The Pharoahs’ Status in Ancient Egyptian Art 

02/18/2025

The Pharoahs’ Impact in Ancient Egypt

The Ancient Egyptian period is known for laying out foundations for cultural, tehcnological, & spiritual advancement + experimentation. During Ancient Egypt, the Pharoahs played a significant role in both status and ruling of society, as well as paving the way for how we depict power in prehistoric art, for more than 3,000 years. The word pharoah stems from the egyptian word pr-aa, which refers to the building of a court or a palace. A pharoah, although human, embodied eternal kingship, upon being crowned to his according throne, and held the responsibility to rule over Ancient Egypt and its people. The Ancient Egyptians believed that one’s soul, especially a pharoah’s, included three parts : the ka, the ba, and the akh. The ka, also known as spirit, was depicted as a separate entity protecting a pharoah, and allowing him to interract with both physical and metaphysical realms outside of his own. The ba was the part of the soul that could communicate between the living and the dead, depicted as a human-headed bird flying over the deceased. The akh, served as the final phase of one’s soul formation, and was depicted as the spirit who survives death, and has the ability to exist alongside the gods. The ka and ba were parts of the soul that everyone possesed, but the akh was reserved for only a select few that were deserving of maat kheru, a blessing from Maat, the Ancient Egyptian goddess of truth, justice, and balance. To be considered a true pharoah during Ancient Egypt, it was expected that one possesses all three part of the soul. 



A Pharoah’s Power in Ancient Egyptian Art

The pharoahs used art to prove their power during Ancient Egypt through various forms of creations, such as monuments, regalia, paintings, symbols, and hierloglyphics. During the Ancient Egyptian time period, pharaohs were often the main subject in artwork because they were the ones commissioning such. For monuments created during this time, the pyramid of Kufu is an important one to reflect on. Located in the Valley of the Kings, the pyramid of Kufu used to be the largest building on Earth from 2560 BC to 1311 AD. Pharaohs also enjoyed commisioning for obelisks, a type of tall, tapered monument, to be constructed to their name. As for their regalia, pharoahs were known to possess a wealth of items that represented their status, such as their clothings, supplies, furniture, etc. Much of their regalia was also reflective of their beliefs, with religious symbols being depicted in some of their possessions. Paintings of pharoahs were also significantly important. Though they weren’t always stylized in accuracy, ancient Egyptian paintings of pharoahs still honored a pharoah’s greatness. Pharoahs were known to believe that with the sun and moon, and overall astronomical wonders, came great power and force to their own as a reigning deity, this was seen in these paintings also. Lastly, different symbols and hieroglyphics were seen in ancient Egyptian artwork, such as the depiction of the scarab beetle and lotus flower, both symbols of rebirth and sunrise, and the pharoahs responsibility to pray for sunrises to come up, and sunrises to come down.


Summary  

From this, we can note that the Pharoahs’ right to reign and rule was based on their descent and devotion to the gods of their time. The pharoahs used art to not only declare their power, but also to claim their status, and prove of their wisdom, heritage, and impact in the world order. To be considered a true pharoah during Ancient Egypt, it was expected that one possesses all three parts of the soul.



Sources

Share