Statues followed the same ideals as drawings, and the grid of proportions was used for them too: sculptors drew the figure on the faces of the stone block before cutting. A small set of poses covers most Egyptian statues.
Key idea
Common types are the seated statue, the standing striding statue (left foot forward), the scribe statue, the block statue and the pair statue.
| Type | Pose | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Seated | on a block seat, hands on the knees, looking ahead | Khafre, with the falcon Horus behind his head |
| Standing striding | left foot forward, arms at the sides, a back pillar | many kings and officials |
| Scribe | cross-legged, a papyrus roll open on the lap | the Seated Scribe in the Louvre |
| Block | squatting, knees up, wrapped in a cloak: a cube with a head | common from the Middle Kingdom on |
| Pair | husband and wife side by side, often an arm around the other | Menkaure and his queen, from Giza |
Why it works
Statues were not mainly portraits for people to admire. A statue in the serdab of a mastaba gave the ka a body to dwell in and receive offerings. A statue set up in a temple let its owner share in the god’s offerings and stay near the god forever. So the poses were the ones that suited those roles: calm, upright, ready to receive, and solid enough to last. The block statue, almost a cube, was ideal for a temple court and for carrying long inscriptions on its flat sides.
Worked example: Naming the pose
A limestone figure sits cross-legged with a papyrus roll on his lap. Which kind of statue is it?
- Cross-legged, with papyrus: the pose of a scribe at work.
- It shows the owner as a man of learning.
Answer: A scribe statue.
Worked example: Reading the stride
A standing statue of an official has his left foot forward. Is he walking?
- Standing statues of men are made with the left foot forward.
- The weight is still balanced on both feet.
- It is a convention, not a moment of walking.
Answer: No: it is the standard pose.
Common mistake
Thinking the forward left foot shows walking. It is a convention of standing statues of men; women are usually shown with their feet closer together. Quick check: the figure stands still against its back pillar.