Art and Culture

Is art an important source of information about civilizations? Explain. Talk about the Egyptian style of depicting the human figure and about the use of human-animal combinations in visualizing Egyptian deities. What does Egyptian art reveal about Egyptian religious beliefs? About their political beliefs? About Egyptian society?

Do political, religious, and social views of our times influence the content and style of contemporary art? If so, in what ways? Is art important today? Ask the students to think about which forms of art mean the most to them.

Compare the most ancient Egyptian works of art with those made in later times. What do these comparisons suggest about tradition and change in ancient Egypt? With more advanced students, discuss changes in modern art and society that have taken place in the last fifty years. Why is change much more rapid today?