Eros Egypt

[Jenn]

We moderns tend to believe that ancient Egyptian art contains little that is
overtly sexual. Egyptian painting seems to lack the strong sensual qualities
of much classical art and its descendant, the richly textured art of the
Renaissance.

This impression is mistaken, however. In paintings and reliefs in Egyptian
temples and tombs, the sexuality is often only suggested—as when a husband
and wife are depicted sitting demurely side by side—befitting the dignified
surroundings. In the "low" art of papyrus scroll-painting, on the other
hand, Egyptian artists created explicitly erotic images. Unfortunately, only
one of these scrolls has survived.

The most erotically graphic—some would say pornographic—work of Egyptian art
is the so-called Turin Erotic Papyrus (Papyrus 55001), now in the Egyptian
Museum in Turin, Italy. Painted in the Ramesside period (1292-1075 B.C.E.),
the ..........

http://www.bib-arch.org/aoso01/eros1.html

--
Jenn

Brian (not wanting to be a messiah): "You are all individuals..."
Crowd (in unison): "We are all individuals..."
Monty Python's "Life Of Brian"

[Afropea]

Jenn writes

>We moderns tend to believe that ancient Egyptian art contains little that
>is
>overtly sexual. Egyptian painting seems to lack the strong sensual qualities
>of much classical art and its descendant, the richly textured art of the
>Renaissance.
>

>This impression is mistaken, however. In paintings and reliefs in Egyptian
>temples and tombs, the sexuality is often only suggested—as when a husband
>and wife are depicted sitting demurely side by side—befitting the dignified
>surroundings. In the "low" art of papyrus scroll-painting, on the other
>hand, Egyptian artists created explicitly erotic images. Unfortunately,
>only
>one of these scrolls has survived.
>
>The most erotically graphic—some would say pornographic—work of Egyptian
>art
>is the so-called Turin Erotic Papyrus (Papyrus 55001), now in the Egyptian
>Museum in Turin, Italy. Painted in the Ramesside period (1292-1075 B.C.E.),
>the ..........
>
>http://www.bib-arch.org/aoso01/eros1.html
>
>
>--
>Jenn
>

Very interesting, but I didn't realize there was a question about the Egyptians
not having any kind of erotic art or literature. I've seen many examples of
this in paintings and sculpture. Actually, one of my favorite erotic images
comes from an Egyptian poem.

I have a book called "Sexual Life in Ancient Egypt" by Lise Manniche which
gives many, many examples from merely erotic to highly pornographic. I also
recall reading an anthology on erotic art in history with a full chapter on
Egyptian erotica. Unfortunately this was many, many years ago and I can't
recall the title. The fact is things were just as racy in Egypt as they were
everywhere else!

Eve