Seated Scribe Differences

Artists are influenced by just about anything, especially by the works of other artists. Pieces of art from different time periods and or locations have many differences but are clearly interrelated with each other in some way, whether it is by their appearance and or meaning. Examples of this are two pieces of Egyptian art entitled Seated Scribe and Haremhab as a Scribe of the King. These sculptures may initially look the same, but while personally visiting Haremhab as a Scribe of the King, I realized just how different they truly are. The painted sculpture from 2500 BCE made out of limestone founded in Saqqara, Egypt titled Seated Scribe depicts a Fourth Dynasty scribe. Even though scribes were not as important as the pharaohs, they still
The Seated Scribe’s painted black hair is short and generalized and he is anatomically symmetrically but because he has a smooth surface, he has no patterns on him that can be repeated on both sides. Haremhab has long hair that is parted straight down the middle and is separated in the back into two even parts that swing forward over the shoulders. One main feature that is recurring throughout sculpture of Haremhab, especially in his hair and outfit, is how symmetrical he is. Details that are composed on one side, whether it is the amount of bumps carved in the hair or creases of the outfit, are shown in the exact same form on the other side. Haremhab’s hair was carved in a way that created no separate strands of hair, which would have given it a more fluid and naturalistic look. Instead the simplified hair, which has been made to stay attached to the side of the face, shoulder, and chest, has a bulky and awkward appearance. The vertical pattern used to make the strands of hair is repeated and does not individualize a single strand. The repetition of horizontal bumps creates natural shadows and highlights that make the hair look wavy but still very controlled. Another very precise detail is the pattern on his clothes. The sleeves on his tunic and the knees, waist, and back of his skirt have a low relief carving of straight lines that make it look like creases. Like the hair, no crease is individualized and each crease is the same size. The artist purposefully included small symmetrical details, such as the exact same number of creases on his clothes seen on both sides, in order to make Haremhab look orderly and put together. The extent to which the sculpture is symmetrical is proven further by the little opening of his tunic being placed right in the center of his chest and lined up with his nose and the middle part of his hair. The simplifications done by the