| Ancient Egyptian art was one influence that Gum used | | | | considered. Egyptian art was generally very formal, |
| in her interpretation of an Art Deco design she painted | | | | and presented an idealised version of the subject |
| c.1931-33 on a Czech Epiag brand plate, signed M. | | | | matter which often encompassed many layers of |
| Gum. Although more widely known for her | | | | meaning. When depicting people, traditional art stuck |
| watercolors of gum trees, as art teacher at | | | | closely to strict guidelines and depicted people in formal |
| Wilderness School, Adelaide, Gum was an excellent | | | | poses. Egyptian art was very precise. Through |
| drawing and design teacher. Egyptian art was highly | | | | geometry, symmetry, and balance, explain how these |
| symbolic. The Egyptian sculptor used clay, wood, metal, | | | | ideas were important to Egyptian artists. |
| ivory, and stone. Egyptian art was highly symbolic and | | | | Ancient Egyptian art was essentially a symbolic |
| a painting or sculpture was not meant to be a record | | | | language with a prescribed vocabulary capable of |
| of a momentary impression. Apparent differences | | | | being read as directly as Egyptian hieroglyphs. It was |
| were the result of subtle changes, not an altered | | | | not the role of the sculptor to invent variations on that |
| conception of art or its role in society." You will find | | | | language, but to learn its rules and apply them. |
| subject matter covered other than sculpture but it all | | | | Egyptian art was concerned above all with ensuring |
| ties together nicely. | | | | the continuity of the universe, the gods, the king and |
| Egyptian art was remarkably conservative, tied to an | | | | the people. The artists therefore depicted things not as |
| artistic tradition that resisted major change even down | | | | they saw them but as idealized symbols intended to |
| into Roman times. This may be due to the fact that | | | | be more significant and enduring than was otherwise |
| much of surviving Egyptian art and architecture was | | | | possible in the real world. Egyptian art was very |
| connected in some way with religion, death, burial and | | | | delicate and beautiful. |
| or the afterlife, but other factors as well need to be | | | | |