HISTORY OF ANCIENT EGYPTIAN AND MIDDLE EAST ART
USP COURSE: 1º Grado en Historia e Historia del Arte
SEMESTER TO BE OFFERED: Fall or Spring
Objectives
The main objectives are the following:
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To provide students with a critical knowledge of the artistic
production along the History, placing the art work in the sociopolitic, economic, religious and ideological context of each
historical period.
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To provide students with knowledge on the characteristics,
functions and basic lines of Art in its different expressions that
allow them for a reading of the work of art through the
interpretation of the language of its forms and the appreciation of
its aesthetical values.
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To know the different formal and visual languages together with
the diverse artistic techniques used along the History and how
they influence and act on the work of art.
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To study the several approaches and methodologies in the History
of Art and the several interpretations of the artistic object.
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To acquire an analytical spirit in order to analyze the art work
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To learn the use of new technologies as tools for the study of art
work and its diffusion
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To dominate the basic knowledge of preservation and
management of artistic and historic heritage.
Methodology
LECTURE: The professor will expose the theoretical aspects of the
subject using didactic material such as photocopies that will be handed
out in class or digitalized documents on the Campus Virtualblackboard-. Students should have read previously a basic bibliography
that they will receive at the beginning of the semester in order to
contrast different points of view.
SEMINAR: There will be several seminars to approach to research with
the aim to teach from the first moment the management of specific
bibliography and other resources and to develop a critical learning.
Several monographic seminars will be announced to promote active
participation from students.
PRACTICE: The practical sessions will consist of visits to permanent
collections and temporal exhibitions as well as other institutions that
house relevant works for the study of ancient art. The realization of
practical sessions is subject to schedule and availability of the
museums and/or institutions.
SYNTHESIS PAPERS: Students will have to write a synthesis paper on
an art work in the collection of Museo Arqueologico Nacional to be
chosen by the students. It should be analyzed in the research line “Art
and society: politics, religion and daily life in Egypt and Middle East”.
The paper will have a maximum extension of 10 pages; font: Times New
Roman size 12.
OTHERS:
The students will have to submit two written commentaries on two art
works following the guidelines established in the workshops.
Evaluation
The final grade will be calculated based on:
 Two written tests 60%
 Individual research paper 20%
 Two commentaries on two art works (workshop) 10 %
 Participation in seminars, classes and practical sessions 10%
Thematic outline
I : ANCIENT EGYPTIAN ART
Theme 1: Keys to interpret the Ancient Egyptian Art
Special features within the geographical frame. Obstacles to time
dating and chronological frameworks: Dynasties and empires. The
Egyptian society: religious and political world view. The aims of
Egyptian art and their aesthetic impacts.
Theme 2: The origins of Egyptian Art: From the pre-dynastic period
to Tinita Empire (First and Second Dynasties)
The pre-dynastic art: Funerary architecture. The grave goods and
the decorative arts. Beginnings of sculpture and relief: the palette
of cosmetics. The unification of Empire. The Tinita period. The
royal funerary architecture. Sculpture and Relief: Narmer’s palette
and the configuration of pharaoh’s iconography.
Theme 3: The Ancient Empire: the splendor in the Pyramids (Third
and Fourth Dynasties)
The funerary architecture. The belief in an afterlife. Typology of
private funerary architecture: the mastaba. The born of new royal
funerary architecture: the funerary complex of Zoser. The great
pyramids during the Fourth dynasty.
Theme 4: The Ancient Empire and the figurative arts.
Characteristics and peculiarities of pharaonic sculpture. The
courtesan sculpture. Bass relief and painting.
Theme 5: From Middle Empire to New Empire.
Origins and configuration of the worship temple typology. The
Karnak and Luxor Temple Complexes. Typologies of funerary
temples. Peculiarities of figurative arts. The Amarna period.
II: THE MIDDLE EAST ART
Theme 6: Sumerian Art.
The origins of Mesopotamia’s Civilization and its development. The
cities-state: the temple and the palace. The religious beliefs and the
round shape sculpture. The birth of historical relief.
Theme 7: Akkadian Art
The consolidation of empire and the Akkadian palaces. The narrative
historical relief.
Theme 8: The Sumerian Reinassance: from the Lagash Dynasties to
Third Dynasty of Ur.
The peak of religious architecture: the ziggurat. Characteristics of
sculpture: the Gudeas. The Neo-sumerian relief.
Theme 9: Assyrian Art
The arts at the service of power. The town-planning and palace projects.
The architectural decoration. The narrative frieze of Kalakh, Jorsabad y
Ninive.
Theme 10: The splendor of Babylonian Art
The origins of Babylonian art: The Babylon of Hammurabi. The splendor
of First Millenium: the town-planning development and the monumental
Neobabylon architecture. Sculpture and relief.
Theme 11. Persian Art
The origins of Persian art. The nomadic tradition and the first artistic
expressions. The stage from Ciro to Dario. The art at the service of the
sovereign. Architecture for palaces and the architectural decoration.
Theme 12: The art from peripheral areas
The Hittite art in the Anatolia peninsula. The Phoenician, the Syrian art
and the Mediterranean.
BASIC BIBLIOGRAPHY
VV. AA. (dir. J. A. Ramírez) (2001) Historia del Arte. El mundo antiguo;
vol. I, Alianza Editorial,
Madrid.
JANSON, H. W.(1991): Historia general del Arte, vol. I, El Mundo
Antiguo; vol. II, La Edad Media,
Alianza, Madrid.
MARTÍN GONZÁLEZ, J. J. (1982): Historia del Arte, I, Gredos, Madrid.
RECOMMENDED BIBLIOGRAPHY
I. Collections:
VVAA. (1947-1958): Ars Hispaniae, Plus Ultra, Madrid.
VVAA. (1960-80): El Universo de las Formas, Aguilar, Madrid.
VVAA. (1966-1984): Summa Artis, Madrid, Espasa Calpe, Madrid.
II. Artistic vocabulary dictionaries:
FATÁS, G. y BORRÁS, G. (1980): Diccionario de términos de arte y
arqueología, Madrid, Alianza,
1980.
LAJO, R. y SURROCA, J. (2001), Léxico de Arte, Akal, Madrid.
III. Egyptian Art and Middle East Art:
ALVAR, J. (1989): Las claves del Arte mesopotámico y persa, Ariel,
Barcelona.
FRANKFORT, H. (1982): Arte y arquitectura del Oriente Antiguo,
Cátedra, Madrid.
MANNICHE, L. (1997): El arte egipcio, Alianza Editorial, Madrid.
SMITH, W.S. (2000): Arte y arquitectura del antiguo Egipcio, Cátedra,
Madrid.
USEFUL WEB RESOURCES
Enciclopedia de arte : (http://www.artcyclopedia.com/index.html)
The Grove Dictionary of Art
(http://www.artnet.com/library/biosgrove.asp)
Art History Resources on the Web:
(http://witcombe.sbc.edu/ARTHLinks.html)
The Egypt Archive: (http://www.egyptarchive.co.uk/html/index.html)
Arte Antiguo:
(http://www.utexas.edu/courses/classicalarch/images.html)
Arte mesopotámico:
(http://cdli.ucla.edu/staff/englund/Images/Images.html
Museo arqueológico Nacional (http://man.mcu.es)