In order to understand ancient Egyptian art, it is vital to know as much as possible of the elite Egyptians' view of the world and the functions and contexts of the art produced for them. Without this knowledge we can appreciate only the formal content of Egyptian art, and we will fail to understand why it was produced or the concepts that shaped it and caused it to adopt its distinctive forms. In fact, a lack of understanding concerning the purposes of Egyptian art has often led it to be compared unfavorably with the art of other cultures: Why did the Egyptians not develop sculpture in which the body turned and twisted through space like classical Greek statuary? Why do the artists seem to get left and right confused? And why did they not discover the geometric perspective as European artists did in the Renaissance? The answer to such questions has nothing to do with a lack of skill or imagination on the part of Egyptian artists and everything to do with the purposes for which they were producing their art.
The majority of three-dimensional representations, whether standing, seated, or kneeling, exhibit what is called frontality: they face straight ahead, neither twisting nor turning. When such statues are viewed in isolation, out of their original context and without knowledge of their function, it is easy to criticize them for their rigid attitudes that remained unchanged for three thousand years. Frontality is, however, directly related to the functions of Egyptian statuary and the contexts in which the statues were set up. Statues were created not for their decorative effect but to play a primary role in the cults of the gods, the king, and the dead. They were designed to be put in places where these beings could manifest themselves in order to be the recipients of ritual actions. Thus it made sense to show the statue looking ahead at what was happening in front of it, so that the living performer of the ritual could interact with the divine or deceased recipient. Very often such statues were enclosed in rectangular shrines or wall niches whose only opening was at the front, making it natural for the statue to display frontality. Other statues were designed to be placed within an architectural setting, for instance, in front of the monumental entrance gateways to temples known as pylons, or in pillared courts, where they would be placed against or between pillars: their frontality worked perfectly within the architectural context.
Statues were normally made of stone, wood, or metal. Stone statues were worked from single rectangular blocks of material and retained the compactness of the original shape. The stone between the arms and the body and between the legs in standing figures or the legs and the seat in seated ones was not normally cut away. From a practical aspect this protected the figures against breakage and psychologically gives the images a sense of strength and power, usually enhanced by a supporting back pillar. By contrast, wooden statues were carved from several pieces of wood that were pegged together to form the finished work, and metal statues were either made by wrapping sheet metal around a wooden core or cast by the lost wax process. The arms could be held away from the body and carry separate items in their hands; there is no back pillar. The effect is altogether lighter and freer than that achieved in stone, but because both perform the same function, formal wooden and metal statues still display frontality.
Apart from statues representing deities, kings, and named members of the elite that can be called formal, there is another group of three-dimensional representations that depicts generic figures, frequently servants, from the nonelite population. The function of these is quite different. Many are made to be put in the tombs of the elite in order to serve the tomb owners in the afterlife. Unlike formal statues that are limited to static poses of standing, sitting, .
Paragraph 1: In order to understand ancient Egyptian art, it is vital to know as much as possible of the elite Egyptians' view of the world and the functions and contexts of the art produced for them. Without this knowledge we can appreciate only the formal content of Egyptian art, and we will fail to understand why it was produced or the concepts that shaped it and caused it to adopt its distinctive forms. In fact, a lack of understanding concerning the purposes of Egyptian art has often led it to be compared unfavorably with the art of other cultures: Why did the Egyptians not develop sculpture in which the body turned and twisted through space like classical Greek statuary? Why do the artists seem to get left and right confused? And why did they not discover the geometric perspective as European artists did in the Renaissance? The answer to such questions has nothing to do with a lack of skill or imagination on the part of Egyptian artists and everything to do with the purposes for which they were producing their art.
1. The word “vital” in the passage is closest in meaning to
○ attractive
○ essential
○ usual
○ practical
2. Paragraph 1 suggests that one reason Egyptian art is viewed less favorably than other art is that Egyptian art lacks
○ a realistic sense of human body proportion
○ a focus on distinctive forms of varying sizes
○ the originality of European art
○ the capacity to show the human body in motion
3. In paragraph 1, the author mentions all of the following as necessary in appreciating Egyptian art EXCEPTan understanding of
○ the reasons why the art was made
○ the nature of aristocratic Egyptian beliefs
○ the influences of Egyptian art on later art such as classical Greek art
○ how the art was used
Paragraph 2: The majority of three-dimensional representations, whether standing, seated, or kneeling, exhibit what is called frontality: they face straight ahead, neither twisting nor turning. When such statues are viewed in isolation, out of their original context and without knowledge of their function, it is easy to criticize them for their rigid attitudes that remained unchanged for three thousand years. Frontality is, however, directly related to the functions of Egyptian statuary and the contexts in which the statues were set up. Statues were created not for their decorative effect but to play a primary role in the cults of the gods, the king, and the dead. They were designed to be put in places where these beings could manifest themselves in order to be the recipients of ritual actions. Thus it made sense to show the statue looking ahead at what was happening in front of it, so that the living performer of the ritual could interact with the divine or deceased recipient. Very often such statues were enclosed in rectangular shrines or wall niches whose only opening was at the front, making it natural for the statue to display frontality. Other statues were designed to be placed within an architectural setting, for instance, in front of the monumental entrance gateways to temples known as pylons, or in pillared courts, where they would be placed against or between pillars: their frontality worked perfectly within the architectural context.
4. According to paragraph 2, why are Egyptian statues portrayed frontality?
○ To create a psychological effect of distance and isolation
○ To allow them to fulfill their important role in ceremonies of Egyptian life
○ To provide a contrast to statues with a decorative function
○ To suggest the rigid, unchanging Egyptian philosophical attitudes
5. The word “context” in the passage is closest in meaning to
○ connection
○ influence
○ environment
○ requirement
6. The author mentions “an architectural setting” in the passage in order to
○ suggest that architecture was as important as sculpture to Egyptian artists
○ offer a further explanation for the frontal pose of Egyptian statues
○ explain how the display of statues replaced other forms of architectural decoration
○ illustrate the religious function of Egyptian statues
7. The word “they” in the passage refers to
○ statues
○ gateways
○ temples
○ pillared courts
Paragraph 3: Statues were normally made of stone, wood, or metal. Stone statues were worked from single rectangular blocks of material and retained the compactness of the original shape. The stone between the arms and the body and between the legs in standing figures or the legs and the seat in seated ones was not normally cut away. From a practical aspect this protected the figures against breakage and psychologically gives the images a sense of strength and power, usually enhanced by a supporting back pillar. By contrast, wooden statues were carved from several pieces of wood that were pegged together to form the finished work, and metal statues were either made by wrapping sheet metal around a wooden core or cast by the lost wax process. The arms could be held away from the body and carry separate items in their hands; there is no back pillar. The effect is altogether lighter and freer than that achieved in stone, but because both perform the same function, formal wooden and metal statues still display frontality.
8. According to paragraph 3, why were certain areas of a stone statue left uncarved?
○ To prevent damage by providing physical stability
○ To emphasize that the material was as important as the figure itself
○ To emphasize that the figure was not meant to be a real human being
○ To provide another artist with the chance to finish the carving
9. The word “core” in the passage is closest in meaning to
○ material
○ layer
○ center
○ frame
10. According to paragraph 3, which of the following statements about wooden statues is true?
○ Wooden statues were usually larger than stone statues.
○ Wooden statues were made from a single piece of wood.
○ Wooden statues contained pieces of metal or stone attached to the front.
○ Wooden statues had a different effect on the viewer than stone statues.
Paragraph 4: Apart from statues representing deities, kings, and named members of the elite that can be called formal, there is another group of three-dimensional representations that depicts generic figures, frequently servants, from the nonelite population. The function of these is quite different. Many are made to be put in the tombs of the elite in order to serve the tomb owners in the afterlife. Unlike formal statues that are limited to static poses of standing, sitting, and kneeling, these figures depict a wide range of actions, such as grinding grain, baking bread, producing pots, and making music, and they are shown in appropriate poses, bending and squatting as they carry out their tasks.
11. The word depicts in the passage is closest in meaning to
○ imagines
○ classifies
○ elevates
○ portrays
12. According to paragraph 4, what is the difference between statues that represent the Egyptian elite and statues that represent the nonelite classes?
○ Statues of the elite are included in tombs, but statues of the nonelite are not.
○ Statues of the elite are in motionless poses, while statues of the nonelite are in active poses.
○ Statues of the elite are shown standing, while statues of the nonelite are shown sitting or kneeling.
○ Statues of the elite serve an important function, while statues of the nonelite are decorative.
Paragraph 4: Apart from statues representing deities, kings, and named members of the elite that can be called formal, there is another group of three-dimensional representations that depicts generic figures, frequently servants, from the nonelite population. ■The function of these is quite different. ■Many are made to be put in the tombs of the elite in order to serve the tomb owners in the afterlife. ■Unlike formal statues that are limited to static poses of standing, sitting, and kneeling, these figures depict a wide range of actions, such as grinding grain, baking bread, producing pots, and making music, and they are shown in appropriate poses, bending and squatting as they carry out their tasks. ■
13. Look at the four squares [■] that indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage.
In fact, it is the action and not the figure itself that is important.
Where would the sentence best fit?
14．Directions: An introductory sentence for a brief summary of the passage is provided below. Complete the summary by selecting the THREE answer that express the most important ideas in the passage. Some sentences do not belong in the summary because they express ideas that not presented in the passage or are minor ideas in the passage. This question is worth 2 points.
The distinctive look of ancient Egyptian sculpture was determined largely by its function.
●
●
●
Answer Choices
○ The twisted forms of Egyptian statues indicate their importance in ritual actions.
○ The reason Egyptian statues are motionless is linked to their central role in cultural rituals.
○ Stone, wood, and metal statues all display the feature of frontality.
○ Statues were more often designed to be viewed in isolation rather than placed within buildings.
○ The contrasting poses used in statues of elite and nonelite Egyptians reveal their difference in social status.
○ Although the appearances of formal and generic statues differ, they share the same function.
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參考答案：
1. ○2
2. ○4
3. ○3
4. ○2
5. ○3
6. ○2
7. ○1
8.○1
9. ○3
10. ○4
11. ○4
12. ○2
13. ○4
14. The reason Egyptian
Stone, wood, and
The contrasting poses
要想深入解讀古埃及藝術(shù)，極為重要的一點(diǎn)是要盡可能多地了解其精英階層的世界觀以及當(dāng)時(shí)藝術(shù)創(chuàng)造的功能和背景。若是沒有這些認(rèn)識(shí)，我們只能窺探到古埃及藝術(shù)的皮毛而無法理解它們創(chuàng)造出來的原因和秉持的理念，也無法得知其采用獨(dú)特藝術(shù)形式的原因。事實(shí)上，正是因?yàn)槿藗內(nèi)狈@些根本意義的了解，讓古埃及文化藝術(shù)在與其他藝術(shù)進(jìn)行對比時(shí)往往遭到質(zhì)疑：為什么古埃及的雕塑作品不像古希臘的經(jīng)典作品那樣，有空間上的彎曲和旋轉(zhuǎn)？為什么那些藝術(shù)家似乎都左右不分？又是為什么，在那些藝術(shù)作品里，完全沒有體現(xiàn)過文藝復(fù)興時(shí)期歐洲藝術(shù)家普遍采用的幾何透視？然而，這些問題的答案完全不能說明古埃及的藝術(shù)家技藝不佳或者缺乏想象力，而恰恰體現(xiàn)了他們創(chuàng)造這些藝術(shù)的意義所在。
大部分三維立體的雕像，無論是站著、坐著抑或是跪著的，都體現(xiàn)出一種稱為 “正面描繪”的手法：它們往往直面前方，既不彎曲，也不翻轉(zhuǎn)。如果脫離對其原始情境的了解和功能作用的認(rèn)識(shí)，孤立地去觀看，你將會(huì)對它們?nèi)瓴蛔兊慕┯沧藨B(tài)發(fā)出責(zé)難。然而事實(shí)上，這種“正面描繪”的展示手法與古埃及雕塑的功能和創(chuàng)造背景有著密切的聯(lián)系。當(dāng)時(shí)，創(chuàng)造雕塑不僅僅是用來作為裝飾，更重要的是應(yīng)用于對神靈、國王和逝者的祭祀典禮上。它們被放置在顯要位置，是為了受禮者的儀式活動(dòng)。從而，那些接受膜拜的神靈和人物得以顯現(xiàn)，能夠更直接地觀看到整個(gè)儀式的表演，并能與現(xiàn)場表演者互通心靈，傳達(dá)神意。這些雕塑通常被放置在只有正面開口的矩形神龕或者壁龕中，這樣也使得這些作品必須通過正面展現(xiàn)。有些雕塑也被放置在建筑系列中，比如說，塔門（神殿通道入口的紀(jì)念碑）的正前方，和支柱結(jié)構(gòu)法庭中的支柱對面或者兩柱之間——正是這種正面展示的方式讓這些雕塑與周圍的建筑環(huán)境相得益彰。
這些雕塑通常是由石頭、木材和金屬做成的。石制雕像是用長方形的石料制成，并且保持著原有的形狀和比例。站姿雕塑的軀干與胳膊之間、兩腿之間的石料或者是坐姿石像的大腿與座位之間的石料通常不會(huì)去掉。外觀上來看，通常石像背部增加一個(gè)支撐柱可起到保護(hù)石像斷裂的作用并且在心理上展現(xiàn)出一種力量感。相比之下，木質(zhì)雕像是把多塊木頭釘在一起再進(jìn)行雕刻而成，而金屬雕塑是在木芯外裹上金屬薄片，或是再用失蠟燭“拋光”。金屬雕像的手臂可以與身體分離并且手上也可以單獨(dú)拿東西。它們不需要背部支柱，因此效果相比于石質(zhì)雕塑更明亮，表達(dá)更流暢。但是因?yàn)橛猛鞠嗤�，木質(zhì)的和金屬的雕像依舊是正面描繪的表現(xiàn)形式。
除去為神靈、國王以及有記載的貴族成員所塑的雕像會(huì)有特定的外形，其他的非貴族成員和頻繁出現(xiàn)的仆人都是用普通外表來描繪的。他們的用途大不相同，很多被放進(jìn)貴族陵墓里為的是在來世服侍墓地的主人。跟一般的雕像不同，這些雕像形態(tài)各異，而不僅僅局限于站、坐或者跪這幾種靜態(tài)姿勢，例如他們有的在研磨谷物，有的正在烤焙面包，制作瓦罐或者演奏音樂，他們姿態(tài)逼真，工作時(shí)彎腰或蹲下的工作非常地惟妙惟肖。
幾何透視法產(chǎn)成與數(shù)學(xué)原理，是把幾何透視運(yùn)用到繪畫藝術(shù)表現(xiàn)之中，是科學(xué)與藝術(shù)相結(jié)合的技法。它主要借助于遠(yuǎn)大近小的透視現(xiàn)象表現(xiàn)物體的立體感。 平行透視當(dāng)立方體的六個(gè)面中，有一個(gè)面與畫者的位置呈平行狀態(tài)時(shí)，畫者所看到的是它面產(chǎn)生的透視變化。
