Transcript Patron - WORLD.ARTvisa

Art of the Ancient Near East Part
1
SUMERIAN ART, 3,000 BCE
SUMERIAN CITY STATES
• Settled in Mesopotamia – birth place of Judaism (Garden of
Eden), Christianity and Islam
• Continued the development of sustainable agriculture: canal
construction, crop collection and distribution
• These developments allowed portions of the population to
focus on manufacturing , trade and administration
• Complex Urban Societies called CITY STATES
• THEOCRACY: Each CITY STATE was under the rule and
protection of different Mesopotamian deities
• Sumerian kings were the god’s representatives on earth and
they directed all communal activities of their CITY STATE
• Monumental temples were erected in honor of the Gods and
their power on Earth
• Often at war with each other – WAR and power are common
themes in Sumerian art.
Writing
Pictographs – pictures
standing in for words
Cuneiforms – clay tablets
carved with wedged shaped
forms – beginning of writing
Epic of Gilgamesh pre-dates
The Odyssey. Tells the story
of the legendary King of Uruk.
What are the facts? (F)
Artist: Trades People
Patron: Rulers of Sumer
Title: White Temple
Date: 3,000 BCE
Size: Monumental
Location: Uruk, Modern Iraq
What is the medium
and technique? (M)
No access to stone.
Constructed of
Mud Bricks
How is the structure constructed? (FA)
Temple
(cella)
Ziggurat
Bent-axis Plan
Why was it created? (CA)
1. Physical Location
-
Theocratic society and the central role of god’s in daily life
The main temple dedicated to the city’s chief god, Anu (sky god).
Temple was the nucleus of the city.
2. Patron
- Priest-King, City
3. Historical Events
- Constant war and disease = fear of Gods
4. Concepts and Ideas
- Temples were called waiting rooms: believed the deity would
descend from the heavens and appear before the priests and rulers
in the cella.
- Commercial and administrative decisions tied to worship and ritual
• Devices used to declare sacred spaces
– Exclusivity
– Material wealth / decoration
– Ritual and Ceremony
– History of location adding to the site
MEANING / FUNCTION? (MF)
- Discuss how the building’s exclusivity, material
wealth and ritual function support the religious
beliefs and political system of its time?
What are the facts? (F)
Artist: Trades Person
Patron: Citizen of Sumer
Title: Sumerian Votive
Offering
Date: 3,000 BCE
Size: Varies
Location / findspot: Square
Temple at Eshnunna
What is the medium and
technique? (M)
Carved Stone, with shell and
Black Limestone eyes
What is the artworks
content / subject matter?
(SM)
Mortal rather than deities - Worshippers
How is the subject matter
visually represented? (FA)
-
Standing or sitting
Hierarchial scale
Simple forms: cones and cylinders
Stiff
Frontal, hands clasped
Clothing and hair, physical types
Large eyes, awe, fear
WHY WAS IT CREATED (CA)
1. PHYSICAL LOCATION
Placed in temples facing altars or
statues of Gods
2. PATRON
Commissioned by worshippers for
specific gods.
3. HISTORICAL EVENTS
Constant threat of war and disease =
fear of death
4. CONCEPTS AND IDEAS
Theocracy, belief in an unpleasant
afterlife
FUNCTION? (MF)
Surrogate for worshipper, offering
constant prayer, awe and reverence to
the God to ensure a long life.
Discuss how Sumerian society
and beliefs shape the
form and function of the
artwork?
What are the facts? (F)
Artist: Trades Person
Patron: Sumerian Aristocray
Title: Standard of Ur (War and
Peace)
Date: 3,000 BCE
Size: Varies
Location / findspot: Royal
Cemetary, Ur
What is the medium and
technique? (M)
Mosaic: Wood, lapis lazuli,
shell and red limestone
What is the artworks content / subject matter? (SM)
- War
- Peace
How is the subject matter visually represented? (FA)
Narrative Devices:
-
3 Registers. Read left to right. Bottom to top
Sequential ordering of story:
1: Narrative Frieze of battle
2: Gathering and leading away the conquered foe
3: Delivering the captured
Hierarchy of Scale
Twisted perspective, Conceptual representation
WHY WAS IT CREATED (CA)
1. PHYSICAL LOCATION
Placed in burial chamber
2. PATRON
Commissioned by family members of the dead or the aristocrat himself.
3. HISTORICAL EVENTS
May depict actual war and the victory celebration
4. CONCEPTS AND IDEAS
Expresses the idea that the Sumerian King has two principle roles: Mighty warrior and
chief administrator who, with the blessing of the Gods, assures the prosperity of the land
during peacetime
• Meaning / Function?
• Meaning: Communicates two sides of Sumerian
society and the Duties of the King
• Function: Unknown object
Explain how the narrative devices used in the
Standard of Ur make meaning?
ART OF LATER MESOPOTAMIA &
PERSIA
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Akkadian
Neo-Sumerian
Babylonian
Hittite
Assyrian
Neo-Babylonian
Persian
2200 BCE
2100 BCE
1750 BCE
1500 BCE
1000 BCE
500 BCE
350 BCE
POWER AND AUTHORITY
• Sumer City States come under
rule of outsider, Sargon of
Akkad
• Sargon’s name means “True
King”
• Empire brings new concept of
royal power as loyalty to the
king rather than the city-state
• Theocracy turns to Monarchy
• King is likened to a God – has
God-like sovereignty
Vandalized head of Akkadian Ruler
What are the facts? (F)
Artist: Unknown
Patron: Naram-Sin (Akkadian)
Title: Victory Stele of Naram-Sin
Date: 2,250 BCE
Size: 6’ 7”
Location / findspot: Susa, Iran
What is the medium and
technique? (M)
Carved Stone Relief
What is the artworks content
/ subject matter? (SM)
Naram-Sin leading his army up a
mountain
WHY WAS IT CREATED (CA)
HISTORICAL EVENT
To commemorate the victory of
battle in a violent an unstable time
PATRON / CONCEPT
Naram-Sim: King as God
How is the subject matter visually
represented? (FA)
-
-
-
The king stands alone at the top,
taller than the rest – rising into
the heavens like a ziggurat
He wears a horned helmet
signifying divinity gained through
victory
He steps on the fallen bodies of
his enemies
Enemies are in disarray while his
army is ordered = rule / order
Artists no longer using a
horizontal frieze.
Tells story by placing figures in a
landscape
MEANIG / FUNCTION (MF)
What are the facts? (F)
Artist: Unknown
Patron: Hammurabi
(Babylon)
Title: Stele with the laws
of Hammurabi
Date: 1,780 BCE
Size: 7’ 4”
Location / findspot:
Susa, Iran
What is the medium and
technique? (M)
Bas relief
What is the artworks content
/ subject matter? (SM)
Top: Shamash (sun God) presenting
King with a rod and ring symbolizing
Authority
Below: Code of Law
WHY WAS IT CREATED (CA)
HISTORICAL EVENTS
Return of City States – Babylon is a City
State
The conception of written law codes
PATRON
Hammurabi - establishes his authority as
a divined leader, pious theorcrat and
micro-manager
CONCEPTS/IDEAS
Leadership and order –
Society needs clear social rule
Law is divine – Precursor to
Judeo/Christian beliefs
How is the subject matter visually
represented? (FA)
-
Hammurabi raises hand in
respect to Shamash
-
Nearly same size a the god
-
Shamash hands him a rod
and circle
-
Symbols are builders tool =
builder of social order
-
Twisted perspective.
Foreshortening and depth
MEANING/FUNCTION (MF)
What are the facts? (F)
Artist: Unknown
Patron: Sargon II - Assyrian Royalty
Title: Lamassur
Date: 720 BCE
Size: 13’ 10”
Location / findspot: palace, Iraq
What is the artworks content
/ subject matter? (SM)
Lamassu = Winged, man-headed bull
WHY WAS IT CREATED (CA)
HISTORICAL EVENTS
Assyrian Empire
Mindful of possible attack
Built citadels – fortified palaces
LOCATION
Placed at entrance to throne room
– ward off king’s enemies
CONCEPT
King as ruler or all – including
beasts living and mtyhological
How is the subject matter
visually represented? (FA)
-
Massive and immobile = intimidating
guardian figure
-
Visually intimidating monster –
Possibly face of the king because
wearing go crown
-
High relief
-
Twisted perspective = 2 distinctive
views
-
Stylized patterns and naturalism
MEANING/FUNCTION (MF)
What are the facts? (F)
Artist: Unknown
Patron: Ashurnasipal II
Title: Lamassur
Date: 875 BCE
Size: 2’ 10”
Location / findspot: Palace, Iraq
What is the medium and technique? (M)
WHY WAS IT CREATED (CA)
LOCATION
Placed walls– Assyrian kings decorated palace walls with narratives
establishing their authority
HISTORICAL EVENTS / PATRON documentary detail in artwork. Every
relief is inscribed with Ashurnasirpal’s name and describing his
accomplishments
What is the artworks content
/ subject matter? (SM)
Ashunasirpal driving enemies into the Euphrates
How is the subject matter visually represented? (FA)
-
Condenses space to tell the story clearly
Enlarges human actors so they stand out – they are bigger than the architecture
Uses multiple perspectives to capture decisive moment in history
Meaning/Function (MF)
NEO - BABYLON: IT’S MASSIVE ZIGURAT BECAME IMMOTALIZED AS THE
TOWER OF BABYLON IN THE BIBLE
Nebuchadnezzar (604-561 B.C.E.) largely rebuilt this ancient city including its walls
and seven gates.
What are the facts? (F)
Artist: Unknown
Patron: Nebuchadnezzar (neo-Baylonian)
Title: Gates of Ishtar
Date: 575 BCE
Size: Monumental
Location / findspot: Babylon, Iraq
What is the medium and
technique? (M)
Mud Brick glazed with lapis lazuli
Bricks treated like a mosaic
What is the artworks content
/ subject matter? (SM)
WHY WAS IT CREATED (CA)
PATRON
Record of the kings triumphs and
contributions to the empire
HISTORICAL EVENTS
Rebirth of Babylonian Empire – conquered
Jerusalem
Great building campaign to reinstate glory
and authority of Babylon and its king
LOCATION
Surround / Fortified the city but also
welcomed friendly guests
CONCEPT
Visual wealth is a signifier of triumph.
Architecture as an intimidator
Architectural decoration as a signifier of
God-like control and order
What are the visual characteristics of the structure? (FA)
- Processional leading to the gate lined with nearly life size lions – lions are at eye level,
ferocious but under the order and control of the king = fear of the king
- Lions are the symbol of the God Ishtar (god of war and wisdom)
- Aruk (ancient bull) is the symbol of the god Adad – god of storms and fertility of the land
and harvest = under the king’s rule the aruk ensures prosperity
- Blue lapis glaze + expensive, and visually stunning – testimony to grandeur, intimidaing and
impressive
Nebuchadnezzar’s Inscription
• I Nebuchadnezzar laid the foundation of the gates
down to the ground water level and had them
built out of pure blue stone. Upon the walls in the
inner room of the gate are bull and dragon, and
thus I magnificently adorned them with luxurious
splendor for all mankind to behold in awe.
• Discuss how the presentation of the subject
matter that adorn the Gates of Ishtar express
Nebuchadnezzar’s power and authority.