Artist's Gridded Sketch of Senenmut 1458 BC

This 1458 BC sketch from Ancient Egypt is a preliminary study for a larger artwork. It depicts Senenmut, a powerful official during the reign of Hatshepsut, in profile and is notable for its gridded lines. The grid system demonstrates the importance of precise proportions in ancient Egyptian art, suggesting that the artists carefully planned their compositions before executing them on a larger scale. This sketch, now housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, is a rare glimpse into the creative process of ancient Egyptian artists.