This course sets out the governing principles of ancient Egyptian art, most of which developed alongside the centralised control of kingship in the 4th millennium BCE and stayed constant until the end of pharaonic history. However, its focus is on diachronic case studies where these principles are utterly violated. Examples of divergent art range from the display of 'imperfect' bodies through curtailment or the highlighting of features that are usually concealed, to deliberate deviations to show 'otherness'.

10x 1 hour lectures (first and last delivered f-2-f; others asynchronous) 10x 1 hour seminars exploring case studies of divergent art (possible one handing session in Kelvinhall) This is one of the Honours options in Classics and may not run every year. The options that are running this session are available on MyCampus.

CLASSIC5107

None

The standard assessments for this course are: 

■ Set Exercise - critical analysis of 3 primary sources (2000 words) - 50%

■ Critical review of a key secondary source (1000 words) - 20%

■ Oral Presentation - (5 minutes) - 30%

If required, for instance where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, the following alternatives are available: 

■ There are no alternatives to the exercise or review, but flexible deadlines/ extra time can be offered as reasonable adjustment (Students should follow the usual process for extensions). 

■ Recording or poster as alternative to oral presentation.

Further reasonable adjustments may be provided where necessary. Students are encouraged to consult with the course convenor.  

This course aims to:

■ Introduce students to the underpinning principles of Egyptian art

■ Explore both the characteristics that set certain artworks outside the established 'norm'

■ Discuss the possible reasons behind such deviations and reflect on the effects they might have had

■ Develop skills in critical analysis of both primary material in the form of artworks through time, and secondary sources that engage with those works.

By the end of this course students will be able to:

■ Identify the characteristic aspects of conventional Egyptian art and contrast these with the defining features of 'deviant' art

■ Contextualise key case studies culturally and chronologically within Egyptian history and discuss them against possible historical influences

■ Critically analyse both primary and secondary sources relating to case studies discussed in class

■ Reflect on and present either visually (through a poster) or orally (through a pre-recorded presentation) the cultural impacts of artworks that deviated from the norm