Humanities-Last Judgement of Hunefer PDF

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Aubree Harper Art History-1010 Essay 1 The Last Judgement of Hunefer Ancient Egyptian culture is a mystery that has slowly been revealed through the discovery of tombs and the artwork within. Found in the Book of the Dead intended to help the deceased prepare for the afterlife (Journey), the Last Judgement of Hunefer is a piece of art that provides great understanding to the beliefs of the Egyptians. This piece of art is dated to 1275 B.C.E in the New Kingdom of ancient Egypt. The artist is unknown, however Hunefer is assumed to be the patron. (Thoth) The story of the Judgment of Hunufer progresses and moves from left to right. On the top left corner of the papyrus, Hunefer is seen telling a line of deities what a good life he had lived. The next scene shows Hunefer, represented in a white robe, being led by Anubis, the God with the head of a jackal, who bears an ankh in his hand to symbolize eternal life which is what Hunefer is after. The next scene shows Anubis adjusting the scale which compares the heart of Hunefer, represented in an urn, with a feather of Ma’at who is the deity of divine order. We see that the feather is heavier which means Hunefer led an ethical life. The beast with the head of a crocodile, the body of a lion, and the legs of a hippopotamus is Ammit, who would devour the soul of the judged if they had not lived an ethical life as according to Ma’at. The next scene includes Thoth, who has the head of an Ibis. He bears a scroll and reads to Hunefer that he will go on to the afterlife. Hunefer is led to the supreme deity Osirus by his son Horus, who has the falcon head. Before Osirus, we see Horus’ children, who are responsible for preserving Hunefer’s organs so that he may prosper in the afterlife. (Harris)

This work was very typical to it’s time. The positioning of the people was meant to have each part of them in their most recognizable angle. That is why the faces are shown in profile, while the eyes are facing forward. The torso is shown square while the legs are in profile, and the hands have a purpose. The register of the story was also very typical, as the story proceeds left to right and on a horizontal line. Artwork in ancient Egypt was meant to have a purpose rather than to be admired, and the judgement was recreated many times to help prepare the deceased for the afterlife. Although reproduced many times, the layout remained constant. However, unique factor is the combination of cuneiform and the artwork in the same piece. This artwork was important to those preparing for the afterlife so that they might be ready to enter their own judgement. The Judgement of Hunefer was an incredibly well preserved piece of artwork which has been admired for years and provided much insight to the life of the ancient Egyptians.

Works Cited Harris, Beth, and Steven Zucker. "Last Judgement of Hunefer, from His Tomb." Khan Academy. Khan Academy, n.d. Web. 29 May 2017. . Journey Through the Afterlife: Ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead. Place of Publication Not Identified: Harvard Univ, 2013. The British Museum, 2013. Web. 28 May 2017. . "Thoth and the Tarot." The Judgement Hall Scene from the Papyrus of Hunefer, 1370 B.C. (n.d.): Sacred Scarab Institute. Sacred Scarab Institute. Web. 28 May 2017. ....