Art History: Understanding Western Art + Prehistoric Era + Mesopotamia

Art History

Focuses on the development and uses of art throughout human history

Visual Arts

Visual qualities like paintings, sculptures, architecture

What are the five things an art historian may look at when studying a piece of art?

1. Formal Elements

2. Stylistic Elements

3. Iconography

4. Provenance

5. Criticism

Formal Elements

Things that Visually define it:

1. materials it is made of

2. line, texture, color impact the composition

3. Overall aesthetic

Stylistic Elements

What is the style of the art? What movement is it connected to? Does the art conform or reject the trends?

Iconography

Themes and objects that are symbolic depends on where you are. For example, in Buddhist painting a mountain symbolizes enlightenment

Provenance

Origin of the art: owners, patrons, artist

Why do art historians study individual works of art?

To identify categories of artistic styles or movements

What are some of the values given to art?

Religious significance, political and soical identity, + material value

Why is the study of art history so important?

It allows us to better understand how mankind lived and evolved

Three reason motivating the creation of art

1. beautify our surroundings

2. express and communicate ideas

3. creat record of time, place, or person

Main Influences of Western Civilization Art

Greco-Roman Influences and Judeo-Christian

What is one of the most significant issues with the concept of a Western civilization?

European history is heavily impacted by non-European cultures

What element of Western civilization was a product of Greco-Roman influence?

A trust in individual reason and logic

Medium

Materials artists use to create their art

Oil Paintings

Process of painting with pigments that are held together with a type of oil

Tempera

Pigments are held together with a sticky material most commonly egg yolk, but can give the painting a slightly yellow color

Why is marble a common media?

Marble is soft and easy for sculptors to carve, chip, and polish it

How to create a sculpture out of Bronze?

bronze sculptures created with a cast

Common Mediums in Art

Bronze, marble, ink, glass, watercolors, oil paint, and tempera

Why is the medium important?

The medium affect the style of art and texture of the paintings. Also the medium can help define the meaning of the work like spray paints create anti-authority message.

What are the three major time periods of the Stone Age?

Paleolithic, Mesolithic, and Neolithic

Paleolithic

Paleolithic or old stone age occured during the Ice age. We also developed language, making music, painting, carving, started using stone tools.

Mesolitihic

The end of the ice age signifies the start of the Mesolithic period, or Middle Stone Age. Humans had plenty of food which lead to population boost. The animals and unique environments lead to cultures diverging from each other.

Neolithic

Neolithic age or new stone age is when humans started farming

When and where did writing first develop?

In Mesopotamia in 3600 BCE

What ended the Prehistory time?

Development of writting

What were some improvements that happened during the Mesolithic period?

Flint, stone adzes (similar to axe), and bows

Upper Paleolithic Art

The art had two styles naturalistic or geometric and it was either portable like clay figurines or stationary like cave paintings.

Upper Paleolithic

Also refered to as the Late Stone Age which is marked by survival related innovation such as fishing, first settlements, and migrations to Americas + Australia

Upper Paleolithic: Naturalistic

Art focused on natural and daily events, which were either figurative like humans or non-figurative concepts like family.

Upper Paleolithic: Geometric

Decorative art based on stripes, lines, and geometric shapes

Upper Paleolithic: Venus

Name given to Paleolithic figurines depicting women, possibly pregnant

What materials were commonly carved during the Upper Paleolithic period?

Stone, bone, or antlers

What materials were commonly used during the Upper Paleolithic for jewelry?

Animal shells, teeth, and colored stones either covered in pigments or geometric patterns

Chauvet-Pont-d’Arc Cave

The oldest dated cave paintings located in France. It consists of two large chambers where there are paintings of animals, red dots, and handprints. The first chamber defined by the red color because most of the paintings are red and the second chamber is defined by black for the opposite reason.

Lascaux Cave

The cave is younger than Chauvet and is also located in France. Has similar elements to the Chauvet like animals, but there is no inclusion of abstract design elements. Also, the animals bodies were filled with pigments as well as more colors added to the cave painting like yellow, brown, and violet

Altamira Cave

The cave is located in Spain and the painting were created around the same time as Lascaux. The cave has depictions of numerous animals. Unlike the other caves, the Altamira uses the natural contours of the rock to add visual depth. The painting use the same primary colors to Chauvet, but has the same style of painting to the Lascuax

Purpose of Cave Paintings

The purpose of the paintings is still unclear, but archaeologist believe that it did serve for ceremonial purpose since the cave painting aren’t easy to access.

Cave paintings date from which historic time period?

Upper Paleolithic Age or Old Stone Age

When did Architecture first appear and why?

Neolithic period because of agriculture people were experiencing a more sedentary lifestyle

Megaliths

Structures made out of large stones and boulders

Neolithic Period: Post and Beam

A construction technique which a vertical stones were placed and used to support horizontal stones

Art Style of Neolithic Era

Most of the art was inspired by daily events and consisted of functional objects

What can be said about the houses of the Neolithic era?

They became more durable and permanent. People also began experimenting with new techniques and materials like mud bricks, wood, and stones.

What was one important characteristic of the sculptures and figurines of the Neolithic?

They were more realistic representations.

Mesopotamia

Often called the “Cradle of Civilization”, it is a region in Iraq including parts of Turkey and Syria between two major rivers: the Tigris and Euphrates.

City of Uruk

Large city and possible one of the biggest cities in Mesopotamia. The patron of the city was Inanna, goddess of love and war. Earliest form of writing was discovered in this city, which was used to keep inventory of beer.

Cunieform

Used by Sumerians, a development of pictorial writing, which consists of wedge-like shapes most likely developed to save time and make record more efficient.

Akkadian Dynasty

Sargon, the king of city state Akkad, united the Southern city states in Mesopotamia. The common language became Akkadian and Ur became the biggest city. The Akkadian Dynasty lasted 150 years and eventually the city states became indepedent again

Ziggurats

City centers and shrines to the gods. Consists of mud brick structures with several terraces. They were designed to be very tall to get you closer to heaven and the gods

Babylonian Empire

The Babylonian king, Hammurabi, united Southern Mesopotamia after around 100 yrs the empire fell in the 15th century BCE. In the 6th century BCE, allies of the Babylonians, the Medians, kicked out the Assyrians and left the Babylonians in control. They reigned until the Persian invaded.

Assyrian Empire

Centuries after the fall of Babylonian Empire, the Assyrians had a culture of warriors and begin conquering the land. Eventually, their empire stretched from Iran to Egypt. It experienced peace and prosperity for less than 300 yrs. Eventually it was invaded by Medians and the Assyrians fled.

Persian

Captured the city of Babylon and reigned over Mesopotamia. The Persians were the first non-Mesopotamia group to rule the area. The empire would eventually fall to Alexander the Great

Lapis Lazuli

Semi-precious blue stone used in Mesopotamian art and jewelry

How do we know that there was trade between Mesopotamia and distant regions of the world?

Lapis Lazuli were found in Afghanistan as eyes in statues of their gods, that practice was common in Mesopotamia

Sumerians

Lived in Mesopotamia in the 3000s-2000s BCE before the Akkadians. They developed cunieform and they were the model for the art of the rest of the civilization in Mesopotamia

Sumerian Art

Focused on religion in their sculptures, cylinder seals, ziggurats, and steles

Akkadians Art

expressed their conquering power in their art like victory stele of Naram-Sin

Babylonian Art

The babylonians specialized in free standing scluptures and frescoes. They were also responsible for the Tower of Babel (a great ziggurat) Ishtar Gate, and the Hanging Gardens

Assyrians Art

Created luxurious palaces covered in relief that proclaimed their military victories and hyped up their leaders

Perisan Art

Experimented with new forms of art like metalworking, stone mosaics, woven art, and illuminated manuscripts

Major Characteristics of Ancient Near East Art

1. focused on the relationship between the human and the divine

2. political elements

3. emphasis on artistic technique and skill over originality

4. Use of animals

5. Idealistic human

6. Relief sculptures

Naturalism

Realistic depiction of objects in a natural setting like a monkey in the jungle

Free-standing statues

Statues not connected to a panel or wall

Relief Sculpture

objects carved from a larger panel so they stand out from the background

Cylinder Seal

Images carved on a cylinder used to make indents across clay

Stylized

Change natural appearance for various reasons. The stylization could give exaggerated phyiscal traits for leaders or it could be more abstract to emphasize emotions

Anthropomorphic Art

Example of stylized art were it combines human and animal traits

Lamassu

An example of anthropomorphic art: a protective deity with the body of a bull, wings of an eagle, and head of a human

Why might an artist in Mesopotamia use slight abstractions when portraying a king?

An indication that the King is divine/posseses magical qualities, to show the power of the king, or to make the king have kingly features like muscles or beards

Most common used Materials in Ancient Near East

Stone, Metal, Shell, Ivory, Glass, Ceramics, Paint

Steles

Stone pillar or monument usually covered in relief sculptures and inscription to commemorate an event or ruler. Example Stele of Hammurabi, which inscribed with Babylonian king’s code of law.

Votive Figures

Little statues of worshipers so they could maintain prayer before the gods

Lyres

String musical instruments mostly used by Sumerians

Function of Ancient Near Eastern Art

The art always had a greater purpose or function like votive figures for religion or cylinder seals used to finalize business transaction like a signature

Religion in Mespotomia

They were polytheistic and humans had to worship to the gods to keep them happy

Idols

Statues believed to contain part of the divine being’s life force

Ancient Near East represention of Gods in Art

Gods were a common subject in art. The gods could always be identified by characteristics or symbols. Gods usually wore robes and headdresses, some gods were associated with symbols. Example, Ishtar often featured with lions

Mesopotamia: relationship between gods and kings

Kings were mediators between the people and the divine. Artwork shows kings interacting with gods like Hammurabi and god Shamash in Hammurabi Code

Mesopotamia: Fantastic Beasts

They had all kinds or beasts like Griffins some were good and some evil

Mesopotamia: Art After Death

Believed in afterlife and the dead were buried with works of art as well as other objects they may desire in the afterlife.

Mesopotamia Art depiction of Kings

Long beards, headdresses, and long robes

What is one reason an ancient artist might use anthropomorphism?

To indicate that a person had the traits associated with a certain animal.

Standard of Ur

A Sumerian box with wooden mosaic. The images are of people in Ur’s society like kings, soliders, commoners, and even lifestock, which depicts Sumerian’s farming culture.

Great Ziggurat of Ur

Created by King Ur-Nammu in Ur dynasty, the ziggurat is dedicated to the moon god Nanna.

Sumerian Sculptures

The statues are made of marble with large eyes for colored stones. The statues height depended on the status of the person. For example, the tallest figure was the god and the priest would be shorter. Each statue has a set pose, face forward and hands clasped in front of them.

Why did ziggurats have religious importance?

Topped with a temple, meant to be the dwelling place of a deity

Head of Akkadian Ruler

The bust is made out of brozen with a mustasche and beard. The head is missing its eye which are believed to house gemstones.

Victory Stele of Naram-Sin

An example of Akkadian Art, it shows the King Naram-Sin beating the rival tribe from the mountains. The king is larger than the other figures and is at the top of the stele. The only thing above the king is two orbs representing the gods.

Neo-Sumerian Period

After the decline of Akkadian Dynasty, Mesopotamia’s city-states gained independence. During this period, elements from Sumerian culture was revived. The period eventually ended when Hammurabi united the land once again.

Statue of Gudea

Created during the Neo-Sumerian Period. It is a statue of King Gudea, who is a king of one of the Mesopotamian city-states. It was carved from diorite where it depicts Gudea as calm, static, and motionless. Gudea had large eyes similar to the Sumerian eyes

Clay in Ancient Near Eastern Art

Majority of the architecture and pottery was created with clay because it was the most widely available substance in the region

Code of Hammurabi

A Babylonian stele, which states the laws of Babylon. The code would also be a model for other law codes like Mosaic Law of the Bible. The carving on the stele showed the King Hammurabi receiving the laws from the god of justice.

The Hanging Gardens of Babylon

Considered on the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, it was a city that built with terraces and balconies filled with flowers, vines, and plants. It still has not been found by archeologists.

Ishtar Gate

The Babylonian gates were glazed, blue, as well as decorated with lions and cattle. The structure was once covered in lapis lazuli.

Which Babylonian technology added strength and protection to earthen materials?

firing and glazing

What was the primary material used by Babylonian sculptors?

Diorite

What was the name of the primary Babylonian god?

Marduk