Ideas for cross-curricular activities at KS2 inspired by the painting

The Temple of Dendera, Upper Egypt

By David Roberts (1796-1864)

The Temple of Dendera, Upper Egypt

by David Roberts (1796-1864)
The painting measures 1193mm x 2120mm. It was painted in oils on canvas in 1841.

What is the painting about?

This oil painting shows the entrance of the temple of the Egyptian goddess Hathor at Dendera. Hathor was the Egyptian goddess of love, beauty and the arts. She was often depicted as a cow or a woman with the ears of a cow, as on the columns here. Although the earliest part of the temple is about 2,360 years old, the painting shows a part of it that was built about 2,000 years ago, when the Romans ruled Egypt. Carved on the rear wall of the temple is the name and figure of Cleopatra VII, the last ruler of Egypt before the country became part of the Roman Empire. There are also scenes of Roman emperors offering gifts to the goddess Hathor, which shows the Romans accepted the Egyptian gods.

During his visit Roberts tried to record the details of the temple as accurately as he could in his sketches. In this painting, however, Roberts has embellished his work by adding groups of people and improving the appearance of the exterior paintwork, much of which had already been lost. By doing so, he has managed to convey the mystery that many people attached to ancient Egypt.

Who was David Roberts?

David Roberts was born in Edinburgh in October 1796, the son of a shoemaker and a laundress. He was one of 5 children and at the age of 11 he was apprenticed to a house decorator. Roberts moved to London when he was 26, where he found work as a scenery painter at the Drury Lane Theatre. His work was popular with audiences and he spent 15 years painting sets for theatres around Britain. At the same time, Roberts was pursuing his own painting and before long he was known as an accomplished easel painter. He eventually left theatre work in order to paint landscapes and architectural scenes. He visited Europe and his work from Spain was published as a set of lithographs in 1837. The following year Roberts set off on an 11-month journey through Egypt and the Near East to draw the monuments of the ancient world. Although he was not the first artist to travel to this region, he was one of the first British artists to travel there independently. In his journey down the Nile, Roberts was particularly interested in the settings of the monuments in these unfamiliar landscapes. He kept a journal during his travels, which together with his drawings provide a valuable record of life in the places he visited. Roberts left Egypt in May 1839. On returning to London, he began to produce lithographs and some oil paintings from his sketches. Although this project took him 8 years to finish, his work became highly sought-after. Many of his Near East scenes are still sold today as postcards in the bazaars of Cairo.

Why was it painted?

Egyptology was extremely popular in the late 18th and 19th centuries. People were fascinated by romantic images of far-off places. This interest began around the time of Napoleons Egyptian campaigns of 1798. The French forces included a team of scholars and artists who spent many years collecting information about Egypt and making drawings of all the The artist has painted several groups of people visible temples and monuments. This was in and around the temple which adds interest published under the title A Description of Egypt. and helps to show the scale of the building. A Another significant event was the discovery party of men in Arab dress in the bottom right of the Rosetta Stone by French soldiers. appear to be on a trip to Dendera to see the sights. The drinks on the tray held by the serving This eventually led to the understanding of hieroglyphics, which unlocked the secrets of girl, the pipes and the two female musicians all the language and culture of ancient Egypt. suggest that this trip was planned in advance with all the required comforts rather than just David Roberts produced hundreds of drawings a short stop. They seem to have been there for and sketches in Egypt that he later worked up some time, as food has been cleared away, when he returned home. Roberts hoped that the men appear to be relaxing and one man the paintings and lithographs produced from is sleeping. The other people in the painting his drawings would make him a lot of money. are more concerned with their surroundings, Lithographs are made by printing from stone climbing the stones and exploring the hall. (lithography means stone drawing) or metal plate. An image is drawn in reverse onto the David Robertss use of light and shadow leads printing surface with a greasy crayon. The the viewer deep into the hall of the temple and surface is dampened with water, which settles we see glimpses of what may lie inside. He saw on the unmarked areas. Printing ink is then the temple shortly after it had been partially rolled over the surface and only sticks to the excavated. Although much of the entrance had drawn marks, not the areas covered with water. been vandalized in earlier times, the temple A piece of paper is placed on top of the stone was in a good state of repair and had already or plate and both are then run through a press. become an attraction. Travel to Egypt was a Many prints can be made from one original new experience for British artists; images of drawing using this method. On his return to its monuments had previously been painted London, the publication of the lithographs was second-hand from descriptions given by a major success and David Roberts is now one other people. of the most celebrated artists of his time.

Using the painting with children

Here are some suggestions for activities that you could try during your visit to Bristols City Museum & Art Gallery. They are designed to develop imagination and to encourage children to explore their own creative responses to paintings. These activities could also be used in the classroom after a visit, using a reproduction of the painting. In both cases, it is important to discuss the difference between an original piece of art and a printed reproduction. Please remember to tell the children not to touch the painting or point at it with their pencils. Where am I? Sit your class down in front of the painting but facing away from it. Ask the children to close their eyes. Describe the painting to them, including as much detail as possible, but do not tell them the title of the painting. Be factual and do not give your own opinions about what might be happening in the picture. Say to the children that you are standing in front of the painting, and tell them who you can see and what they are doing. Describe the building, the size, that it is made of stone, and that you can see six pillars with faces on them, a wide entrance leading into the building and a very colourful ceiling. Include information about the weather and the possible time of day. Ask the children to draw a quick sketch of the painting from this description. Then, allow them time to study the picture carefully and add any missing detail to their drawings. Alternative title You are the artist David Roberts. Choose a new title for the painting and write a short paragraph about it for visitors to read. Think carefully about who will be reading this label and what information they might want to know. Then, take it in turns to sit in the hot seat and be interviewed about the painting for a television or radio programme. Making sense Imagine that you are standing in the picture. What can you see, hear, smell, touch, taste? At school, use instruments to create sounds that match the picture or select a piece of music that you think fits with the subject or mood. Think about the different people in the painting who are they and why are they there? Now look carefully at the clothes they are wearing. Design an outfit that would be suitable for someone travelling across the desert to visit the temple. Storyboard You have been asked to write the outline of a script for a television programme or film set in Egypt during the 19th century. The scene in the painting comes in the middle of the story you are creating. How does the story begin, why are the people here and what will happen next? At school draw a storyboard for the film, produce a cartoon strip or a flick book. The Big question Look carefully at the painting then think of questions you can ask about it beginning with Who? What? When? Where? How? Why? Take it in turns to become the expert and share your ideas about the painting and give some possible answers to the questions you have devised. Imagine that the painting can talk. What would it tell you about itself?

Suggestions for using The Temple of Dendera, Upper Egypt across the National Curriculum for KS2
Art and Design

Find different paintings and drawings by the

same artist. How are they similar? How are they different?

History

Why were temples built in ancient Egypt?

ICT

Compare the painting with modern

The temple at Dendera was dedicated to the goddess Hathor. Research different gods, then design and make an information poster. important events on it including the building of the temple at Dendera, the reign of Cleopatra VII and when the Romans ruled Egypt.

Input the weather data for Egypt (see above)

and where you live. Create charts showing comparisons between temperature, rainfall and hours of sunshine.

photographs of the temple. Has anything changed since David Roberts first sketched it? (a list of useful websites can be found on this page). Design and make a toy theatre for a story set in Egypt.

Create a timeline of ancient Egypt. Record

Design and show a PowerPoint presentation Search for information about David Roberts
and Dendera on the web.

of your Nile file about the importance of the river Nile.

David Roberts designed sets for theatres.

Literacy

Geography

Find Egypt on a map and then locate

Compare different styles of creative writing.

How does travel writing differ from other kinds of descriptive writing? Look at Rough Guides, holiday brochures and magazines. Imagine you are a travel writer and describe your favourite holiday or a place you have visited. You could include people, buildings, objects, food, smells and music. archaeologist. The temple at Dendera was partially excavated when David Roberts visited it. How do you think you would feel about seeing something that had been hidden for hundreds of years?

Write some diary entries as an explorer or

Drama

http://commons.wikimedia.org Search David Dendera. Work out how far Dendera is from Roberts to find copyright-free images including Cairo. What sort of transport would you use to The Temple of Dendera, Upper Egypt. visit Dendera today? How did David Roberts travel to and around Egypt? www.royalacademy.org.uk Choose search the collection then select David Roberts to find Think about the river Nile and its importance images of the artists work. to both ancient and modern Egypt. Create a www.touregypt.net/featurestories/dendera Nile file that explores why Egypt was called Find out about the history and look at the gift of the Nile. photographs of the temple. Look at a weather chart for the region. Compare the temperature, rainfall and hours www.bbc.co.uk/weather/world Discover more about climate and daily weather statistics. of sunshine with the weather statistics for where you live. www.ancientegypt.co.uk This is the British Museum website suitable for children. www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/egyptians To find information, images and online games.

Useful websites:

Imagine you are one of the people in painting.

Who are you? What are you doing? Where are you going and why have you stopped here? Create a short dialogue between different characters and then perform this to the rest of the class. temple was built. Improvise short scenes based on a day in the life of the temple.

Numeracy

What shapes make up the temple (squares,

cylinders etc)? How do they fit together?

Look at the scale of the people in the painting

compared with the temple. How big do you think the temple would have been? Draw a floor plan of what the temple might have looked like. to display the painting. Would it fit in your classroom?

Imagine being a priest at the time when this

Music

Work out how much wall space is needed

Science

Can you recognise any of the instruments

in the painting? How do you think they would sound?

Where did the stone come from and how did the Egyptians get it to the site? How was the stone then hoisted up? made today? Find out about minerals and what they can be used for.

Listen to some Arabic/Egyptian/North African

music. Find a piece of music that suits the mood of the painting.

What is the paint made from? How are paints

If you would like this information in a different format (e.g. Braille, audiotape, large print or computer file), or in a community language, please contact : The Publicity Officer, Bristols City Museum & Art Gallery. Queens Road, Bristol BS8 1RL Tel: 0117 9224749