Every example of Egyptian art from any time period strictly adheres to the same style. There is a code, or a set of rules for producing the artwork. The style is called frontalism. In reliefs or paintings, frontailsm means that the head of the character is always drawn in profile, while the body is seen from the front. Although the face is to the side, the eye is drawn in full. The legs are turned to the same side as the head, with one foot placed in front of the other. The head is at right angles to the body. Every figure, in paintings or sculptures, stands or sits with a formal, stiff, and rigid posture. The stance of the body is severe, but the faces are calm and serene, and almost always tilted slightly towards the sky, as if the figures were basking in the warm sun.

Another artistic "rule" is that nothing should be drawn in front of the face or body of the pharaoh. That is why, in this painting, the king has drawn his bow behind his back, with his arms bent at unusual angles. This noble is spending his leisure time hunting fowl with his cat. His wife accompanies him, as many women did. Notice that the birds, and especially the fish, are painted very realistically, with attention paid to the slightest details, while the humans conform to the cartoon-like frontalistic style.

On the Tree Of Life, the birds represent the various stages of human life. Starting in the lower right-hand corner and proceeding counter- clockwise: The light gray bird symbolizes infancy. The red bird symbolizes childhood. The green bird symbolizes youth. The blue bird symbolizes adulthood. The orange bird symbolizes old age.

This picture depicts the goddesses Ma'at and Isis. Ma'at, the goddess of truth and justice, is the winged goddess who is kneeling. Isis is the goddess seated on the throne. According to legend, Isis was the wife of Osiris and mother of Horus; therefore, the queen of the gods. The identifying characteristics that indicate the seated goddess is Isis include the horned headdress and the vulture on her head. Although sometimes Hathor is also depicted with a horned headdress, only Isis has both the horned headdress and the vulture.

Lisa Kremen The Academy for the Advancement of Science and Technology Hackensack, NJ “Ancient Egypt A History of Art and Culture”