The Great Sphinx, Giza, Egypt. ca. 2520 - 2494 BCE, Old Kingdom. measures 65’ x 240&
The Great Sphinx, Giza, Egypt. ca. 2520 - 2494 BCE, Old Kingdom. measures 65’ x 240’. made of sandstone. colossal statue (at least twice of life size, has political significance). probably related to the pyramid of Khafre. sphinx is a lion with a human head. considered noble, strong. associated with the sun god; power, intelligence, strength. how the sphinx lost it’s nose: in 1799, napoleon’s troops landed in egypt, subsequently discovered the rosetta stone. he let his troops do what he wanted, so they used the sphinx as target practice. also contributed to the deterioration of Da Vinci’s Last Supper. napoleon shut down the monasteries because he was at war with the church. used the monasteries to house soldiers. used the hall the Last Supper was in as a horse stable; their urine emitted ammonia that faded the fresco. -- source link
#ancient egypt#old kingdom