Das "schöne Fest Vom Wüstental" 1390 BC

This mural, from Ancient Egypt, depicts what translates as the "Beautiful Feast of the Valley". We can immediately see that it speaks to the culture's social and political organization. The image creates meaning through a visual code. Notice the registers. Those at the top are understood to be of higher status. The rigid profiles and formality were the visual conventions through which the ruling elite projected their authority, their bodies as sites of ideological display. It's worth noting that there was no concept of "art" as such in this culture, and so this image served a practical purpose. As historians, we can explore such art through primary source documents, such as letters, administrative records, and religious texts. The Beautiful Feast of the Valley speaks to us about how ancient Egyptians wished to be seen, and how their rulers maintained social order. The power of this image lies in its ability to reflect and reinforce the prevailing values and beliefs of its time.