Analysis: The Seated Statue Of Hatshepsut

Hatshepsut’s story has been one of mystery and intrigue for many Egyptologists and scholars. She was the first female pharaoh to rule in Egypt and her rule lasted for approximately fifteen years from around 1473 to 1458 B.C. She rose to power in Egypt following her husband Thutmosis II’s death when “she took action to assume the role of pharaoh because she believed she had a stronger claim to the throne” than the pharaoh’s male heir. After her death she was replaced by the male heir Thutmosis III. Unfortunately not many of the statues or painting of Hatshepsut survived because they were “dragged down and smashed and her image and titles defaced.” As discovered later on by Egyptologists the time in which she ruled was a time of innovation and change for Egypt. An example of the mystery and intrigue surrounding the events of her rule as pharaoh are evident in the sculpture I will be analyzing, the Seated Statue of Hatshepsut. The Seated Statue of Hatshepsut provides insight on the life of an extraordinary woman during this time. As we analyze the sculpture, we can make connections to the gender and social norms of Egypt during her reign and …show more content…
What makes this statue especially unique is that “unlike…[other] statues that show her in this same pose wearing a female garment, her garb here is male…yet the delicate proportions of her heart-shaped face and the subtle but obvious breasts mark the figure as a woman.” In addition to making it obvious that she was a woman, the artist that was responsible for this statue also included various elements that were only used for statues of the pharaoh, including her headdress and other attire. The main aspect that sets her apart from the other statues are the personal touches they added to her body and features in order to make her recognizable. Here we can see a visible merging of two entities, the woman and the