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