Art Critisism – Last Judgement of Hu-Nefer

Last Judgement of Hu- nefer

In this assignment, my group is doing art criticism based on the painting named 'Last Judgement of Hu-Nefer' from the Book of the Dead in Chapter 7. This painting was painted on a papyrus scroll. It was found in the tomb of the scribe Hu-nefer in Thebes from the 19^th Dynasty, which is around 1280 BCE, during the New Kingdom of Egypt. This papyrus scroll is 39cm long in actual size.

We can see King Osiris on the right, dominantly. Behind King Osiris, there are two women. There is a bird-like object on the top of King Osiris and it is a falcon with a huge eye holding a feather in its claws. In front of King Osiris is a falcon-headed man, which is King Osiris's son. On the left-bottom, there is a dead man's soul being held in hand by Anubis. Anubis in the left side of the beam balance that looks like it is adjusting the beam. On top of the beam balance there is a man head of while two things at the side, which looks like a stone and a leaf.

Elements that applied in this painting which are value, lines, shapes, and texture. Value in this drawing is 2D. The lines applied in this painting are horizontal line, vertical line and curve line. Horizontal line is seen on the floor tile. Curve lines are seen on the body and head of the characters. Besides that, the painting is made up of organic shapes and geometric shapes like rectangle, square and round shapes. The texture of the painting is rough.

In addition, principles of design in this painting are scale. Scale of smaller human figures that are sons of Horus. Repetition of symbols (ankh) and human figures that appeared on top of the gods at the hall of judgement. In the painting also appeared shapes that are rectangles. The most dominance in this painting is King Osiris and the sub dominant is soul. Repetition creates rhythm that is lines and hieroglyphs that are long and short on the middle- bottom wall create flowing rhythm like a staircase. Colors used on the top-left part of the drawing are olive green, white and yellow ochre makes the subjects pop out more. In addition, the bold and thin rectangle also creates rhythm.

This papyrus scroll is created by using painting technique, by applying colors of black, olive green, white and yellow ochre. There is also drawing technique used to draw out the characters and shapes, and writing of hieroglyphs on the wall in the painting. 

For the subjective interpretation, we find that the painting looks like the first soul (bottom-left) is led towards and the other Anubis in front of the scale is weighting something while Amemet looks like a demon that is starring at the right side of the scale and also at Thoth that is recording the readings of the scale. The second soul looks like he is led by Horus towards King Orisis for some sort of judgement while Isis and Nephthys looks like they are helping King Orisis out throughout the process. On the top-left of the painting shows something like a soul is talking or praying facing the gods and witness. 

The imitative perspective on this painting of the objects are the scroll, flail and crook held by King Osiris, ankh, heart, scale, ostrich feather held by the falcon Utchat, scribes and reed brushes used to recording by Thoth. The subject matter in this painting is papyrus and ink. The ink used in this painting is the mixture of soot, vegetable gums with water on a wooden palette. Peoples in this painting are 4 sons of Horus (Imsety, Qebekh, Hapy and Duamuatef), Maat (God of scale), Amemet (Heart eater), Anubis (God of the

dead), Hu-nefer (soul), Osiris (god of the afterlife), Horus (God of sky, war and protection), Thoth (God inventor of writing), Isis, (Goddess of magic and life), Nephthys (God nature of death), Shu (God of air), Tefnut (god of emotion) Ra-heru-khuti-tem (god of sun), Geb (God of earth), Utterance, Southern, Northern, Western Ways and Perception.      


The artist's intention of painting this is to be passed down generation by generation so that their future generation knows more about the afterlife process and judgement.


The audience who appreciates the artwork is artists, museums, Egyptians, archaeologists, national art gallery, future generation, art students, and tourists. People who commissioned this artwork would be the government, artists, businessman/women and people who have interest in this artwork.


In conclusion, 'Last Judgement of Hu-nefer' tells everyone to be kind hearted and do good deed so that their heart won’t be eaten by Amemet. This painting is to be passed down generations by generations to keep their culture and beliefs recorded and spread so that Egyptian culture will never be forgotten.