second female Pharaoh in the history of the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt, remains as one of the notable leaders in ancient Egypt. She is considered as one of the females that we're able to overcome the social barriers associated with gender in her bid to become a pioneer for women leaders. The use of art, depicting ancient Egypt, has been key to portraying Hatshepsut as a powerful woman, who was able to overcome the gender barriers to become one of the greatest leaders in the history of Egypt. The Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut incorporates some of the notable works of art that seek to depict the authoritative nature of Hatshepsut as a pharaoh. The two main tasks of art that have been able to portray Hatshepsut as a pharaoh are the Large Kneeling Statue of Hatshepsut and the Sphinx of Hatshepsut, each of which is within the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut.
Comparison of Kneeling Statue and Sphinx of Hatshepsut
Roehrig, Dreyfus Renee & Keller (2005) takes note of the fact that the preceding Pharaoh after Hatshepsut embarked on a process of destroying her mortuary temple and its treasures but despite the destructive efforts, some of the contents of the mortuary, including the sizeable kneeling Statue survived to tell the story of the pioneer Lady Pharaoh. From a gender perspective, what is clear is that both the Large Kneeling Statue of Hatshepsut and the Sphinx of Hatshepsut represent some form of a paradox. The paradox arises from the fact that although the two works of art bear a title that seeks to symbolize feminism, a careful evaluation indicates that they have a wide array of aspects that can be considered as being masculine.
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The sculpture captures the image of an Egyptian Pharaoh kneeling and holding a pot in each hand (Khan Academy, n.d.). The Kneeling Statue of Hatshepsut is a massive statue that highlights the fact that indeed, the position of the women, during the 15th century Egypt, represented specific aspects of masculine. The feet are large and with a strong masculine leg, which leaves questions on whether indeed her structure served some form of architecture that was manly. In that same wat, the Sphinx of Hatshepsut is represented by the body of a lion with a human head, which is clothed with a nemes , referred to as a headcloth and false beard. From the onset, one can take note of the fact that the lion has powerful muscles in contrast to what is expected of a female pharaoh.
The artists involved in creating the two sculptors sought to portray a female pharaoh in a manner that is somewhat masculine. If the Statue got a male name, there would be no reason to question it. Even though it is made of granite, a hard form of stone, the engraving work reflects accurate and precise details, which reflect meticulous work by an expert. Critics of the Egyptian works of art have indicated that how the statues are presented reflects on the fact that the artists failed to establish a connection to the fact that the Pharaoh was female. Instead, they sought to use a masculine figure to reflect on the representation of feminism that can be seen through leadership.
The context of both the Large Kneeling Statue and Sphinx of Hatshepsut is that of a woman in a man’s world who has to present herself as a man to fit. It also reflects a woman who is strong enough to raise her status to meet that of her masculine peers. According to Khalil et al. (2017), it is essential to note that women of high birth had a relatively high level of gender parity. As indicated in Khan Academy. (n.d.), women could rise to the position of regency, but not become Pharaoh. For Hatshepsut to claim her place as Pharaoh substantively, she had to present herself as a man, as reflected in the Statue. Furthermore, the kneeling position of the Statue can be explained using Egyptian religion. That can also be seen from the lying location in which the colossal sphinx is being presented, which is in contrast to the beautiful nature represented on the face of the Pharaoh.
In the Large Kneeling Statue of Hatshepsut, Hatshepsut is presented in a moment of worship with two pots in her hands representing sacrifices. That can also be seen from the Sphinx of Hatshepsut in which the figure is seen in a position that reflects on worship; thus, suggesting that the Pharaoh was notably religious. Roehrig, Dreyfus Renee & Keller (2005) goes into greater detail to reflect on how Hatshepsut is considered as being highly religious; thus, highlighting the need for the artists to create a work of art that was representative of her connection to religion.
Conclusion
Both works of art serve as a representation of the leadership under a female pharaoh, Hatshepsut, even though both actions are considered as being notably masculine. From a gender perspective, what is clear is that both the Large Kneeling Statue of Hatshepsut and the Sphinx of Hatshepsut represent some form of a paradox. Critics of the Egyptian works of art have indicated that how the statues are presented reflects on the fact that the artists failed to establish a connection to the fact that the Pharaoh was female.
References
Khalil, R., Moustafa, A. A., Moftah, M. Z., & Karim, A. A. (2017). How can knowledge of ancient Egyptian women influence today's gender role: does history matter in gender psychology? Frontiers in psychology, 7 , 2053.
Khan Academy. (n.d.). Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut and Large Kneeling Statue, New Kingdom, Egypt . Retrieved from https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ancient-art-civilizations/egypt-art/new-kingdom/v/mortuary-temple-of-hatshepsut-and-large-kneeling-statue-new-kingdom-egypt
Roehrig, C. H., Dreyfus, Renee, & Keller, C. A. (2005). Hatshepsut from Queen to Pharaoh . New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art.
