Who was Hatshepsut?
Hatshepsut was the most successful and longest reigning female pharaoh in ancient Egyptian history. This is first plate in The Dinner Party, chronologically, to include a subtle three-dimensionality which is an allusion to Hatshepsut's power over her people.
Can you tell me a little about Hatshepsut?
Hatshepsut was the most successful and longest reigning female pharaoh in ancient Egyptian history. Her reign was characterized by peace and prosperity. She is probably best known for her elaborate funerary temple, a tourist destination to this day, and for her long-distance trade missions.
One setting in the dinner party is identified as Hatshepsut. What does this mean, is that who designed it?
All of the place settings were designed by Judy Chicago to represent women in history. Hatshepsut was a female king of ancient Egypt and one of the most successful king's of the prosperous 18th Dynasty.
The place setting is designed with ancient Egyptian motifs to represent her.
Got it. Thank you.
I’m looking at “The Dinner Party”. Is this the same Hatshepsut as the Egyptian Empress?
Yes, this is the same Hatshepsut as the Pharaoh Hatshepsut. Judy Chicago chose significant women from throughout history to honor in The Dinner Party, including ancient rulers like Hatshepsut.
Very cool! I studied her temple in landscape architecture history. Thanks for confirming.
Of course!
Could you explain the cross like shape with the circle on top on that runner?
That is an ankh; it is the ancient Egyptian symbol for life.
Hatshepsut was the most successful and longest reigning female pharaoh in ancient Egyptian history.
This is the first plate in the The Dinner Party, chronologically, to have elements of three-dimensionality on the surface. This symbolizes the real power that Hatshepsut held over Egypt as its king. It also represents the relief carving used to decorate the walls of tombs and temples in ancient Egypt.
Did Chicago intend for these hieroglyphs to be translated?
She didn't expect her general audience to be able to do so on the spot, but she did also embroider words praising the Pharaoh's reign onto the runner, so we have an idea of what she put on there without translation. It is legible by those who have studied the language.
That said, this hieroglyphic border isn't based on any actual historic inscription.
In regards to The Dinner Party, could you tell me more about Hatshepsut, and the reasoning behind her attending the party, as well as the place setting? Thanks.
Hatshepsut (about 1478–1458 BCE) was the most successful and longest reigning female pharaoh in ancient Egyptian history. She had herself crowned as a co-pharaoh after a few years of serving as regent to the infant king Thutmose III. Her reign was characterized by peace and prosperity. She is most famous for mounting international trade expeditions and commissioning new temple architecture. Her funerary temple remained a significant religious site for about 2,000 years after her death and still attracts numerous visitors to this day.
Hatshepsut's plate is the first plate, chronologically, to have elements of three-dimensionality on the surface. This symbolizes the real power that Hatshepsut held over Egypt as its king. It also represents the relief carving used to decorate the walls of tombs and temples in ancient Egypt, including Hatshepsut's. The blue curves mimic voluminous wigs and broad collars ancient Egyptians are often depicted wearing. The reds, greens, and yellows are also based on the color in Egyptian art.
The primary feature of the runner is a hieroglyphic border. According to Judy Chicago, they praise the pharaoh's reign, though they are not based on any actual inscription. The signs are embroidered on fine linen, the same material that clothing was made from in ancient Egypt. The semi-circles on the back of the runner also mimic broad collars.
Tell me more.
Hatshepsut was the longest reigning and most successful female pharaoh in ancient Egyptian history. Judy Chicago used stylized hieroglyphs on the runner and even a suggestion of blue wig on the plate to represent her here at The Dinner Party.
One question we had about the Dinner Party - totally different but perspective is making us think this - any information on Kresilas? The person the description said was a man?
That's actually an interesting example. In the 19th century, Kresilas was misidentified by historians as "Cresilla"
Kresilas was a male, Greek sculptor, but for a time Historians mistook him for a woman and wrote about him as such. When Chicago was crafting the Dinner Party, he was still being mislabeled as a woman.
So you're right, perspective changes so much on this artist depending on the gender we assume them to be.
The opposite is true of another figure depicted in the dinner party: Hatshepsut. Hatshepsut was a female Egyptian pharaoh, but was visually depicted as a male in Egyptian sculpture due to stringent artistic conventions on how to depict rulers.
So in that case we have a woman once mistaken to be a man, while Kresilas is a man once mistaken to be a woman. Our readings of them may then change depending on which gender we read them as.
Thanks that’s fascinating! You really deepened our understanding.
