MESOPOTAMIA: Land Between Tigris and Euphrates River

AP ART HISTORY: SHMERYKOWSKY

MESOPOTAMIAN ART

MESOPOTAMIA: land between Tigris and Euphrates River

·  doesn’t not focus on death like Egyptian

·  Sumerians: First Mesopotamian civilization

·  architecture: ZIGGUARTS (made of mud brick: no that strong, does not last long)

·  URUK: First independent city-state in Sumeria

·  Fertile Crescent

MESOPOTAMIAN CHARACTERISTICS:

·  cone/ cylindrical/ in the round

·  not angular

·  unified brow/ goes from ear to ear

·  very large eyes/ “window to the soul”

·  translucent/ reflective stones

“FACE OF A WOMAN” URUK 3300-3000BCE White Marble from URUK

·  may represent goddess (life size)

·  attached to wooden bodies

·  objects of devotion

·  stripped of original face paint

·  wig/ inlaid eyes (shells for whites and lapis lazuli for pupils)

·  carved

·  large eyes/open

·  8 inches tall

VOTIVE STATUES: 2700= 2600BCE alabaster/ limestone/gypsum Sumerian

·  represented people of the temple/ specific/ rather than deities

·  hands in prayer gestures not portraits

·  VOTIVE: images dedicated to the gods

·  symbolize the eternal watchfulness necessary to fulfill their duty

·  carved/ in the round/ large eyes

·  early example f Near Est religious practice

·  placement in shrines

WHITE ZIGGUART TEMPLE OF URUK: 2500BCE

·  stepped pyramid with temple on top (SELA: deities stored on top)

·  four points of the compass

·  proclaimed the wealth and prestige of city ruler

·  built structure around a hill

·  per-dates major structures in Egypt

·  solid walls/ narrow interior

·  exterior surfaces: painted or elaborate patterns

·  colored bricks: mosaics: concept starts here

·  started using archways: won't be seen again until Roman Civilization

·  Votive statures inside

OFFERING STAND FROM UR 2600-2400BCE

·  gold, silver, lapis lazuli, shells, red limestone

·  “ram caught in the thicket”

  • fertility symbol
    ram shown hobbled in a flowering tree

MESOPOTAMIAN CYLIBER SEALS: 3000-1000BCE

·  stone with carvings

·  Sumerian

·  a way for identification/ protect against unauthorized ownership

·  CUNEIFORM

·  stone cylinders and rolled them over clay to produce miniature artworks

BULL LYRE: 2600BCE

·  harp from Royal grave of Ur “kings Grave” Kind Meskalamdug

·  Sumerian

·  beard: power/ importance

·  wood with gold leaf/ inlaid designs

·  intensely lifelike despite blue patterned beard/ various mythic scenes with gods as half human/ half animal

·  side view: story of Epic of Gilgamesh: heroic feats

·  4 horizontal REGISTERS (similar to Egyptian)

HEAD OF A MAN: 2250BCE

·  Akkadian Civilization

·  beard= symbol of importance

·  strands of hair: very detailed

·  Connects to King Tutankhamen: stylized, simple curls, straight, smooth, edgy

·  CASTED BROZE: “lost wax process”: clay/ wax usually first, metal poured on top, clay pulled out/ wax melted

·  first known life size hollow cast of head

·  captured distinct features: male ideal

VICTORY STELE OF NARAMSIN Pink Sandstone 2230BCE

·  almost 7ft tall

·  commemorate conquest in Lullubi: Naramsin leading army up a mountain

·  staggered figures: abandoned registers

·  ruler above everyone

·  profile head/ frontal body

·  overlapping people/ foreshortening

·  composition flexible

·  horned head: identify with gods

·  unified narrative on one stone

·  vessel: life giving waters

·  STELA:

·  **Similar to Palette of King Narmer

LAGASH CIVILIZATION: SEATED STATUTE OF GUDEA HOLDING TEMPLE PLAN

·  2100BCE Diorite 2'5”

·  Gudea (king)

·  Built' rebuild many temples and placed statues of himself in them

·  seated portraits large chest: fullness of life like muscular arms: god given strength

·  cylindrical/ wide eyed/ no personality/ generalized

CODE OF HAMMUARABI 1770BCE

Carved diorite 7ft tall

Babylon (city capital)

large cylinder/ certain later has relief

everything carved in full profile

king looking into eyes of deity= as equals (sun god)

underneath: Code of Hammurabi

predates Mosaic law

ASSYRIANS

·  most developed art work

·  major complex: PALACE OF KING SARGON 1400BCE

·  citadel: fortress

·  200 rooms/ 30 courtyards

·  stone gate: high relief

man-headed/ winged bull: detailed “GAURDIAN FIGURES: 2700 BCE Limestone

·  13-16 feet tall

·  weight of 40 tons

·  flanked citadel gateways

·  beard= importance

·  horned headpiece= deity

·  Mesopotamian eyebrow

·  3 quarter view- 5 legs/ frontal view: 2 legs/ side view: 4 legs

·  realistic details

ASSURNASIRPALL KILLING LION/BEAST 850BCE Alabaster (semi-translucent)

·  lions revered animals

·  sense of timelessness towards visual narrative

·  man confronting beasts: not as equals but to dominate

DYLING LIONESS: 720BCE Limestone

·  shows high emotion: PATHOS

·  dignity in death

SACK OF THE CITY: 650 BCE Limestone

·  destruction/ plunder of the city

·  attempt at perspective/ people all the same size/ overlapping

·  King in front

·  still some frontal torso/ profile head

·  naturalism to animals

·  unified narrative (contrasting Stele of Naramsin)

NEO-BABOLONIAN: NEBERKANEZER (ruler)

·  Babylon was one of the largest/ greatest cities of Ancient World

ISHTAR GATE: 600 BCE

·  using archway/ colored bricks (mosaic)/ turquoise brick glazed

·  striding lions: symbol of goddess Ishtar (fertility, love and war)

·  double archways symbol of power of Babylonian power

·  THRONE ROOM 575BCE

·  PESIANS: vast empire under Siris II 559BCE (governor official_

·  Darius: Son of Sirus: Persepolis (city named by Greeks) Rules: 521-486BCE

·  Imported all over empire: Persian, Egypt, Greek, Mesopotamia: political strategy

·  developed fair taxation standards/ currency/ important communication throughout empire

·  Created complex on raised platform/ on rectangular grid/ only access via ramp

RESIDENCE (AUDIENCE HALL) 518-460BCE

·  small palace/ square hall/ ho0lds several thousand people: RECEPTION SPACE

·  Reliefs: ranks of royal guards and delegates of tributes holding gifts/ towards center

·  not like Assyrian reliefs (for King)

·  Persian reliefs (for the people: extent of empire and economic prosperity)

·  Egyptian stylized with Mesopotamian details (multi-ethnic)

·  PLAN OF CEREMONIAL COMPLEX: Persepolis 518-460BCE

HALL OF 100 COLUMNS: Meeting Room

·  ceremonial reliefs around the walls of this room

BULL CAPITAL FROM PERSEPOLIS 400BCE Stone

·  flat in middle: lintel

DARIUS AND XERXES RECEIVING TR$IBUTE 491-486BCE Limestone

·  detail relief from stairway leading to APADANA: Ceremonial Complex: Persepolis

·  depicts allegiance or economic prosperity

·  freshly painted: rich tones

ACHAEMENID: PERSIAN GRIFFIN CAPITAL AT PERSEPOLIS

·  about 515-510BCE

·  Double PROTOME capital: adornments of frontal views of animal heads