Shelby Bishop
ARTH 101-001
Visual Analysis Assignment
“Female Attendants Clapping Hands” is an Egyptian piece of art from the Middle Kingdom, most likely a tomb relief, which can be found at the Cincinnati Art Museum. This artwork is made from limestone, which gives a smooth texture. The relief is a narrative that shows several women clapping their hands together. The women could be performing some kind of ritual, or at a ceremony or banquet, since this was typical of the time period. The clapping of the hands symbolizes rhythm. This could suggest dancing, singing, or performing took place, which was also common at banquets, funerals, and festivals. There is no background or scenery, which makes it difficult to determine exactly what was…show more content… There is not much detail, however the face area seems to be more detailed than the rest of the body. The women are shown in white clothing, with some coloring on the upper torso. Each wears a long, black wig. The wig falls onto the back of the woman, with only a small section of hair resting on the torso. This was a very common style choice during this period. One style choice that stands out, however, are the white, bead-like objects resting on top of the wigs. It almost seems like they are wearing jewelry in their hair. Compared to other works from this time, the beads on the hair are very unique. This differentiates the relief from others during this period, even with having similar characteristics. On the left side of the dresses, white coloring outlines the dress. Maybe the artist used the white to show light. The shapes in the artwork are very thought out and planned. This is proven by the fact that there are two identical women. If they had been more organic shapes, the women would have more…show more content… It is a different experience when you see all of these artworks in person. The colors are more vibrant, and you can see the textures in person. This particular one stood out to me because I really enjoy the Egyptian artwork from this time period. The compositions have similar characteristics but are made to be unique with different style choices. An example is the beads placed on the wigs. As I looked at the relief I wondered how they were able to add color to their compositions, and why they to add those specific colors. Was it because that’s what the colors realistically were or were they made up to add interest? Also, it was very interesting to see how the artist made such fine lines that show very good craft. Maybe they used a chisel of some sort, and if they did how did they figure out which lines to chisel? Even with what we would consider as primitive tools, the artist has made a very interesting work of art. The artist must have been exceptionally talented if they were able to make the women look the same exact