ART HISTORY I

In ancient Egyptian art, two-dimensional representations of the human figure were governed by a strict canon of proportions or set of rules governing the relationship between parts. The cannon was based on a module or unit of measure determined by the width of a closed fist or the distance from the sole of the foot to the ankle. During the Old Kingdom, standing figures were represented 18 modules tall from the soles of the feet to the hairline on the forehead; the navel was located at the 11th module; heads were represented in profile with a front-facing eye; the torso was pictured facing forward; and the lower body, from the waist down, was also shown in profile.  Figures were represented with two left (or two right) feet.