Sculpture
Although in most respects Middle Kingdom sculptors adhered to
the conventions established during the Old Kingdom, there were
some notable innovations.SENUSRET III One of Mentuhotep II’s successors was Senusret
III (r. 1878–1859 BCE), who fought four brutal military campaigns in
Nubia (MAP3-1). Although Egyptian armies devastated the land and
poisoned the wells, Senusret III never fully achieved secure control
over the Nubians. In Egypt itself, he attempted, with greater success,
to establish a more powerful central government. His portraits (FIG.
3-17) are of special interest because they represent a sharp break
from Old Kingdom practice. Although the king’s preserved statues
have idealized bodies, the sculptors brought a stunning and un-
precedented realism to the rendition of Senusret III’s features. His
pessimistic expression reflects the dominant mood of the time and is
echoed in Middle Kingdom litera-
ture. The strong mouth, the droop-
ing lines about the nose and eyes,
and the shadowy brows show a de-
termined ruler who had also shared
in the cares of the world, sunk in
brooding meditation. The portrait
is different in kind from the typi-
cally impassive faces of the Old
Kingdom. It is personal, almost in-
timate, in its revelation of the mark
of anxiety that a troubled age
might leave on the soul of a king.3-17Fragmentary head of
Senusret III, 12th Dynasty,
ca. 1860 bce.Red quartzite,
6 –^12 high. Metropolitan
Museum of Art, New York.
The portraits of Senusret III
exhibit an unprecedented
realism. The king’s brooding
expression reflects the
dominant mood of the time
and contrasts sharply with
the impassive faces of Old
Kingdom pharaohs.3-16Goats
treading seed and
cattle fording
a canal, reliefs in
the mastaba of Ti,
Saqqara, Egypt,
Fifth Dynasty,
ca. 2450–2350 bce.
Painted limestone.
The fording of
the Nile was a
metaphor for the
passage to the
afterlife. These
reliefs combine
stereotypical poses
for humans and
animals with
unconventional
postures and
anecdotal details.The Middle Kingdom 651 in.3-17ALady
Sennuwy,
Kerma, ca.
1960–1916 BCE.