Hatshepsut Kneeling

Hatshepsut Kneeling

18th Dynasty (New Kingdom) ca. 1479–1458 B.C.

Unknown

Granite

261.5 cm tall

Egypt, Thebes, Deir el-Bahri, Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, New York

Hatshepsut was a prominent King of the 18th Dynasty of the Egyptian New Kingdom ruling from 1479 B.C. to 1458 B.C. Hatshepsut was the daughter of Thutmose I and Ahmose and was the step sister and wife of Thutmose II. Additionally, she was the stepmom of Thutmose III, the heir of Thutmose II. Many consider Hatshepsut to be a very powerful, yet controversial ruler. When Thutmose II died, Thutmose III became king at a very young age. Since Thutmose III was so young, Hatshepsut acted as his Queen Regent. As time passed, her title gradually switched from Queen Regent to King. As her titles switched, she began to portray herself as a male and as such changed her gender on monuments, portraits, and stories/myths.

Description: 
The statue of “Kneeling Hatshepsut” of the 18^th Dynasty depicts the Hatshepsut kneeling on the ground or on a block of granite. The portrait statue of entirely made of granite and no visible signs of paint. The granite consists of brown, orange/red, and black speckles. The statue has a rigid frontality and is probably only meant to be seen from its front. The portrait of Hatshepsut has a closed silhouette, as there are no openings or gaps in the granite.  The arms and legs are positioned tightly on the body and no movement of the body is visible.

 The statue is also very symmetrical: both legs are in the kneeling position and both arms are resting on her legs as each of the hands are palm up holding a spherical vessel. It appears that Hatshepsut is wearing the royal headdress, or the nemes. She can also be seen wearing the false beard and the shendyt-kilt. She appears to be well built, strong and sort of muscular as well as young. Her breasts appear to be more masculine, almost non-existent. The statue is over life size. The statue has been heavily restored but there are still physical signs of damage all over the statue. There are slashes of granite missing all over the body of Hatshepsut.  The block in which she is kneeling on also has chunks of granite missing.

Significance: 
The statue of Hatshepsut would have been located at her Mortuary Temple in Deir el-Bahri and would have served as a religious monument. Hatshepsut, as depicted, is offered the god Amun Maat. Maat, which can be seen as the two spherical vessels in her hands, is the idea of balance, truth, and justice. This shows Hatshepsut serving in a role of piety as she is offering Maat to Amun. Additionally, the use of granite (a strong material) can represent the power, strength, and durability of Hatshepsut herself as well as Egypt during her reign as King. She is presented in an idealized, youthful manner that, again, can reemphasis her strength and power.

Hatshepsut as we know was a woman and yet in this portrait there is no real indication that this is a woman. Hatshepsut is wearing the nemes, false beard, and the three part kilt, which would have traditionally only been worn by male Kings. Her breasts are also not prominent and are very masculine in nature. The masculinity of the statue can suggest certain propaganda that Hatshepsut wanted to be viewed as man and not a woman to possibly prove her worth to the people as their King. The statue of the “Kneeling Hatshepsut” is important in that it portrays a woman doing what traditionally a man would have been doing.  

Finally, much of the damage on the statue was not accidental but was intentional.  After her passing, Thutmose III defaced most if not all of her portraits, monuments, and anything that had her name on it. Her stepson had her erased from Egyptian history possibly in an attempt to deter future Queen Regents from taking power from the rightful king. The defacing of the statue shows that Hatshepsut was a strong, powerful woman who took what she wanted.

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/544449

Brown, Chip. "The King Herself ." , National Geographic , 2009. Accessed 25 Feb. 2018. Pages 1 to 13.

"Hatshepsut: From Queen to Pharaoh." MetPublications , edited by Catharine Roehrig, The Met , 2005. Accessed 25 Feb. 2018. Pages 135 to 168.

Ryan Milley