Ancient Egyptian and Mesopotamian Art: Key Concepts and Artworks

Name and Era

Lion Headed Figure

Paleolithic

Name and Era

Nude Woman

Paleolithic

Name and Era

Spotted Horses & Negative Hand Prints

Paleolithic

Name and Era

Stonehenge

Neolithic

Paleolithic

Old Stone Age, first use of tools, hunters, gatherers, following herds of animals

modeling vs carving

modeling: freestanding, sculpture

carving: relief sculpture (carved into something)

ceramics

the art and objects of working with clay into durable vessels and other artifacts, such as bowls, plates, and utensils, that were then fired to make them permanent

Corbel construction

stacking projecting courses of stone to form arches and vaults

Votive figure

religious figurines or small statues offered to a deity, serving as a substitute to eternally pray for the donor or to show gratitude for a favor

ziggurat

a rectangular stepped tower, massive structure built in ancient Mesopotamia and Iran

alabaster

a soft white stone known for its veining and translucency

Fertile Crescent

a boomerang-shaped region in the Middle East, named for its crescent shape and rich soil

Mesopotamia

located in modern-day Iraq between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, known for developing the world's first writing system, making complex political systems, created advanced mathematical concepts

Name and Era

Victory Stele of Naram-Sin

Akkadian

Name and Era

Standard of Ur (War Side)

Sumerian

Describe the piece

Standard, register, frieze, mosaic

Whats the story?

A Narrative of a Sumerian Triumph

Bottom Register: depiction of Sumerian war chariots, drawn by equids, crushing naked enemies and Soldiers in armor, likely part of the Sumerian army, are shown marching forward, carrying spears and axes.

Middle Register: Warriors are shown in formation, marching to the right. Soldiers are seen capturing bound, naked, and wounded enemies.

Top Register: The largest figure, the king, stands at the center. The king is followed by his attendants and is about to enter his war chariot. The captured, naked, and injured prisoners of war are paraded before the king

Name and era

Stele of Hammurabi

Babylonian

What does it say?

282 laws

Covers a range of issues

Contracts

The code is notable for its harsh, retaliatory punishments, such as "an eye for an eye," and for differentiating punishments based on a person's social class

Name and era

Lamassu

Assyrian

Where is it from?

Nimrud

Describe it

Low relief sculpture, overlapping, ground line

Name and era

Ishtar Gate

Neo-Babylonian

Old Kingdom

2649-2150 BCE

a period of ancient Egyptian history, the age of the pyramids, a powerful centralized government, prosperity, and monumental construction projects

Middle Kingdom

2030-1640 BCE

stop making pyramids, a strengthening of centralized power, significant flourishing expression of culture, literature, and art

New Kingdom

1550-1070

military dominance, territorial expansion into Nubia and the Near East, and flourishing monumental art and architecture

Idealization

takes something valued from culture

Naturalism

close to what we see

Stylization

done in a way to show a whole new way of viewing things

Name and era

Palette of Narmer

Pre-dynastic Egypt

Name and era

Imhotep

Old Kingdom Egyptian

Name and era

Menkaure & Khamerernbty

Old Kingdom Egyptian

Name and era

Seated Scribe

Old Kingdom Egypt

Name and era

Great Temple of Amun

New Kingdom

Name and era

Kneeling Figure of Hatshepsut

New Kingdom Egypt

Name and era

Nebamun Hunting Fowl

New Kingdom Egyptian

Name and era

Akhenaton

Amarna Period Egyptian

Name and era

Akhenaton, Nefertiti & Three Daughters

Amarna Period Egyptian

Sculpture in the round

can walk around the sculpture and see all sides

Low relief sculpture

carved into something

Sunken relief sculpture

Carved into something with strong, deep divets, making the picture look like it’s sinking into the object