Images of Power
An old college essay comparing Vladimir Putin to an Egyptian pharaoh.
The following is an essay I wrote for an art history class back in 2009. Given recent geopolitical events, I naturally thought of it. Upon rereading it, I had a good chuckle; so I figured I’d share it with this community, and inaugurate my blog at the same time.
Enjoy!
J.A.K.
Art M01, 11:00 a.m.
Prof. Zoraster
2009-07-02, Essay
The Palette of King Narmer: An Image of Power
For this essay, I have decided to focus on the reverse side of Narmer’s palette.[1] This is actually the front face of the work, since the story elements depicted on it precede chronologically those on the other side (where Narmer’s enemy is already dead). Also, unlike some elements of the functional side, very little is ambiguous here.
An image of power is one in which a figure, often a ruler, is presented in such a manner as to impress upon the viewer that he is the hero of a story being told. The image carved on the back of this palette (used in the application of kohl, a traditional Middle Eastern cosmetic makeup for the eyes, a primary ingredient of which is soot), from Hierakonpolis in the Predynastic period of ancient Egypt (c. 3000–2920 BC), is clearly such an image.
The bas relief (shallow carving) depicts the titular Narmer, effortlessly defeating a rival king. His figure is impossible to miss, being at center and larger than all others depicted. He stands erect, his muscles taut (accented as much as possible within the traditional proportions stylistically allotted to pharaohs in Egyptian art — notably by the inclusion of additional lines carved inside his forearms and calves). He holds his rival (whose body is inclined away from him and kneeling) by the hair, and raises a mace in his other hand, poised to strike. He clearly has the upper hand in this situation (no pun intended), and is watched over in his victory by the god Horus (upper right), and attended by a servant (middle left) — thus securing his status above other men, and just below the gods.
This is believed to be the earliest-preserved (and unearthed) work of narrative art in the world, and commemorates the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt into a single kingdom under Narmer’s rule. The divinity of the pharaoh is suggested here (e.g. by the bull’s tail he is wearing, and by his headdress’s placement vertically on a level with the falcon god), and the basic principles of Egyptian representational art are established, which will be echoed in most works from that culture for the next 3,000 years.
To contrast this image with one from our present century,[2] I have chosen a portrait of Russia’s incumbent Prime Minister, Valdimir Putin, shown on a fishing trip in 2007.
I find this image compares surprisingly well with the Egyptian one. Putin’s head is shown in profile, while his torso is rotated mostly toward the viewer. His chest is bare, and for all we can see of his legs, he could be wearing the royal skirt of a pharaoh (with cargo pockets). He has just taken a breath of air and is thereby showing off his chest muscles. The only real difference, in fact, is that instead of a mace he holds a fishing rod.
Indeed, the most significant way in which these two images differ is a matter of irony: Whereas the aim of Narmer’s palette was to show his subjects he was a god, the aim of Putin’s publicity photo is to show the world that he is “one of the guys.”
Behold the power of context.
Works Cited
- Kleiner, Fred S. “Gardner’s Art Through the Ages: A Global History,” 13th Ed., Vol. 1. Thompson Wadsworth, 2009. P. 55.
- Cable, Simon. “A Russian bare: Putin goes fishin’.” Mail Online, 14 August 2007. <http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-475164/A-Russian-bare-Putin-goes-fishin.html>, 1 July 2009.