Masking the Blow: The Scene of Representation in Late Prehistoric Egyptian Art

3/5 ( ratings)

The meaning of late prehistoric Egyptian images has until now been tantalizingly mysterious, as little understood as the circumstances of their production. As a result, analyses of these images have been general and often incorrectly illustrated. Whitney Davis now provides a welcome remedy in this detailed reinterpretation of the images carved on ivory knife handles and schist cosmetic palettes. These images are among the most important documents of early Egyptian history and include the Narmer Palette, often considered the very inception of ancient Egyptian image making.

Davis deciphers the intriguing pictorial narratives and complex metaphors of images that are concerned with "masking the blow" of the ruler. "Masking the blow" refers to the ways that the images—from hunted animals to human antagonists—represent, elide, or suppress the depiction of a ruler's violent act of conquering an enemy.

Examining late prehistoric Egyptian images in light of contemporary visual theory and illustrating his analyses with excellent reproductions, Davis goes beyond the usual concern for stylistic development and iconographic meanings that characterize prior studies. His work will greatly interest art historians, archaeologists, anthropologists, and students of the visual arts.

Language: English

Pages: 299

Format: Hardcover

Publisher: University of California Press

Release: December 07, 1992

ISBN: 0520074882

ISBN 13: 9780520074880

Masking the Blow: The Scene of Representation in Late Prehistoric Egyptian Art

Whitney Davis

3/5 ( ratings)

Read Download

Language: English

Pages: 299

Format: Hardcover

Publisher: University of California Press

Release: December 07, 1992

ISBN: 0520074882

ISBN 13: 9780520074880

More books from Whitney Davis

On Kawara -- Silence

4.3/5 ( ratings)

Drawing the Dream of the Wolves: Homosexuality, Interpretation, and Freud's "Wolf Man"

Subscribe to Read | $0.00

Popular Genres

Subscribe to Read | $0.00

Masking the Blow: The Scene of Representation in Late Prehistoric Egyptian Art

Masking the Blow: The Scene of Representation in Late Prehistoric Egyptian Art

Masking the Blow: The Scene of Representation in Late Prehistoric Egyptian Art

More books from Whitney Davis

On Kawara -- Silence

Drawing the Dream of the Wolves: Homosexuality, Interpretation, and Freud&apos;s &quot;Wolf Man&quot;

Encyclopedia of Aesthetics

The Imaginary Ceilings: Learn to Unleash the Power Within

Destroy The Black World: Fantasy Manga Volume 2

Destroy The Black World: Fantasy Manga Volume 5

Destroy The Black World: Fantasy Manga Volume 8

Room 6060: Of Death and Hope … Of Grief and Joy

Destroy The Black World: Fantasy Manga Volume 7

House of Rot

Natural Habitats

The Canonical Tradition in Ancient Egyptian Art

Replications: Archaeology, Art History, Psychoanalysis

Dig Deep Sis!: Prayer Journal

Queer Beauty: Sexuality and Aesthetics from Winckelmann to Freud and Beyond

Dig Deep, Sis!: Prayer Journal

Pacing the World: Construction in the Sculpture of David Rabinowitch

Gay and Lesbian Studies in Art History

Drawing the Dream of the Wolves: Homosexuality, Interpretation, and Freud's "Wolf Man"