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Chapter 2The Rise of Civilization:

The Art of the Ancient Near East

Gardner’s Art Through the Ages, 12e

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The Ancient Near East

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

• Uruk’s White Temple:– 5,000 years old. Built of mud bricks

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Sumerian Religion, Society, and Art Uruk’s 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

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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.

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Sumerian Religion, Society, and ArtThe 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; nature’s bounty – men composite– frontal & profile. Con-ceptual vs optical representation.

– Top band:Female figure with tall horned headdress. Men bringing offerings are smaller – “hierarchy of scale”

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Sumerian Religion, Society, and Art The Wark Vase [Wark is modern name for

Uruk]

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The Gods & Goddesses of Mesopotamia

• Anu: Chief deity of sky and the city-state of Uruk.

• Enil: Anu’s 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]

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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.

From Temple of Ishtar at Mari, ca 2600-2500 BCE

Statue of 2 worshippersat Eshunna ca. 2700 BCE

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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?

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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

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“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”?

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War

Peace

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Lyre from Ur [restored]• From the “King’s Grave”

in Ur.• Bull’s head decoratation• On the soundbox

are animals with human faces serving a banquet, playing music & dancing.

• ca. 2600 BCE

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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.

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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.

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The First Near-Eastern KingsThe 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.

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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

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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.

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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

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The Code of HammurabiCa. 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 man’s 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 man’s wife is caught in bed with another man, both will be tied up and thrown in the water.

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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.

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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]

• Symbols:Ishtar: sacred lionRight to rule:rod/ring

• Painting symbolizes the benevolence of the gods

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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.

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Middle Elamite & Assyrian Art• Proto-Elamite & Elamite

records are among the earliest “writing” known. – Elam appears in

Genesis 10:22• 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?

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ASSYRIAN: Citadel of Sargon II• Unfinished [ca. 721-705

BCE]– Exhibited both

confidence & fear. Covered 25 acres

– Had over 200 courtyards & rooms

• Represented Sargon’s grandeur:– Merciless &– Forgiving

• Included a ziggurat and sanctuaries for 6 deities.

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Citadel of Sargon IIThe 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.

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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.

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BabylonHanging Gardens & Marduk ziggurat.

[“Tower of Babel”]

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Neo-Babylonian & Achaemenid ArtIshtar 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 Marduk’s dragon & Adad’s bull in profile.

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

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Neo-Babylonian & Achaemenid Art

Ishtar’s sacred lion

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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.

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Persia: Persepolis [Iran] ca. 521-465 BCEThe 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

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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

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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.

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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?

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Reliefs at Bishapur

Celebrated victory of Shapur I over Roman emperor, Valerian,

ca. 260 BCE

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Discussion Questions

Discuss how many artworks are intended to celebrate a ruler’s accomplishments—even if they did not occur?

Identify evidence of the Sumerian culture’s lasting influence today.

Identify evidence of the Persian Empire’s lasting influence today.

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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.