Final answer:
Egyptian art is characterized by a highly stylized and symbolic approach rather than naturalism, with composite figures and bold colors that served spiritual and cultural purposes.
Step-by-step explanation:
One characteristic that is not typical of Egyptian art is naturalism, especially as seen in later Greek and Renaissance art. Egyptian art was highly stylized and symbolic, conveying meaning through traditional forms rather than striving for realistic representation. The artwork, utilized for spiritual and cultural purposes, often depicted figures in composite views with heads in profile and torsos from the front, using a canonical set of proportions. While there were periods such as the Amarna period when more naturalistic styles briefly flourished under specific pharaohs like Akhenaten, these were exceptions to the otherwise consistent stylization and symbolism of Egyptian art.
Furthermore, much of the surviving Egyptian art comes from tombs and monuments and is characterized by the use of standard poses and symbolically significant figures, such as gods, pharaohs, and the deceased elite. Colors used in Egyptian painting, often derived from minerals like malachite and azurite, were bold and symbolic rather than naturalistic, adding to the idealized and formal essence of their art.