The Rise of Civilization:

1
Gardners Art Through the Ages, 12e

• Chapter 2
• The Rise of Civilization
• The Art of the Ancient Near East

2
The Ancient Near East
3
Goals

• Understand the cultural changes in the Neolithic
  Revolution as they relate to the art and
  architecture.
• Understand the concept of civilization and the
  importance of Sumer in the ancient Near East.
• Examine the artistic materials, techniques,
  subject matter, styles and conventions developed
  in the ancient Near East.

4
Definitions

• City-state Independent cities that were each
  under the protection of a different deity,
  represented by the rulers. Rulers and priests
  directed all communal activities, which were
  institutionalized.
• Cuneiform The beginning of writing, taking the
  form of wedge-shaped signs, simplified from
  pictograph signs (simplified pictures).
• Cylinder seal A cylindrical piece of stone
  engraved to produce a raised impression when
  rolled over clay. Used to sign and seal
  documents.
• Gilgamesh An epic from the 3rd millennium BCE
  describing Gilgamesh, the legendary kind of Uruk
  and slayer of the monster Huwawa.
• Heraldic composition A composition that is
  symmetrical on either side of a central figure.

5
Sumerian Religion, Society, and Art

• The Neolithic Revolution
• Revolutionary change in daily life occurred in
  Mesopotamia.
• AKA The Fertile Crescent
• Learned how to use wheel, plow, irrigation and
  control floods.
• Sumerian Art
• Was created in the City-States of Sumer.
• The rulers were the gods representative on
  earth, thus rulers and the priests directed all
  activities.
• Labor specialization developed.
• City Planning Religion Reflected the central
  role of the local god in daily life. As well as
  administrative economic.

6
Sumerian Religion, Society, and Art

• The earliest writing dates to 3400-3200 BCE
• Counting using pictographs scratched into soft
  clay arises in Sumer Elam Iraq/Iran
• Developed into cuneiform ?
• By 2600 BCE complex grammar had been developed.
• The Epic of Gilgamesh is from this period.
• Uruks White Temple
• 5,000 years old. Built of mud bricks

7
Sumerian Religion, Society, and Art

• Uruks White Temple 3200-3000 BCE 5,000
  years old.
• -- The bent axis approach to the sanctuary
  was standard for Sumerian
  temples -- Corners oriented to
  cardinal directions -- Temple itself
  was small.
• -- Gods reside
  above the level of
  humans.

Model ?
8
Sumerian Religion, Society, and Art

• The Inanna ? 3200-3000 BCE
• Maybe just a priestess
• Imported stone, colored shells stones, a wig
  of gold leaf.
• Missing body of wood clothed decorated
  elegantly.

9
Sumerian Religion, Society, and Art

• The Wark Vase for presenting offerings
• ca 3200-3000 BCE
• Sumerians may have been the first to tell stories
  using pictures.
• The vase depicts a religious festival in honor of
  the goddess.
• Divided into 3 registers or friezes
• Lowest frieze shows animals in strict profile.
  Images reflected economics, but also fertility.
• 2nd band Naked men carrying jars of offerings
  natures bounty men composite frontal
  profile. Con-ceptual vs optical representation.
• Top bandFemale figure with tall horned
  headdress. Men bringing offerings are smaller
  hierarchy of scale

10
Sumerian Religion, Society, and Art

• The Wark Vase Wark is modern name for Uruk

11
The Gods Goddesses of Mesopotamia

• Anu Chief deity of sky and the city-state of
  Uruk.
• Enil Anus son winds earth. took over as
  chief god
• Inanna Goddess of love war. Later named
  Ishtar.
• Nanna The moon god, also Sin Ur.
• Babylon
• Utu/Shamash God of the Sun.
• Marduk chief god of theBabylonians.
• Others Nabu writing/wisdom Ada storms
  Both on Ishtar Gate Ningirsu Lagash/Girsu
  appears on the Stele of the
  Vultures

12
Sumerian Religion, Society, and Art

• Votive Statues Eshunna
• 1-3 ft in height Made of simple shapes cones,
  cylinders, but specific in dress and type.

Statue of 2 worshippersat Eshunna ?ca. 2700 BCE
? From Temple of Ishtar at Mari, ca 2600-2500 BCE
13
Sumerian Religion, Society, and Art

• How did the religion practiced by Sumerians
  differ from that practiced by Paleolithic hunters
  and how were those religions reflected in art?
  What was the relationship between religion and
  the state in ancient Sumer?

14
Victory Vultures

• Stele Carved stone slab to commemorate an event.
• This stele presents a labeled narrative. ca.
  26005-2500 BCE
• Victory of Eannatum of Lagash over Umma.
• Takes its name from scene of vultures carrying
  off the severed heads of the vanquished.
• Provides info about warfare techniques the
  special status of the Sumerian ruler
• The God Ningirsu watched over Ennatum

15
War Peace/Standard of Ur

• The Sumerians buried their elite in vaulted
  chambers, under the earth, with servants and
  possessions. ca. 2600 BCE
• Standard of Ur sloping sides inlaid with shells
  and lapis.
• Called War/Peace, but may have been two parts of
  a single narrative.
• Why is it called a standard?

16

• War ?
• Peace ?

17
Lyre from Ur restored

• From the Kings Grave in Ur.
• Bulls head decoratation
• On the soundbox are animals with human faces
  serving a banquet, playing music dancing.
• ca. 2600 BCE

18
Sumerian Art in Miniature

• Cylinder seal depicting a banquet from tomb of
  Queen Pu-abi. ca. 2600 BCE
• Smaller scale than Standard of Ur, but similar
  figure types rukes are utilized.
• Use?
• Seals were used to identify documents
  protect storage jars.

19
AKKADIAN, NEO-SUMERIAN, BABYLONIAN, AND HITTITE
ART

• Gudea of Lagash Ensi of Lagash c. 2100 BCE.
  Preferred statuettes to regal trappings, and also
  liked statues carved of him in diorite.
  igneous/close to feldspar
• Hammurabi King of Babylon from c. 1792-1750 BCE.
  He established a central government over south
  Mesopotamia. He is most famous for his code of
  laws, which he had inscribed on a black basalt
  stele.
• Sargon II Assyrian king, who started the
  building of a royal citadel at Dur Sharrukin that
  covered 25 acres.

20
The First Near-Eastern Kings

• The head of the Akkadian ruler combines both
  naturalism and formal abstract patterning.
  2250-2200 BCE
• Naturalism
• The shape of the nose
• Different textures of hair and flesh
• Contrasting textures of beard, mustache, and
  hair.
• Abstract patterning
• Patterns in hair
• Stylistic symmetry
• Formal patterns of lozenges and triangles.

21
The First Near-Eastern Kings

• Victory stele of Naram-Sin from Susa Defeat of
  the Lullubi
• Second inscription by an Elamite king who
  captured Susa and took the stele as booty.
• Symbolism?
• Storming the mountain scaling the heavens

• 2254-2218 BCE

22
The First Near-Eastern Kings

• Neo-Sumerian state established at Ur The Third
  Dynasty of Ur.
• Ziggarut built ca. 2100 BCE
• Made of baked bricks and bitumen.
• 1,000 yrs after Uruk.

23
The Piety of Gudea

• These statues showed his piety as well as his
  wealth and pride
• They were designed to always be in the temple to
  give the gods their due.
• Diorite Hard, costly stone imported and
  difficult to carve.
• Image is of Gudea presenting his plan to Ningirsu
  for the new temple. ca. 2100

24
The Code of Hammurabi

• Ca. 1780 BCE 18th cen. BCE
• King Hammurabi wrote a comprehensive law code for
  his subjects.
• If any man puts out the eye of another man, his
  eye shall be put out
• If he kills a mans slave he shall pay one-third
  of a mina.
• It someone steals property from a temple, he will
  be put to death, as will the recipient of the
  stolen goods.
• . If a mans wife is caught in bed with another
  man, both will be tied up and thrown in the water.

25
King Hammurabi

• The stele with the code written on it was carried
  off to Susa as booty in 1157 BCE
• It shows Hammurabi in the presence of the sun
  god, Shamash.
• Symbol of Shamash?
• Artist used convention of combined front and side
  views, with exception of headdress.
• May have experimented with foreshortening.

26
Zimiri-Lim Ishtar

• King Zimiri-Lin controlled Neo-Sumerian
  city-state of Mari during reign of Hammurabi.
• Royal Palace was destroyed by Hammurabi in 1757
  BCE
• Painting frament represents the investiture of
  Zimiri-Lin, his right to rule granted by Ishtar
  formerly Inanna
• SymbolsIshtar sacred lionRight to
  rulerod/ring
• Painting symbolizes the benevolence of the gods

27
The Hittites Fortified Capital

• The Lion Gate ca. 1400 BCE -- Lions are 7 ft
  high
• Early example of protecting cities through
  sculptures of wild beasts at the gate.

28
Middle Elamite Assyrian Art

• Proto-Elamite Elamite records are among the
  earliest writing known.
• Elam appears in Genesis 1022
• Statue of Queen Napir-Asu from Susa, 1350-1300
  BCE life-size
• Weighs 3,760 lbs even now.
• Has a solid bronze core inside a hollow-cast
  copper shell.
• Was to be a permanent, immovable votive offering
  in the temple.
• Shares many characteristics with earlier votive
  statues. They are?

29
ASSYRIAN Citadel of Sargon II

• Unfinished ca. 721-705 BCE
• Exhibited both confidence fear. Covered 25
  acres
• Had over 200 courtyards rooms
• Represented Sargons grandeur
• Merciless
• Forgiving
• Included a ziggurat and sanctuaries for 6
  deities.

30
Citadel of Sargon II

• The Guardian Gates of the Citadel. made of
  limestone ca. 721-705 BCE
• Lamassu winged , human-headed bull
• Partly in the round, but conceived as high
  reliefs.
• Presents aconceptual viewof the creature,in
  order to showall aspects.

31
Chronicles of Great Deeds Ashurnasirpal

• ca. 875-860 BCE -- Later than Egyptian ones, but
  have greater detail. Records battlefield
  victories slaying of wild animals.
• A compressed style to make the story legible.
• Combines different viewpoints.

32
Babylon

• Hanging Gardens Marduk ziggurat. Tower of
  Babel

33
Neo-Babylonian Achaemenid Art

• Ishtar Gate
• King Nebuchadnezzar
• r. 604-562 BCE mentioned in Daniel.
• Babylon was built of mud bricks, but the
  important buildings were faced with glazed bricks
• Images on bricks are of Marduks dragon Adads
  bull in profile.

• Babylon conquered by Cyrus of Persia in the
  6th cen. BCE.

34
Neo-Babylonian Achaemenid ArtIshtars sacred
lion
35
Elamite, Assyrian, and Neo-Babylonian Art

• Evaluate the stylistic and formal visual aspects
  of later Mesopotamian art and its iconography.
• Explore the ideas of power expressed in the art
  of the Assyrians.
• Examine the materials and techniques of Assyrian
  and Neo-Babylonian painting and low relief
  sculpture.
• Critically evaluate the role of art and power in
  different Near Eastern civilizations from this
  period.

36
Persia Persepolis Iran ca. 521-465 BCE

• The Gate of All Lands entrance to the complex
• Many nations contributed to the site
• Ionian Greeks, Medes, Egyptians, Babylonians

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Persepolis Iran

• Aerial view of the site Sculpture echoes Archaic
  Greek style

38
Persepolis Iran

• Frieze from The Royal Audience Hall

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Persepolis Iran

• Persepolis characteristics
• Monumental gateway with man-headed bulls
• Apadana - huge royal audience hall.
• Reliefs
• Columns

40
Persian and Sassanian Splendor

• Explore how the Persian art and the later
  Sassanian art is different from other art of
  Mesopotamia.
• Identify hallmarks of Persian culture and style
  in art and architecture.

41
Sasanian Art Shapur I Ctesiphon

• Palace at Ctesiphon noted for the large barrel
  vault of the iwan, or
  audience hall.
• -- 1,000 yrs later Islamic artists
  looked to this
  palace as their standard for their
  own work.

• Shapur II?

42
Reliefs at Bishapur
Celebrated victory of Shapur I over Roman
emperor, Valerian, ca. 260 BCE
43
Discussion Questions

• Discuss how many artworks are intended to
  celebrate a rulers accomplishmentseven if they
  did not occur?
• Identify evidence of the Sumerian cultures
  lasting influence today.
• Identify evidence of the Persian Empires lasting
  influence today.

44
Mesopotamian Architecture

• Compare the architecture of the Neo-Sumerian
  ziggurat with the city of Babylon and the fabled
  Tower of Babel. Explore the different
  materials used.