Download The name, Mesopotamia, means “the land between the two

Art 101—History and Appreciation of Art, Web‐Based Course Study Guides for Art, A Brief History, fourth edition: by Marilyn Stokstad and Michael W. Cothren Unit II: Middle Eastern Art Textbook: Chapter 2 “Art of the Ancient Near East” Pages 38‐55 Page 1 of 5 The name, Mesopotamia, means “the land between the two rivers.” The rivers are the Tigris and the Euphrates. Mesopotamia is the site of present‐day Iraq. Iran, to the east of the Tigris River, was the land of ancient Persia. Sumer was a civilization that arose about 4,000 B.C.E. in Mesopotamia. No one knows where the Sumerians came from. Their language was also of an unknown origin. It is the first known written language, and the Sumerians developed the first numerical system. They invented the wheel, plow, sail and the arch. Their form of government was a theocracy—a city‐state overseen by priests. Under this system, all land and people were owned by their gods. Characteristics of a Civilization: •
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Numerical system and a written language. A society complex enough to be a civilization requires written records. (Sumerian writing, called Cuneiform is discussed in your textbook.) Metalworking. Although Neolithic craftsmen sometimes hammered small nuggets of metal found on the surface of the earth, they did not “work” metal. Metalworking requires the ability to mine the ore, and a complex technology of smelting, casting and such techniques as annealing and soldering. The combined skills of metalworking are a characteristic of a civilization. The wheel. The importance of the wheel is its contribution to a more complex technology, for example, gears and wheels powered by wind and water. Irrigation of croplands. Irrigation greatly extended man’s food‐producing capabilities. Early civilizations developed on the banks of great rivers, for example, Sumer on the Tigris and the Euphrates, and Egypt on the Nile. What is the Fertile Crescent?____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ What is a Ziggurat?____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ How did the ziggurats become elevated?___________________________________________________ The ziggurats may have been symbolic mountains. In the ancient world, gods were believed to visit mortals on a mountaintop. According to your textbook, what evidence is there for this belief? ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ Unit II: Middle Eastern Art Textbook: Chapter 2 “Art of the Ancient Near East” Page 2 of 5 The ziggurat was made of unfired mud brick. This material was used for building because: •
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There was not enough fuel available in Mesopotamia to fire such a large quantity of brick. There was not enough stone in Mesopotamia to use for building on such a large scale. The climate is dry enough that the unfired brick survived, remarkably, into the present century. The Sumerians had more clay than any other building material. Most Sumerian art had a religious purpose. The imagery often deals with the conflict between man and nature and the efforts of the Sumerians to appease the gods, especially those who control the forces of nature. Fertility and the seasonal cycle of death and rebirth in nature are represented. The deities of fertility perform a sacred marriage ceremony. Guardian figures who protect the flocks and herds struggle with beasts of prey. On the Carved Vessel from Uruk, the festival of the New Year is carved in low relief. The artist has used a defined image field. In an image field, figures stand on a firm ground line in an area that can be recognized as representing space. How are the illustrations on this vessel similar to modern comic books?__________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ Votive figures ________________________________________________________________________ How were the votive figures used?________________________________________________________ Why are the eyes of these figures so large? ________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ The Harp The author does not mention that the inlaid scenes of the front panel of the harp may represent stories related to the signs of the zodiac. What zodiac symbols do you recognize? ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ Inlay________________________________________________________________________________ The top register, which may represent twins, is also known as the Gilgamesh Motif. Gilgamesh, a legendary figure associated with the flood myth, was the first king. The Gilgamesh motif, a central figure of a man struggling with two bulls, one at each side, is repeated in later art of both the eastern and western world. What is a cylinder seal? ________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ How was it used? _____________________________________________________________________ Unit II: Middle Eastern Art Textbook: Chapter 2 “Art of the Ancient Near East” Page 3 of 5 Stele of Naram‐sin Why is Naram‐sin shown larger than the other figures? _______________________________________ What is the significance of the horned crown? ______________________________________________ What is unique about the decoration of the Stele of Naram‐sin? ____________________________________________________________________________________ Gudea is described as “a strong, peaceful, pious ruler worthy of divine favor.” How do the Gudea sculptures express these qualities? ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ Hammurabi, king of Old Babylonia, was the author of the oldest surviving code of laws. This code of laws is inscribed on the Stele of Hammurabi. In the image carved at the top of the stele, Hammurabi receives the laws from the god, Shamash. How does this imagery add value to the laws? ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ Why are these laws important? __________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ Assyrian Art One of the most interesting images in Assyrian art is the Lamassu, a human‐headed, winged bull with five legs. Although this figure is three‐dimensional, it is not sculpture‐in‐the‐round. The sculptor has envisioned it as two sculptures on the same block of stone. One is viewed from the front and has two legs. The other is viewed from the side. Although it shares one leg with the frontal view, it repeats the other front leg so that all four are visible from the side. Assyrian art is brutal and militaristic in subject. It reflects the preoccupation of the Assyrians with power and glorifies their strength and military accomplishments. How is the relief carving of Assurnasirpal II Killing Lions characteristic of this art? ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ Unit II: Middle Eastern Art Textbook: Chapter 2 “Art of the Ancient Near East” Page 4 of 5 In the relief carving of Assurbanipal and His Queen in the Garden, the artist shows us a delightful domestic scene. What element contradicts this appearance of harmony? ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ The beheading of enemies has a long history in this territory now known as Iraq. Since ancient textiles are likely to have rotted away, what other evidence exists that textiles were produced? ____________________________________________________________________________________ The fragment that displays the relief carving, Woman Spinning, is made of what material? ____________________________________________________________________________________ Define bitumen from your dictionary. _____________________________________________________ What association does bitumen have with this part of the Middle East? ____________________________________________________________________________________ Nebuchadnezzar II built temples and palaces at Babylonia. What is the name of the triumphal entryway to the city? ____________________________________________________________________________________ Crenellated __________________________________________________________________________ How did the bricks of this gate become blue? _______________________________________________ What animals are included in the decoration, and what do they represent? ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ Persia Darius I, a Persian king, built Persepolis, a great palace and ceremonial center. The petty kings and governors of the Persian Empire came here to pay homage and bring gifts to the King of Kings. When Alexander the Great plundered and burned Persepolis in 330 B.C.E., it took 5,000 camels and 20,000 mules to carry away the treasures. Unit II: Middle Eastern Art Textbook: Chapter 2 “Art of the Ancient Near East” Page 5 of 5 What is multicultural about Persepolis?____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ The detailed limestone carvings of Persepolis were even more interesting in their original form. What is missing from these carvings? ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ Why are the staircases so wide?__________________________________________________________ Define gold leaf ______________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________