Mid-Term Exam
Choose two works from your text book to write an essay. Research well... you must use a minimum of two sources outside of the text. Compare and Contrast the two works discussing similarities and differences. Be sure to include a detailed description of each work, background information like when and where it was made. What was the political and religious context? How did the climate and geography influence the work?
Post to the blog by 10:15 a.m. today.
Please pay attention to grammar and spelling. Don't forget to list your references at the bottom of the post.
Post to the blog by 10:15 a.m. today.
Please pay attention to grammar and spelling. Don't forget to list your references at the bottom of the post.
posted by Rachel Hoffman at
5:18 AM
28 Comments:
Amber Fowkes
Looking at the wonders of the world, it is easy to see that our planet has a past. Not because of the landscapes, animals, or plant life, but more history comes from the most simplistic thing, art. Gazing at the Seven Wonders of the World, people find that many of them are in located east of the United States, curious that it seems that many ancestors are also from that region. Looking at the eastern lands, there are two distinct pieces of artwork that show a balance yet a startling contrast on the two worlds. Those two artworks are standing yet today and are constantly baffling people of our age, perhaps someday we will unravel the mysteries of the two artworks known as the Pyramids of Ancient Egypt and Stonehenge of Prehistoric England.
Gazing at these two monstrous artworks, it’s easy to tell that these pieces were built many years apart but yet retain certain characteristics with each other. For example, both are made of stone and defy the laws of gravity if you think about it. Also another fact is that both are still standing here today and still contain mysteries that confuse and befuddle scientists and researchers as to what exactly some of these were used for. The Pyramids hold religion significance because of Egyptian beliefs towards the after life and then looking to Stonehenge some believe that they were used for sacrifices towards unknown gods of that age. Another striking comparison between the two is that they both required numerous human hands to construct these structures and it seems that in both cases it wasn’t forced labor but an honor to do so yet the reason why is still foggy.
Again comparing these magnificent pieces there is also easy to see that there are some very contrasting sights to these two as well. Compared to the Pyramids, Stonehenge is bleak and prehistoric. It seems that the people who constructed these architectures used what was available and made due with it unlike the Egyptians that made sure everything was perfect. Another comparison is that the artworks within the Pyramids also make it very unique to the other due to the lack of supplies to do such things. Perhaps there was artwork on Stonehenge at one point in time but it was scraped or washed away. Could it be possible that basic things such as berries, dyes, and cloth were used and then simply vanished after a period of time, it is. Another comparison is that after the Pyramids were built mainly for the Pharaoh and also to stand for all time, there was a sheet of limestone that covered the Pyramid to make it shine, now gone but yet the structure stands and with Stonehenge it stands to stand, nothing special used to preserve this but just survived the environment.
What is also amusing about these two works are that there is so much mythology behind them and that’s what interests me the most about these pieces. We don’t know much about them so that let’s the mind’s imagination roam and come up with the most interesting scenarios. My opinion on these two works is that they were the pride of that time and has stood up to their reputation, too bad we don’t know more but that might just ruin the majesty behind the whole point. Someday maybe the human race will know of the reason and truth behind the Pyramids and Stonehenge, I just hope that they are all they are cracked up to be or the mythology interest within me will fade.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stonehenge
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egyptian_pyramids
the movie watched last week
the book
Sculpture is the art of shaping figures or designs into it’s finished form. With that being said sculpture has really changed throughout time. It’s complexity and the use of line, shape and proportions have transformed over time making sculpture quite amazing. While locating my two pieces of art to compare and contrast the final decision was very clear to me.
Looking at the time period of the birth of art I ran across a very interesting but strange figure. It dates around 28,000 BCE comes from Austria and is titled Venus of Willendorf. This Limestone piece is almost five inched in height and is a vibrant orange/red color. It’s interesting how the creation of this piece was almost started by using round ball pieces of material. Looking at this piece I see only but the image of a woman. I do see other interesting facts about the detail that made it most interesting. Even though the proportions are not accurate the slight amount of detail was enough to capture the representation of the idea. Starting with the hair I can tell that there is texture by the way the artist carved the stone. It looks like it’s representing curly hair or even could be a hat. There is no facial features, the proportions are off but the breast, bellybutton and knees give it a since of realness. This piece to me represents fertility and probably what males back in the Paleolithic art period perceived women as.
I then found the perfect item to compare and contrast. During the Aegean art time dating around 1600 BCE in Greece a figure emerged from the palace at Knossos titles Snake Goddess. The figure is almost two inches in height and the detail is quite amazing. She stands with a beautiful dress on fitting very tightly. Her arms are extended with a snake in each hand. On her head there is some type of feline peacefully sitting on her head. Her face is almost scary with big wide eyes. She has a creepy and very bizarre stare. Her breasts are exposed and are very realistic in detail and again this represents some type of fertility. Her body proportions are created almost perfectly which takes away from the strange gaze that she gives.
To compare and analyze these two pieces is simple and I have come up with several observations. Back in prehistoric times things were so simple. Education wasn’t to the level that it grew into during Aegean times. Education meaning mythological beliefs, wars that impacted communities of people and the way of life in general. The two different materials are also a factor with how much one can do with their piece. Materials and what’s used to create color has a huge influence with the realness of the sculpture. Clearly the similarities are that they both represent a woman, fertility, and some type of character of maybe a specific person. It’s hard to choose my favorite of the two because sometimes less is more referring to Venus however, the snake goddess has a capturing element to her. They are both unique and have influenced sculpture today which are building blocks for where sculpture can go in the future.
Gardner’s Art through the Ages 12th Ed. By: Fred S. Kleiner and Christin J. Mamiya
http://www.answers.com/topic/sculpture
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venus_of_Willendorf
http://witcombe.sbc.edu/snakegoddess/
The Great Pyramid of Giza and The Statue of Zeus at Olympia. These are two of the seven World wonder. Two of the seven world wonder, great in each there own way. Fascinating things left behind by our past. The Great Pyramid of Giza is located at the city of Giza, built around the year 250 BC as a resting place for king Khufu. The pyramid was 145.75m(481 ft) high, it lost 10 m (30 ft) from the top over the years. It was the tallest thing on earth for a while; it was built with 2 million blocks of stone weighing more then two tons. The Great Pyramid of Giza is the main part of a complex setting of buildings that included two mortuary temples in honor of Khufu (one close to the pyramid and one near the Nile), three smaller pyramids for Khufu's wives, an even smaller "satellite" pyramid, a raised causeway connecting the two temples, and small mastaba tombs surrounding the pyramid for nobles. One of the small pyramids contains the tomb of queen Hetepheres (discovered in 1925), sister and wife of Sneferu and the mother of Khufu. There was a town for the workers of Giza, including a cemetery, bakeries, a beer factory and a copper smelting complex. More buildings and complexes are being discovered by The Giza Mapping Project. The Statue of Zeus at Olympia one of the classical Seven Wonders of the Ancient World located in the ancient town of Olympia built by Pheidias. The statue was as tall as a four-story building. It was built around 440 BC. That was some of the differences between these two great wonders of the world. One is the resting place for a king and the other is in honor of the king of all gods. The seated statue occupied the whole width of the aisle of the temple that was built to house it, and was 40 feet (12 meters) tall. "It seems that if Zeus were to stand up," the geographer Strabo noted early in the 1st century BC, "he would unroof the temple." Zeus was a chryselephantine sculpture, made of ivory and accented with gold plating. In the sculpture, he was seated on a magnificent throne of cedarwood, inlaid with ivory, gold, ebony, and precious stones. In Zeus' right hand there was a small statue of Nike, the goddess of victory, and in his left hand, a shining sceptre on which an eagle perched. The great pyramid still stands today, but there is not much left of The Statue of Zeus. The great pyramid s sometimes called Khufu's Pyramid or the Pyramid of Khufu.
What is the same about these two artifacts is that they’re both one of the seven World Wonders, monuments left behind form great builders, both where built around the BC period of time, both are located in different parts of the European country, both a known as kings.
http://wonderclub.com/AllWorldWonders.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statue_of_Zeus_at_Olympia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Pyramid_of_Giza
To compare and contrast Egyptian burial techniques with the Aegean burial techniques, one would first have to understand the religions of both places. In this short essay, I will attempt to inform one of these unique characteristics.
The Egyptians devoted their entire lives to their Pharaohs. According to them, their purpose in this world was to make sure that those higher than them would have a proper after-life. The Egyptians were not concerned with the present. They focused solely on death. Everything they did in their lives was for death, including their gigantic monuments that served as their Pharaohs’ tombs.
This was a very different way of living compared to the Aegean’s, specifically the Cycladic islanders. They focused their lives on worshiping their Gods but they also tried their best to live in the present. They wanted to do everything possible with their lives to make the Gods happy. They believed that in order to do this they would build awesome statues to commemorate them, while also making sacrifices to them. When the people of this time died, they would be buried with the statues that best celebrated that person’s life and how they gave it to a certain God.
The tombs of the Egyptians were known as pyramids. They could be a step pyramid with a step-like approach to the exterior surface, or they could have a smooth approach covered in limestone and/or gold. In these pyramids there would be a chamber where the pharaoh would be buried. Usually this place would be hidden or secretive of some sort, so as to avoid robberies during the deceased’s peaceful afterlife. All of a pharaoh’s present valuables would be placed in the chamber with the pharaoh. Anything that was of any importance; gold and treasures were often included, which is why the tombs were robbed so often.
The Aegean’s had tombs as well, although these were different in appearance. They had a beehive-like structure (also known as tholos tombs or tholoi). Some even believe that later in this culture these structures were used as homes, as seen in other cultures. These structures were originally built as corbelled arches. Unlike the Egyptians, these tombs usually contained more than one burial, in various places in the tomb. They were buried with their statues as well as other grave goods, such as personal possessions and gifts to the Gods in the afterlife.
If I was to choose which form of architecture I like best, I would have to go with the pyramid. They were more lavish, being made with gold and such. If I was to live in one of the structures now, I would also have to pick the pyramid because it seems that there are far more of them still standing. I like the form of the pyramids as well as the thought about devoting your life to someone or something higher than you.
http://www.touregypt.net/construction/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beehive_tombs
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grave_goods
Meryl Stewart
Elyse Featherman
The Woman or Venus of Willendorf was found in Willendorf, Austria in 1908 by archaeologist Josef Szombathy. She is thought to be from anywhere between 25,000 to 20,000 B.C. and stands around 11.1 cm tall. Carved from an egg shaped pebble, the face and arms hardly have detail and even her breasts fail to show indication of her nipples. Her body is curvy and the genital area is very detailed. Her full breasts and exposed genital area suggest that she represents some sort of fertility goddess. Her lack of face, which is usually essential for identity, and exposed womanly curves could represent a sexual object instead of a real person. Her woven hair does not spiral around her head but is instead seven rings. (A number that thousands of years later is considered “magical”.) A reason her hair is so detailed, along with the genitals and breasts, is that in history, hair was considered an erotic attraction. Length could indicate status but odor would relate in sexual relations. Therefore, her hair could have been so pronounced to show that it is just as important in sexual affairs as her pronounced breasts and pubic area. The curves of her body are so well made that it is quite possible that she was carved from the image of a real woman.
One thing the Woman of Willendorf does not have is a pair of feet. It was recorded that she was found perfectly preserved and so may never have even had feet. It could be argued that she had all the necessary parts for a fertility goddess and did not need feet. She cannot stand but it doesn’t look as if she was made to be laying down either. The only way pleasing to the eye is laying in the palm of a hand. This raises questions as to what the real purpose of this small statue was. Her appearance is that she is a fat instead of pregnant woman which may suggest she had plenty of food to eat. Once again, an indication of status.
Another fertility goddess is Inanna-Ishtar, daughter of Anu, the god of air. She is the Babylonian goddess of fertility, love, and war and was often described as an evil and heartless woman who left her mates destroyed or injured. Ishtar was considered more of a goddess of courtesans and even herself was called “courtesan of the gods”. Her holy city was called Erech and was also named the “town of sacred courtesans”. Ishtar above all else was associated with sexuality and was one of the widest worshipped of all Mesopotamian deities and perhaps one reason for this was because she was so feared.
Instead of being a sculpture like the Woman of Willendorf, she was created as a terra-cotta relief in 2025-1763 B.C. and stands twenty inches high. So little is known about the Woman of Willendorf and there are countless stories to be told of Ishtar. One such story is the one told of her descent into the underworld (where she can only leave if someone stays in her place) for her companion Tammuz, the farm god. She carried with her the rod and ring of kingship (she is holding in both hands in the relief) and upon her descent, the goddess of death takes away all her clothes and when she returns she is transformed though she never retrieved Tammuz. She then became the goddess of death and resurrection.
Ishtar and the Woman of Willendorf have their differences ranging from appearance to myths of the women. The Woman of Willendorf appears to be more of a mother to me where Ishtar is definitely a lover but not a mother. Little is known of the purpose of the Woman of Willendorf besides that she was most likely a fertility goddess and possibly a real woman. Ishtar on the other hand is a known goddess and one of the most popular in Mesopotamia at that. She also appears slender and alluring, more like what we think of today as beauty where the Woman of Willendorf is fat yet alluring in her own natural way. The images of the two women are similar in that they are both completely nude which is a characteristic of a fertility goddess.
http://witcombe.sbc.edu/willendorf/willendorfdiscovery.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ishtar
http://doormann.tripod.com/pse.jpg
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In the second half of eighth century b.c. Ancient Near Eastern art demonstrated power, and religion. Power was reinforced at the palace of Sargon, with two large guardian statues called (lamassus). The statues are a mix of relief and sculpture. Their staggering height and over powering expression shows fierce protection over the palace located in Khorsabad, Iraq. The statues consist of a bearded human head mounted on a winged bull. Each bull has five legs which gives the figures two aspects. The palace was built by the Assyrian king Sargon II and his city measured about one mile square (2.59 square km); its outer walls were pierced by seven fortified gates. A similar statue would be found in 2570 b.c called The Great Sphinx, located in Giza. Egyptian art was also based on religion, and power. The Sphinx was made from sandstone with a towering height of 65’ (19.8m). The statue stands right next to the pyramid of Khafre and was carved out of live rock just like the lamassus at Citadel. The characteristics of the Sphinx are just like that of the Lamassus at Citadel both statues have a human head and an animal body. Both the great Sphinx and the Lamassus are guardian statues. The Sphinx in its original state was that of a griffin. Loins where often associated with pharos probably through hunting. Both the Sphinx and the Lamassus were built by kings to be guardians and symbols of strength and power.
However the Sphinx in Egypt is lying down and instead of having a bulls body, it is the body of a lion. The head is of Khufu and could be considered an image of the sun god. The Sphinx is about 65’ (19.8m) and the statues at Citadel are about 14 feet tall and weighing over 16 tons. They guarded the entrance to the palace of king Sargon II of Assyria in about 710 BC and the Sphinx was more of a symbol of power and reign of king around 2570BC. The mythical creatures at Citadel were placed on each side of palace entrances to give magical protection against evil spirits. The great Sphinx was more the form of the sun God out side of the pyramid which was a tomb not a city. The sphinx is made of soft sandstone and would have disappeared long ago had it not been buried for so long. The Lamassus are made of stone that is more durable and hard, keeping its features and details more intact. The great Sphinx has a pharos head dress and use to have a beard and a snakes head on the head dress. Over time the Sphinx has withered and fallen apart. Since the Lamassus in Iraq have been buried for so long they were well preserved and have less damage to them. The Lamassus are more mixed with animal than the great Sphinx, for example the great sphinx has human ears and the Lamassus have bull ears.
Although both these forms of statues are very different in size location and detail their purpose and design still show the great power of the kings of our past.
http://interoz.com/egypt/sphinx.htm
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://tca2noche.tripod.com/Novedades/histdelarte_archivos/image032.jpg&imgrefurl=http://tca2noche.tripod.com/Novedades/histdelarte.htm&h=80&w=80&sz=2&hl=en&start=36&um=1&tbnid=dqHrArO-Ew48EM:&tbnh=74&tbnw=74&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dgate%2Bof%2Bcitadel%2Bof%2Bsargon%26start%3D18%26ndsp%3D18%26svnum%3D10%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26sa%3DN
http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/sphinx4.htm
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.hp.uab.edu/image_archive/ue/statue04.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.hp.uab.edu/image_archive/ue/uer.html&h=530&w=666&sz=44&hl=en&start=9&um=1&tbnid=ZWy9Lc6qz7vYUM:&tbnh=110&tbnw=138&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dgate%2Bof%2Bcitadel%2Bof%2Bsargon%26svnum%3D10%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26sa%3DG
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://cache.eb.com/eb/thumb%3Fid%3D8262&imgrefurl=http://www.britannica.com/eb/topic%3FidxStructId%3D849201%26typeId%3D17&h=116&w=100&sz=7&hl=en&start=2&um=1&tbnid=tdyJylIYggbtCM:&tbnh=87&tbnw=75&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dgate%2Bof%2Bcitadel%2Bof%2Bsargon%26svnum%3D10%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26sa%3DG
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Sphinx_of_Giza
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.utexas.edu/courses/classicalarch/images2/sargon2lionkhorsabad.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.paleolithicartmagazine.org/pagina65html.html&h=1306&w=580&sz=88&hl=en&start=14&um=1&tbnid=RMt9EishsdCiKM:&tbnh=150&tbnw=67&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dgate%2Bof%2Bcitadel%2Bof%2Bsargon%26svnum%3D10%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26sa%3DG
The Minoans executed paintings in a technique called "fresco," which may have contributed to the liveliness of their works. Starting in about 700 B.C.E., these Greek paintings would display an explosion of movement and color, a direct descendent of the Minoan innovations. More importantly, the Greeks would follow the Minoan example of creating art for the sake of beauty, and not for any other particular reason. Unlike the Minoans, Egyptians created their hieroglyphs as a way of writing. The hieroglyphic script was used mainly for formal inscriptions on the walls of temples and tombs starting around 400 B.C. Egyptian Hieroglyphs are religious and historical, but recent developments could point to an economical impetus for this script as well as push back the time depth of this writing system. In some inscriptions the glyphs are very detailed and in full color, in others they are simple outlines. Visually hieroglyphs are all more or less figurative than Minoan frescoes, they represent real or imaginary elements, sometimes stylized and simplified, but all generally perfectly recognizable in form.
Like their Egyptian contemporaries living 500 miles southeast of them, the Minoans illustrated their figures with legs standing in profile and eyes, in profiled faces, staring at the viewer. So, the Minoans were not entirely revolutionary painters. Minoan artists did, however, figure out how to show torsos in profile. They drew bodies as working wholes, not as figures awkwardly twisted in the middle. More importantly, the outlines of their figures are rounded and lively, and present movement. By comparison, the figures in Egyptian scenes appear stiff and uncomfortable. The use of vivid colors like red, blue, yellow, and green is something that Minoan frescoes and Egyptian hieroglyphs have in common. It is also noticed in both Egyptian and Minoan paintings that the female figures are colored lighter than the males to create a sense delicacy of within the female figures. Because Minoan frescoes were developed simply for decoration, we can find that some Minoan frescoes only consist in landscapes and sceneries, unlike and Egyptian hieroglyphs, the human figure was almost always incorporated into the hieroglyphs and was the main focus in the overall composition.
While the Minoan frescoes endured for 3500 years, the Minoan civilization did not. Scholarly debate rages over whether the Minoan civilization was destroyed by the eruption of Thera's volcano, its aftermath, or if its fall was due to some completely different cause. Because Minoan frescoes were exposed to the outdoors, they are not as preserved as the Egyptian hieroglyphs which are hidden well deep into the pyramids.
These comparisons are evident if we look at “The Toreador Fresco” and “The Weighing of the Heart and Judgment of Osiris”. Here, the human forms are presented in both paintings. In the Minoan fresco, the human figures, as well as the animal figure have a lot of movement, unlike the figures on the Egyptian hieroglyph which are all posing a repetitive, stiff position. In both paintings we can see that the female figures are painted a lighter color than the male figures. The Minoan figures have more curves, and the lines are soft, unlike the hieroglyph, the figures are very symmetric, geometrical, and the lines are very sharp and straight edged. The Minoan fresco has a vivid blue background, while the hieroglyph’s background is not painted at all, and the color is only used in the figures to maintain focus within them. The hieroglyph is very symmetrical, and it seems to have a repetitive pattern within the figures, while the Minoan fresco is very asymmetric, and there seems to be a lot of movement within the figures.
As time passes art evolves, new ideas arise, and we continue creating new and innovative things. Although we continue to evolve and innovate, we must never forget our past and history, which we learned so much from. Personally, I found it very helpful to reach into the past and look at what our world used to be, only then can I get a better idea of how to better myself. Looking at how art has evolved through time I can say that it has made us learn new things, try out new styles, and evolve as artists. It is also very inspiring to learn from these ancient paintings and apply what was learned into our careers as artists.
-Josue
http://www.beyondbooks.com/art11/2c.asp
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egyptian_hieroglyphs
http://ib205.tripod.com/underworld_judgement.html
So far in the class time we have had, I have learned a lot to do with the ancient artifacts that there have been ranging from a series of buildings dedicated towards the honor of gods, and or rulers. I believe this is quiet interesting, and gives their royalty a higher standard. But of the great pieces of artifact or sculpture I find great importance on the hanging gardens of Babylon, and king tut’s tumb or Tutankhamen. I find that these two makes in the early ages of time are the most innovating for their time.
The hanging gardens of Babylon were created by Nebuchadnezzar II at a mountain side, for the likeness of his wife. She had a strange likeness in awaking to a mountain when she peeked out her window. The reason for the name was also her likeness in trees and fragrant plants that mostly came from her home land. Also according to greek historians,
“Babylon, too, lies in a plain; and the circuit of its wall is three hundred and eighty-five stadia. The thickness of its wall is thirty-two feet; the height thereof between the towers is fifty cubits; that of the towers is sixty cubits; and the passage on top of the wall is such that four-horse chariots can easily pass one another; and it is on this account that this and the hanging garden are called one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The garden is quadrangular in shape, and each side is four plethra in length. It consists of arched vaults, which are situated, one after another, on checkered, cube-like foundations. The checkered foundations, which are hollowed out, are covered so deep with earth that they admit of the largest of trees, having been constructed of baked brick and asphalt — the foundations themselves and the vaults and the arches. The ascent to the uppermost terrace-roofs is made by a stairway; and alongside these stairs there were screws, through which the water was continually conducted up into the garden from the Euphrates by those appointed for this purpose. For the river, a stadium in width, flows through the middle of the city; and the garden is on the bank of the river
King tut’s tumb was the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamen, that became pharaoh at just age 8, and shortly died at age 19 11 years after. It was discovered in the valley of kings. The importance that this tumb has on modern society relies mainly on how, it was decorated and coated with gold that shined with even a mere light source of light upon the surface. Its modern popularity relies upon the its intactness that it had when it was discovered. As it was a icon for modern mummy’s the tumb was an icon for Ancient Egypt.
Between King Tut’s Tumb and the Hanging gardens of Babylon, likenesses with them stand that both were made with honor to someone or at least the condition they were found in. King Tut’s Tumb being gold plated as a dead pharaoh gave the tumb a sense of a royalty. Gold was coated in his honor. Likewise the hanging gardens had a significance for the wife of Nebuchadnezzar II as he built the gardens for his wife because she liked the trees and flowers with a scent to them, and the idea of having a mountain range by their house gave her a scence of tranquility.
As in other comparisons between both of these makes of magnificence. Is their condition after these wonders were recorded was the destruction and vice committed to them. The hanging gardens were destroyed by a earthquake and the tumb has been victim of a mere robbery on more than one occasion.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanging_Gardens_of_Babylon#_note-FosterGardensofEden
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tutankhamun
Tina Craft
History of Western Art
Midterm
As a person stands in front of a magnificent sculpture, one begins to wonder who that person was, and what their life was like. In Egypt, back in the Dynastic period, there was a sculpture of a Egypt king and queen that stood 1.20 m in height. The King and Queen are seated facing you and side by side together. This is King Rahotep and Queen Nofret. Rahotep was a high official in Egypt during the end of the 3rd dynasty and the beginning of the 4th. Rahotep was also now as the great priest of helipolis and as the lord of pe in most cities in Ancient Egypt. He Married Nofret later on, was also a part of the royal entourage. No one really know who made the sculpture of them for there is no record about it. It was craved out of brick mastaba and it showed that they were a great high rank in Ancient Egypt. Some say because of the detail in the faces that these sculpture were actually what king Rahotep and Queen Nofret actually looked like.
In Persia there was a great king called Peroz. Peroz was the seventeenth sassanid king of Persia, and ruled from 457 to 484 time period. As history says that King Peroz was a fearless monarch and so they gave him the name of Peroz the Victorious. This name was given to him because of his success in winning over many wars, and the way he won over the throne of Persia. There was many sculptors made for King Peroz but one stood out then the rest, it was King Peroz hunting Gaselles. Most of the Sculpture made about him show him strong and almighty. In this sculptor it shows him surrounded by Gaselles and him riding a house and chasing them down.
Even thought the place and time is different between these two sculptures there is a lot of similarity in them. For one they both show that the king and queen of their land was almighty. King Rahotep and Queen Nofret sit with there back straight staring out with there hands crossing over there chest to show high power over there land. King Peroz is shown by his strength in most of his Sculptors witch also high power for it show him tough and the strongest of the land. The difference in the two is that most Egypt sculptors of kings and queens show them upright and looking strength and Persia sculptors show most of there kings in action fighting and showing power. Even though there religion is different and the culture is complete opposites they still both show the high power of their country and who was the man important person of that time.
The hanging gardens of Babylon (also called Hanging Gardens of Semiramis) are one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. They were recorded to be 100 feet long by 100 feet wide. They were constructed by King Nebuchadnezzar II for his wife, Amytis of Media. He built them because his wife wished to see the trees and plants from her homeland. The Gardens have been recorded by numerous Greek historians through their existence. Some documents and tablets describe structures similar to Archimedes' screw. This was used to raise water to the required height. An unknown Greek historian said:
"Babylon, too, lies in a plain; and the circuit of its wall is three hundred and eighty-five stadia (185 m). The thickness of its wall is thirty-two feet; the height thereof between the towers is fifty cubits; that of the towers is sixty cubits; and the passage on top of the wall is such that four-horse chariots can easily pass one another; and it is on this account that this and the hanging garden are called one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The garden is quadrangular in shape, and each side is four plethra (100 Greek feet) in length. It consists of arched vaults, which are situated, one after another, on checkered, cube-like foundations. The checkered foundations, which are hollowed out, are covered so deep with earth that they admit of the largest of trees, having been constructed of baked brick and asphalt — the foundations themselves and the vaults and the arches. The ascent to the uppermost terrace-roofs is made by a stairway; and alongside these stairs there were screws, through which the water was continually conducted up into the garden from the Euphrates by those appointed for this purpose. For the river, a stadium in width, flows through the middle of the city; and the garden is on the bank of the river."
The Hanging Gardens were destroyed sometime after the first century BCE.
The ancient Egyptian Pyramids are another Wonder of the Ancient World, but are special in that they are they only Wonder remaining in tact to this day. They were built as tombs for the Pharaohs and their Queens. They were built from before the beginning of the Old Kingdom until the end of the Middle Kingdom. There are roughly eighty known pyramids in existence today. The plains at Giza are home to the largest and best preserved pyramids. The largest of which belongs to Khufu. The pyramids would house not only the Pharaoh and his Queen, but also all of his wealth plus living guards to protect everything inside. The oldest pyramids are known as step pyramids, which were built around the time of the third dynasty.
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The true pyramids are the ones most commonly referred to today. These are more aesthetically pleasing expansions to the step pyramids. They were introduced around the beginning of the fourth dynasty.
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Symbolism behind procreation has been a source of inspiration from early Stone Age to modern times. I will examine two works of art that exemplify this belief. First, I will examine figurine of Woman of Willendorf, one of Venus figurines. Second, I will examine the Minoan Snake Goddess, one of many similar sculptures from the New Palace period. Although millennia separate these two works of art, the symbolic representation of woman has not changed much through these years.
Woman of Willendorf is a carved sculpture dating back to 24,000 – 22,000 BCE. We will never know the true inspiration behind this work; however considering the context may show us what this figurine represented. In earlier Stone Age, the nomadic societies used to collect pebbles and according to their look they would assign meaning to them. This is one of the first figurines that was carved out of stone, however these stones had already included features of a women when collected. Woman of Willendorf is just one of several similar figurines that are collectively referred to as Venus figurines.
The size of this figurine is only 110 mm, or 4 3/8”. The most noticeable part of this sculpture is her very large breasts, and her tiny arms and hands that are resting on top of them. Right underneath the breasts is an enlarged stomach, with a large belly button. If turned around, the size of the stomach matches the size of her behind. The feet of this figurine are very small. If we examine the head of this figurine, we will see seven braided rows of hair and no distinct facial features.
There are many theories explaining the usage and meaning behind this figurine. Some believe that husbands would take these figurines on their hunting trips so they are reminded of their wives at home. Other believe that due to her enlarged belly and breast, she served as the fertility Goddess. She was carved out of oolitic limestone; however, her vulva had tints of red symbolizing the menstrual cycle, and therefore the procreation process.
In Minoan Crete culture, one of the most worshiped deities was the Minoan Snake Goddess. She is dressed in traditional clothing including a long stylized skirt and a very tight corset with her breast exposed. This figurine exemplifies a grace of a woman through highly stylized arm postures and delicate features of her face. She has her arms stretched out with a snake in each one.
The figurine was discovered in Crete and it is believed that it was made in 1600 BCE. The process used to make this sculpture was called faience technique, glazing earthenware or ceramic by using a quartz paste. This process is responsible for giving the Goddess such vibrant colors in her dress and her head ware.
The symbolism of this figurine is clearer to us then of the Venus of Willendorf. Nonetheless, the similarities are evident. Large exposed bosom suggests fertility in women while snakes have symbolized male fertility. Knossos’ cult that worshiped the snake goddess believed that she symbolized the renewal of life, or even rebirth.
From the physical perspective, both women exhibit large exposed breasts, and distinctive female features. Both of the figurines represented a sense of renewal, and fertility. Although Minoan Snake Goddess is a lot more stylized in its craftsmanship, the symbolism of a female figure had lived on through millennia. It is undeniable that in these early societies, a woman was a powerful and highly respected symbol of culture. Her ability to procreate was inspiring to many artist, and source of worship for general public.
Resources:
http://www.thenagain.info/Webchron/World/Willendorf.html
http://donsmaps.com/willendorf.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venus_of_Willendorf
http://www.pantheon.org/articles/m/minoan_snake_goddess.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snake_Goddess
Haris Silic
Horses
In the Late Paleolithic era, we see horses in art. One piece that is very beautiful is called Horse, from Vogelherd in Germany. It is made out of mammoth ivory and is 2.5 inches long. It was carved in c. 28,000 B.C. and was much loved. The way its body was carved makes it look elegant and regal. It has been rubbed smooth by years of handling and is missing all of its legs. During the time period of its creation, man was hunting horses for food. Like all other animals, the horse was considered food if they happened to come by it and the horse was not domesticated over 20,000 years later. The purpose of the figurine was to bring luck to the hunter who wished to bring home some horse meat for his family to survive.
There are obviously no written records during this time, so it is hard to tell if the people actually worshipped the horse; though, it is easy to understand the importance of it.
Going forward to c. 850 B.C. Calah in modern day Iraq, horses are now seen as fearless as their riders. In the relief Ashurnasirpal II Killing Lions, from the palace of Ashurnasipal II, the king is being pulled by four horses in a chariot during a lion hunt. They are forever frozen with a lion being trampled by the horses on the right and the king about to shoot an arrow at the lion attacking from the back of the chariot. The horses are dressed in a beautiful harness and are all moving in harmony, as if they were one horse. The relief is carved out of limestone and it 3’-3” tall and 8’-4” long. In history, Ashurnasirpal II was the first to use large amounts of cavalry and warrior chariot units in his army. As a result of this, he was able to bring with him large mobile battering rams and siege equipment.
After viewing both of these works of art, it is easy to see the similarities. The thing that is so amazing about these two artworks is the fact that they are almost the same in form. The figurine and relief of the horses are both elegant and regal looking. Also, they both seem to be leaping.
On the other hand, the relief seems to have more detail than the figurine. We could say that the art was much more advanced during the time of the relief or it could simply be that the details were smoothed down by the constant use of the holder.
There are two completely different views of the horse in these two different time periods. The Paleolithic view is that the horse is for food and survival. While the Assyrian view is that the horse can be used for food, agriculture, transportation, and most importantly-war.
http://www.hotchkiss.k12.co.us/hhs/english/webfolios/2001/CWilliams/Webpages/beg.htm
http://www.middleeastinfo.org/forum/index.php?s=f8149dd01606dfb3a7367c959bf9f7e1&showtopic=5381
Jason Michaelsen
History of Western Art
Mid Term Blog Entry
I am doing my pager on the Pyramids from Ancient Egypt and the Ziggurats of Mesopotamia. The Egyptians used lime stone on the out side of the pyramids to help reflect the suns rays and make it seen like it was glowing from a distance. Giving it a holy feeling. Were the Mesopotamians used dried mud bricks. They are both shaped similar but have there own style to them. The pyramids were made to look smooth where the ziggurats are pyramid shaped but are rough.
The pyramids where the tombs of the pharos, were the ziggurats where the corner stone of the town. The pyramids were laced with gold precious gems and other articles to show wealth. It was believed that they would need the wealth in the after life. There entire lives were revolved around preparing for the after life.
The Mesopotamians believed that the ziggurat was a house to there gods. It was a place that the gods could come if needed and could be close to mankind. The only one that was allowed to enter the ziggurats was the priest. This was not a place of worship.
In Egypt it was believed that there pharos were gods. The pyramids are thought to be shaped like a sunray shining down on the pharos as they sleep (dead). There body was preserved with a process of embalming and then mummifying just in case they needed their bodies again in reincarnation.
The Mesopotamians there was sacrifices to there gods but they were thought to be immortal and were the rulers over all the territory in his kingdom. Everything in it was his from cattle to crops. The one that he talks to was the king if you will. He ruled and watched over the area for the gods.
There are a lot of similarities in the two structures but that is were it stops. What they were used for and what the beliefs are behind them are completely different. I find it amazing that two different cultures that are not connected would build suck structures so closely resembling each other.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egyptian_pyramids
http://touregypt.net/featurestories/pyramids.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ziggurat
Looking at how communication has transformed from Prehistoric ages to now can only make one feel awe-struck. Communication in writing form has changed and has also come a long way. We have gone from writing in linear patterns, to symbols, to using a simple 26-character alphabet.
Ancient Egyptian writings date back to about 3200 BC and Cuneiform style writing dates back to around 1000 BC. Apparently the Egyptians and the Sumerians were on the same page when it came to coming up with way of communicating.
Cuneiform was introduced to the Sumerian culture that resided in Southern Mesopotamia. The text would be written on a clay tablet and was written with a stylus (reed) that had a sharp and angled cut tip. This stylus was used to cut wedged shaped objects into the clay. Originally the writing was written from top to bottom. It changed to reading it left to right somewhere around 3000 BC. The earlier writings of the Sumerians started off as linear objects. Sometime after 3000 BC is when we started to see the more wedge like shaped objects that is now called Cuneiform. Sumerian writing was taken on by other Mesopotamian cultures. The Acadians and Babylonians modified their writings based off of Cuneiform.
Hieroglyphs, which are commonly called Hieroglyphics, a mispronunciation, are the style of writing that the Ancient Egyptians used. There are more than 2,000 characters used in this style of writing. Hieroglyphs are read pretty much like what we know as a rebus. It uses images and symbols to make a phrase or sentence. The Egyptians used these writings on temple walls, they are written on the inside of pyramids, and many other architectural places. The writings use imagery of real and imaginary elements. Egyptians often used different colored paints when writing thee depictions on the walls.
Most Hieroglyph signs are phonetic. Each symbol can be read as an independent characteristic. Egyptians also used Cursive Hieroglyphs. This was written on Papyrus paper. It was used to write religious documents. This was not to be confused with Hieratic writing. This writing was even more cursive that the Cursive Hieroglyphs.
It amazes me at how far writing has gone. Starting from the writings on the walls of cave paintings from the Prehistoric Era to the civilization of the Fertile Crescent, writing has come a long way. The Egyptians and Sumerians have paved the path for many cultures as far as writing goes. They perfected the importance of communication. If it weren’t for them coming up with their form of writing, we would have no idea why they built the great monuments that they did. Nor would we have any idea why they did the things they did.
http://www.ancientscripts.com/sumerian.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egyptian_hierog
lyphs
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cursive_hierog
lyphs
http://www.crystalinks.com/sumerwriting.html
http://www.omniglot.com/writing/egyptian.
html
Cristina Figueroa
Usually in Egypt we see god’s represented as human bodies with an animals head, but the case if the sphinx in the opposite. The Egyptian sphinx which is half lion and half man was thought to be built somewhere from 2500 to 2400 BC. It was carved from bedrock of the Giza plateau. This specific image of the half human half man must have been very popular in ancient times but in Greece we see the sphinx as half female with wings. The Egyptian sphinx sits on the Giza plateau, its entire length is 150 ft. Looking at it the head looks proportionally smaller than the body, and the paws seem to stretch out far in front of it. It is thought to have been commissioned by the King Khafre. The Sphinx lines up with the pyramid of Khafre at the foot of its causeway. The great sphinx has been preserved over time because it has been buried under sand many times over the years since it has been built. The image of the lion was often an image of power, such as a king would have mixing that with the head of a man was surely an image of royalty.
The Greek sphinx was female as opposed to the Egyptian version. It had breasts and wings, and the tail of a snake. The Greek Sphinx was a protector of the dead. They were seated on gravestones, and guarded the dead from grave robbers. They sat on the edge of the gravestone looking sideways in order to frighten away strangers who approached. Other sphinxes sat on columns in temples and were provided by the rich. Many sphinxes are seen as guardians to protect the living or the dead.
"Remember, too, that many of these sphinxes are also cherubim, guardian angels who protect the living and the dead. As bodyguards they had to be big and strong and fearsome. When gods and angels became progressively human, their 'bad' sides became more demonic, retaining their beastly natures since the Fall. And as the Greeks distanced themselves from nature, humanizing and civilizing themselves and their gods, they opposed themselves to beast and barbarian (and woman) as the enemy, as the awesome, fearful, often hateful"
These sphinxes were similar in appearance, but different in meaning. The Egyptian sphinx was male and an image of a king. While the Greek sphinx was female had wings and the tail of a snake. She was not the image of anyone in specific. The male sphinx would have paid homage to a king, and have stood to remind people of that king after he had passed away. The female sphinx also served a purpose; she protected the dead, but also protected the living. They both only had symbolic purposes.
http://interoz.com/egypt/sphinx.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egyptian_Sphinx
http://www.ancientworlds.net/aw/Article/678363
Ancient Egypt has come a long way throughout history. The pyramids alone are a huge part of that history and have developed over the centuries. Looking at the differences in the way the pyramids are constructed and the reasons for them are all very interesting. 2575 B.C. to 2150 B.C. was when the Old Kingdom came to be. In the beginning, Egypt had a hard time becoming wealthy on the count of war. It wasn’t until the 3rd Dynasty when King Netcheriche or Djoser began ruling that he was able to gain enough power to control the whole country. Egypt became wealthy and began to flourish.
Egypt had prospered and began to grow beyond everyone’s wildest dreams. Agriculture had been revolutionized by a new irrigation system and trading had fueled the swelling in population. Suddenly Egypt found its self wealthy and exploded with creativity for the next several generations. The very first pyramid was called a step pyramid because it resembled steps. It was a series of six bases stacked on each other, gradually getting smaller symbolizing a staircase to the stars. The step pyramid design would soon be transformed into a “true” pyramid design which was considered a solar symbol and represented a primeval mound from which all life had sprung.
The first of the “true” pyramids and probably the most well known was built in the 4th Dynasty by Khufu. Little is know about Khufu or Cheops. The Great Pyramid he constructed not only attests to the power he had, but also indicated the administrative skills he had gained. Khufu built the Great Pyramid as a tomb for his afterlife. The interior consisted of a network of chambers, galleries, and air shafts decorated with stories that depicted his life. The chambers were filled with sculptures of the king and his belongings. His son, Khafre or Kephren, followed in his father’s footsteps and built a similar, but smaller, pyramid next to his fathers. His son Menkaure or Mykerinus also had a pyramid built for his afterlife at the same site as his father and grandfather. This site is now known as the Great Pyramids at Giza.
One of the problems with the Pyramids was that grave robbers found them as impressive as the pharaohs did. This was a major problem for the kings and a solution soon followed. With the 6th Dynasty the Old kingdom began to slowly decline. The reasons are unclear; it may have been caused by the long reign of Pepi II, during which more power was transferred to central and local administrators. Another key factor of the decline may have been the decreasing flow of the Nile and was not keeping the land fertile.
The Middle Kingdom began around the 7th/8th Dynasty. This is the time that Kings began to hide their resting tombs. They were tombs carved out of living rock, and their entrance ways were marked by column porticoes of post and lintel construction. These led to a columned entrance hall followed by a chamber. These areas were richly decorated with relief sculpture and painting, much more lively than those found in the Old Kingdom.
I found it very interesting that in the New kingdom the pharaohs and kings were much more open and sort of advertising their wealth even through death. Due to crime though, they were forced to hide their tombs. This is very important to history. We can now see more of Ancient Egypt since the robbers couldn’t find the tombs.
Christine Eubank
http://www.ancient-egypt.org/index.html
http://alex.edfac.usyd.edu.au/blp/websites/egypt/pyramids.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egyptian_pyramids
http://www.wsu.edu/~dee/EGYPT/OLD.HTM
Understanding Art, Second Edition By: Lois Fichner-Rathus
Published 1989.
The Sphinx is a legendary creature made up of both human and animal parts. This figure originated in Egypt and then spread, with many modifications, throughout the ancient world. Its name comes from the Greek "sphingo" which means "to strangle."
The sphinxes of Egypt are mythical creatures, seen as guardians in the Egyptian statuary. Sphinxes can be represented in three forms. Androsphinx: body of lion, head of person; Criosphinx: body of lion head of ram; Hierocosphinx: body of lion head of falcon or hawk. The most famous sphinx in Egypt is the great sphinx of Giza.
The Great Sphinx of Giza is one of the largest single-stone statues on Earth. With a height of 20m, it is not only the oldest but also the greatest sphinx and one of the biggest statues ever to have been built in Ancient Egypt. It is believed that ancient Egyptians built the statue in the third millennium B.C., somewhere between 2520 B.C and 2494 B.C.
The sphinx is a combination of the body of a lion with the head of a human. The head is clad with the nemes headdress and adorned with a uraeus, both typically royal emblems. The head resembles king Khafra who is thought to be the one who built the great sphinx. The lion was not only a symbol of power; it is also very common throughout the Ancient Near East as a symbol of the solar cult and of royalty. The combination with the head of the king makes the latter a powerful symbol of royalty and divinity.
Right in front of the sphinx is the sphinx temple. This temple was built of blocks that were quarried from the same rock as the Sphinx, indicating that both were built at approximately the same time. Because of the location of the temple it is clear that it is related to the sphinx but the purposes of this temple still remain a mystery.
The great sphinx is located on the Giza Plateau at the west bank of the Nile River, near modern-day Cairo. It lies northwest of the Valley Temple of the Pyramid Complex of Khefren. A geological study of the sphinx and the nearby temples revealed that the large blocks which were used to build the valley temple of khefren’s complex were the same used on the upper part of the Sphinx’s body. This means that the sphinx was sculpted at almost the same time as when the valley temple and the temple in front of the sphinx were built.
One circumstantial piece of evidence used to support the Khafra theory includes a diorite statue of the king that was discovered buried upside down along with other debris in the nearby Valley Temple. Because of its relative proximity to the Sphinx, it is from this relationship that Egyptologists further associate Khafra with the Sphinx.
Other famous Egyptian sphinxes include one bearing the head of the pharaoh Hatshepsut, with her likeness carved in granite which is now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the alabaster sphinx of Memphis, currently located within the open-air museum at that site; and the ram-headed sphinxes (in Greek, criosphinxes) representing the god Amon, in Thebes, of which there were originally some nine hundred. What name or names the builders gave to the statues is unknown.
On the other hand, the Greek Sphinx was a demon of death and destruction and bad luck. She was said to be the daughter of Typhon (a giant winged he-monster whose fists were snake's heads and whose body, from the waist down, was a mass of snakes.) and Echidna (half beautiful woman and half snake). It was a female creature, represented with the head of a woman, the body of a lion, wings of an eagle, and the tale of a snake. Myths tell that the Sphinx was sent by Hera to plague and punish the city of Thebes for the crimes of King Laius, he had kidnapped and raped the boy Chrysippus. Others say the Sphinx was sent by Dionysos to punish the Thebans for neglecting his worship. In any case, the Sphinx certainly throttled Thebes. Choking off all traffic into and out of the city's gate, from a high rock or wall (acropolis) near the city gate she waylaid travelers and passersby and asked them her famous riddle: "What creature with one voice walks on four legs in the morning, on two legs at noon, and on three legs in the evening". Those who could not solve the riddle were strangled by her. Finally Oedipus came along and he was the only who could answer that it was "Man, who in childhood creeps on hands and knees, in manhood walks erect, and in old age with the aid of a staff." The Sphinx was so mortified at the solving of her riddle that she cast herself down from the rock and perished.
Seated on gravestones, Greek sphinxes like Egyptian sphinxes guarded the dead from intruders and grave robbers. The sphinx sat along the top edge of the stone, with her head turned sideways to face and frighten away any strangers who dared approach the grave. Other sphinxes, less haunting or daunting, and facing straight ahead, were placed on top of free-standing columns set up in temple precincts by various wealthy donors. Each column’s donor had sworn an oath or vow to a god that if that god helped bring about some great deed or good fortune, the donor would erect that column outside the god’s temple. Such columns are called votive columns, and their sphinxes votive sphinxes.
The sphinx is best described as a symbol of “arcane wisdom”, and power in ancient Greece.
In Greek mythology there was a single sphinx in contrast to Egyptian sphinxes; Egyptians had three different types of sphinxes mentioned before (Androsphinx, Criosphinx, Hierocosphinx).
What Egyptian and Greek sphinxes have in common is that they both have a human like head and their body is made out of animal parts (most of the times they both have lion bodies), another thing they both have in common is that their purpose was the same, they where guardians. In contrast to Egyptian sphinxes, Greek Sphinxes represented a demon. Egypt sphinxes represented a king or pharaoh, and sometimes even a god. Even though they have some similar features, Greek sphinxes and Egyptian sphinxes are not the same, Greek sphinxes are based more out of mythology and even though Egyptian sphinxes may look like mythological creatures too, they represent more than just a myth.
http://www.ancientworlds.net/aw/Article/678363
http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Greek-Sphinx:--A-Demon-of-Death-and-Esoteric-Wisdom&id=75536
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sphinx
http://www.monstrous.com/monsters/sphinx.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sphinx#Egyptian_sphinx
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Sphinx_of_Giza
http://www.ancient-egypt.org/
Fertility Goddesses and deities have been present throughout history. We have seen examples from the earlier ages that have carried through, however changing and manipulating, to our present day culture. They are known for bringing various occurrences- mainly fertility. The goddesses are not only worshiped for fruitfulness in the human body but are sometimes called upon for abundance in crops. We start with one of the earliest forms found in Paleolithic Art, the Venus of Willendorf.
She is a small carving measuring about 11.1 centimeters high, sculpted from an oolitic limestone and consumed with a thick layer of reddish dirt. She is a faceless woman with a large stomach that overhangs, but it does not cover her pubic area. The roll of fat extends around her middle and she possesses rather flat buttocks. Her thighs are large and pressed together down to her knees. The Venus also has very large breasts that are naturally shaped to give a soft appearance but the nipple is not detailed. Her arms are very thin and they lay draped across her breasts, as a pregnant woman may lay her hands across her stomach. She has small markings on her wrist that may indicate a possibility of bracelets. Her vulva is displayed openly and carved with much detail showing that the artist may have had a good understanding of anatomy. The head of the simulation is described as rows of plaited hair but looks more similar to a knitted African cap in my opinion. Because of the softness in the hard rock figure, she is associated with fertility. Some have argued that the face is an important factor in identifying a woman but the sheer femininity of the sculpture has identified her with luxuriance.
Ideals of fertility goddesses have been found in multiple locations across the world and continued throughout the eras. Egypt also had a fertility goddess that they worshiped. Although Egypt’s rule and religion differed from those of other areas and previous times the same principles still apply. Compared to the Venus of Willendorf much more information is readily available about Egyptian goddesses. Bast or Bubastis is a perfumed protector, cat goddess and a representative of a mother. She is a wild goddess depicted as a cat or woman with the head of a lion associated with all things graceful: music, dance, childbirth, mothering and especially perfume. Bast was known for giving great blessing to those in her favor but her wrath was also legendary. She was admired for her warm and playful nature and her fierce protectiveness. She punished the sinful and the enemies of Egypt; cats were sacred in her territory because they repelled disease by killing vermin and rats so to harm one was a punishable act.
Bubastis’ cult was centered on a delta region, where Necropolis had been found containing mummified cats. In her myths she was known to take on three forms, a woman, a half-cat and a fully feline form. She is most commonly depicted with the head of a domestic cat holding a sistrum. She is a sleek figure with a lean body in both feline and female form. When in full feline form she is sitting upright with a sophisticated stance, resembling a powerful aura about her. When taking on her half-cat, half-woman form the Egyptians depicted her from the side view with the sistrum in hand, the face of the feline a little softer here but the rigidity of the body still portrays a sense of endowment. She is wearing what seems to be a headdress that the Egyptians commonly illustrated their Gods in, or it could possibly be the mane from her lioness contour.
No matter the context or the form, the idea and the versatility of the fertility goddess has brought joy and hope to the different culture throughout time and history. In terms of shape and appearance the Venus of Willendorf and Bast vary greatly, but they both represent similar meanings. Each one is identified by the femininity of the figure whether it is a faceless woman, or a domesticated cat or lioness frame. The mysticism of fertility is what has reigned with importance for the people of these cultures.
http://donsmaps.com/willendorf.html
http://witcombe.sbc.edu/willendorf/willendorfdiscovery.html
http://www.thekeep.org/~kunoichi/kunoichi/themestream/bast.html
http://www.touregypt.net/godsofegypt/bast.htm
http://www.goddessgift.com/goddess-myths/goddess_bast.htm
http://www.crystalinks.com/bast.html
.ai.edu
Wendy Berghuis
Mesopotamian art
At the end of the Neolithic period, advanced civilized cultures sprang up in the “Fertile Crescent” of the Ancient near East or Mesopotamia. Supported by the rich soil between the Tigris and Euphrates the Sumerian culture flourished in circa 3000 b.c. with the first form of writing called Cuneiform, written law systems, marriage, and complex irrigation systems to increased crop production. The next civilization to rise to prominence was Akkad circa 2300 b.c.. Basically absorbing and slightly changing the Sumerian culture, the Akkadians assumed power under the rule of Sargon. Although both civilizations were governed by independent city-states, the artwork of these two periods differ in that the Sumerians expended their efforts on paying homage to the Gods that bequeathed knowledge of things like organized societies and the plow, where the Akkadians exalted warriors and battle.
Contributed with establishing the first religion, the Ancient Sumerians, were a peaceful people who believed that we humans were genetically engineered from the DNA of the Annunaki literally meaning “those who from heaven came to earth” (Z.Sitchin, 1976). These giants came to earth in their winged disks (which can be seen in several Cylinder seals) and granted man the knowledge that took him from being a bumbling Neanderthal, to an advanced culture with tools, writing, laws, agriculture, mathematics, and organized government. The Sumerian people honored their Gods in their work, sculptures were stylized with rigid cylindrical figures in a prayer like stance. Most notably are the wide-eyed stare of these “Votive statues” (Understanding Art, 1989). Sumerian Cities were based around a temple of warship called the Ziggurat (a step shaped building). Everything was for the Gods.
Then came the Akkadians. With artwork depicting violent battles and warrior kings, the stylization has more naturalism present in the figures. One of the most famous pieces of these times is the Stele of Naram Sin(2300b.c.-2200b.c.), depicting the military conquests of Sargon’s successor and grandson Naram Sin. The victor and his conquering fleet are shown in an upright rigid stance as if they are proud, where their fallen foes lay mangled and contorted at their feet. The Akkadian economy was mainly focused on military endeavors, which forced them to import most of their food, and ultimately lead to their cultures demise.
References:
Lois Fichner-Rathus. Art of the ancient near east.Understanding art, second edition. (1989).
Z. Sithchen. The Twelth Planet. (1976)
http://xfacts.com/x.htm
I chose to compare and contrast Stonehenge and the Great Pyramid of Giza. Both of these architectural masterworks were and still are two of the wonders of the world. Because of the mystery and many theories of how each of them was built, it makes them that much more of an interesting and beautiful subject to study.
Set in southern England about 8 miles north of Salisbury c. 2000 B.C. the last cromlech, Stonehenge, was built. During the first phase, approximately 3100 B.C., a nearly circular bank and ditch were dug into chalk ground. This measured about 360 feet in diameter with a large entrance to the north and a smaller one to the south. The sandstone circle of evenly spaced trilithons consisted of two upright posts and a horizontal lintel that was built between 2850 and 2200 B.C. With the hard work of many men it was believed that they had to drag these large stones about 20 miles. During the final phase, 2030 to 1520 B.C., this arrangement was made two other times with similar marked circles and a smaller horseshoe that enclose to make something like an alter stone in the center. There are many theories on how Stonehenge was used. The last known usage was in the Iron Age where the Romans were said to be the pioneers of prehistoric pottery. In 780-410 cal B.C. a skeleton of a young man was found. We do not know exactly how Stonehenge was used. Although, there are many theories, such as, Merlin had a giant build the structure for him, or used as a secular calendar, or used as a ritual landscape for sacrifices, or used as an architectural design and technique. Similar to the Great Pyramid of Giza, Stonehenge endured many climate issues, over 5,000 years of rain, wind, snow, and hail.
The Great Pyramid of Giza demonstrates the amazing engineering achievements of the Ancient Egyptians and embodies a level of engineering sophistication far superior to anything the world has produced in that period of time. At the time of its construction, during the Fourth Dynasty of Sneferu, architecture was design; engineering was defined by evaluating, refining, and realizing those designs. The Great Pyramid was built by Sneferu’s son, Khufu. The Great Pyramid, for over four thousand years, was the tallest structure in the world. Like Stonehenge, The Great Pyramid remains one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The sides of the Great Pyramid are aligned perfectly with the four cardinal points of the compass even though at the time, the compass had not even been invented; furthermore, the outside surface stones of the structure were cut within 0.01 inch of being perfectly smooth and were assembled at nearly perfect right angles. Modern technology still cannot place such 20-ton stones with greater accuracy. It was constructed using 2,500,000 limestone blocks, each weighing on average 2.5 tons. An elaborate plan specifying the location of burial chambers, secret passages, and palaces was outlined, along with architectural plans. The top of each pyramid was covered with a thin layer of gold, which later disappeared, probably stolen. Due to the limited technology, the ancient Egyptians relied on their primitive engineer ancestors, who conclusively devised every aspect of the Great Pyramid. The structure expanded and contraction from heat and cold, as well as from earthquakes, droughts, sandstorms, and other natural disasters, it is a miracle these structures stood strong.
Both Stonehenge and The Great Pyramid of Giza were constructed with great strength and beauty. These structures did not take one or two phases to be completed, but it took many stages and many lives to complete. These two monuments are very different and similar in some obvious ways. They are very different in the way they look, but similar in how they were built. Even though it is unclear how people used Stonehenge, it could possibly share some uses as of the Great Pyramid. They did find a body in Stonehenge and The Great Pyramid was used for tombs. According to recent theory, the three pyramids of Giza were arrange in the same formation as the stars in the constellation Orion, and Stonehenge was also theorized to be used as an astronomical calendar, marking lunar and solar alignments. Both have quite a few similarities and differences, but we do not know if all of the information is in fact true because most seem to derive from theories.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Stonehenge
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Great_Pyramid_of_Giza
http://www.britannia.com/
history/h7.html
http://exn.ca/mysticplaces/
enigma.asp
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Seven_Wonders_of_the_Ancient_World
History of Art by Janson
Seven Wonders of the World video
Burial Masks of Ancient Peoples
A compare and contrast essay
The burial mask of King Tutankhamen is wildly cited as one of the most treasured and beautiful artifacts from any of the Egyptian periods. Made of gold and inlaid with precious and semi precious stones it is believed when compared to the mummified remains found within the tomb to be a fairly accurate representation of the young king. This is in sharp contrast to the Mycenaean death masks attributed to King Agamemnon almost 300 years earlier. The Mycenaean masks although not equally stunning are still morbidly beautiful. Yet the craftsmanship in no way rivals that of the Tutankhamen mask. The Mask of Agamemnon is more representational and iconic of the people of that day where as the Tut mask is an accurate true to life depiction of the boy king.
The simplistic nature of the Mycenaean art compared to the Egyptian is typical of that culture. They conveyed idealistic representations of nature in almost all of their surviving art. This is also true of the ancient Egyptians, however when speaking of Pharaohs it was important to the Egyptian peoples to craft a likeness weather in sculpture or in funeral masks such as Tut’s.
I believe a lot can be inferred by this. It is easy to assume at least to the Egyptians when representing their Kings it was important to craft a likeness because the way we look was a representation of the spirit. So to be recognized by the afterlife one would surmise it would be important for your mask to look like you. I believe the Mycenaean’s had very different beliefs about the after life and this would attribute to the very different style of art.
http://www.egyptiandreams.co.uk/
keywords/tutankhamun/tutankhamun%20mask.php
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mask_
of_Agamemnon
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Tutankhamun
History...what does the word truly mean? It is the core of things, the roots that trace back thousands of years. It is the blueprint of mankind. The layout of things...memories caught in time. I was very taken with the Sphinx of Giza while studying the history of western art. It is located on the Giza plateau at the west bank of the Nile river, near the modern day city of Cairo, Egypt, a civilization that was advanced far beyond its time with building techniques and living principles. They believed in many gods, and that the king or "pharaoh" was a god in himself. This enormous structure with the head of a king and the body of a lion represents strength and protection. The word "sphinx" means "strangler". In shorter terms it was built to protect the city. This
legendary architecture was built in a place called the Chephren's Valley. It is located just northeast of the chephren's valley temple in what used to be a quarry. It was created over 4,500 years ago. It is made of soft sandstone and has the mammoth proportions of
200 feet in length, and 65 feet in height. The face alone is 13 feet wide. It is said that King thutmose had slept beneath the sphinx and it spoke to him, saying that if the sand that was choking the statue was removed that he should be made king. It was done, and so thutmose received his kingship. The sphinx would have been completely destroyed if not for being buried in sand for hundreds of years because the raw sandstone was not the most reliable material for a creation of such size. Though attempts of restoration have been made, they were all failing. Limestone blocks had been added, mortars had attempted patchwork, none of them worked, the nose and shoulder crumbling, stone flaking away from the body.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Sphinx_of_Giza
http://interoz.com/egypt/sphinx.htm
Just east of the Euphrates River lies a place called Babylon, Bab-ilim or Babil meaning “Gate of God”. This city is one of the seven wonders of the world, located south of Baghdad, Iraq. It was located at the stretch of the main trade route of the Persian Gulf and Mediterranean sea. During the third millennium B.C., the first records of this place had been taken. Under King Nebuchadezzar , the construction of the hanging gardens went into progression in 580 B.C. It is said that they were built for the queen, Amytis, daughter of the Median King Astyages. She was homesick of the mountains and all the plant life there. It is estimated they were built in the form of elevated terraces attached to the palace, probably created on a structure called a Ziggurat. The gardens were at different levels around and on top of the building which stood 75 feet high. There was a water system discovered there, that would provide for the plants even at this level of height. In ancient times, this is an amazing feat. Legend has it , King Nebuchadezzar had attempted to build a stairway to heaven in this place of beauty, and though god had granted him all these blessings and called him his servant in the city of the lord, where the gateway to heaven stood, he had struck the stairway down and damned Babylonia for Nebuchadezzar’s selfish deed. With time the buildings would rot, and the dynasty would be overturned again and again until there was nothing left of this place but ruins. There are still hints of the terraces that once held beautiful exotic zen gardens in the ruined skeleton of this place, but it is difficult to find. Greek historians love to be romantic about the look of these gardens and the length and width of the terraces, describing a “roadway” of sorts, up high on the building, wide enough for four chariots to travel. Like the entire city is above ground level, built for sophistication and ease, yet also to help in the convenience of height during war. It is till unsure if they ever truly existed, but the ruins and some archeological finds predict it is possible. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanging_gardens_of_babylon
http://www.bible-history.com/sketches/ancient/hanging-gardens-babylon.html
http://www.authenticwonders.com/Wonders/gardens.html
During the late Neolithic period the Minoans buried their dead in caves, not individually though, usually with many other bodies. Later their deceased were buried in what is called the Minoan house tomb, and depending on the class the individual belonged to was supposed to determine the type of house tomb they were placed in. There were two types of house tombs. One type consisted of complexes with a group of square and oblong spaces that were inside one building, and another type had complexes that contained a series of long parallel chambers in a rectangular building. The second class tombs were stone slab constructed, and stood between two and three meters high, covered by flat roofing and usually up against a bedrock cliff for support. The tombs entrance was closed off by large stone slabs. Even though there were difference types of house tombs the Minoans didn’t always separate the classes. There isn’t a big difference between the two classes. They were called house tombs because these tombs were intended to copy houses of the living to serve as true "houses for the dead".
The Egyptians burials started similarly, utilizing what they had naturally to burry their dead. Before the Old Kingdom they buried their deceased in desert pits, and later this was still used by the people who couldn’t afford an elaborate burial that the elite used. Even the poor though were provided with what they would need in the afterlife. By the time the New Kingdom arrived the Egyptians had very elaborate burial customs that they felt were necessary in order to gain immortality in the afterlife. Social status didn’t really matter once you were dead. Everyone was given grave goods like food, jewelry and personal belongings. However, the wealthy expected and received much larger quantities furniture, shabti statues for manual labor, books, and luxury items.
Although they are extremely different they both believed in a form of afterlife, and felt it was important to provide the dead with the proper necessities to live in their next journey of life. The Minoans were not as strict as the Egyptians, but they both also differentiated social status by the size, proximity to the settlement, and quality of grave goods.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Egypt#Culture
http://ancienthistory.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ/Ya&sdn=ancienthistory&cdn=education&tm=10&gps=87_6_1276_854&f=00&tt=14&bt=1&bts=1&zu=http%3A//www-oi.uchicago.edu/OI/DEPT/RA/ABZU/DEATH.HTML
http://projectsx.dartmouth.edu/history/bronze_age/lessons/les/6.html
In researching Architectaual Art, I was intrigued in finding out more about The Temple of Apollo and the statues of Egypt.
An amazing piece of art in history is the Temple of Apollo. It is considered a great piece of architecture in Helleistic Corinth. Built in the Sixth Century B.C.E., it was built to replace an older temple that was in its location. It was originally painted with colors but wiht time, the colors faded. The use of the temple is yet not known for sure. Originally there were thirty eight columns standing upright an dof those thirty eight, only seven are still present today. Some of the remains are displayed at a British Museum.
One of the biggest statues ever to have been built in Ancient Egypt is the Sphinx, standing at 20m high, it is not only the oldest and greatest statue in Egypt. Located in Northwest of the Valley Temple of the pyramid Complex, the Great Sphynx is another amazing structure from the Egyptian times. It is located in Gyza and it is considered an icon of Egyptian civilization . The statue is a combination between and crouching lion with a head of a human. The head is adorned by royal emblems: the nemes headdress and with a uraeus. The lion body represents power, and the head, is of course, the head of the king who built the sphinx. Through time, the sphinx has a lot of it original structure, especially in the face. This has a lot to due to weather and attempted restorations. Some say its nose, which has been missing for a long time, may or may not have been there to begin with, that’s a mystery in itself. Some of the fragments of the beard that have fallen off are displayed in a British Museum in London. It is not really know the actual purpose or use. It looks unfinished and , without the usual granite casing. Some say no actual cults were ever performed there, since the temple was never completed.
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.ancient-egypt.org/topography/giza/sphinx/top-view.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.ancient-egypt.org/topography/giza/sphinx/temple.html&h=296&w=438&sz=59&hl=en&start=2&um=1&tbnid=vAdEYoiMsTPA2M:&tbnh=86&tbnw=127&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dsphinx%2Band%2Bits%2Bmeaning%26svnum%3D10%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DG
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://history.memphis.edu/hypostyle/images/column_capital.jpg&imgrefurl=http://history.memphis.edu/hypostyle/Tour/Columns_gt2.htm&h=465&w=700&sz=105&hl=en&start=8&um=1&tbnid=DqviKPwxcjhjiM:&tbnh=93&tbnw=140&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dcartouches%2Bof%2Bramesses%26svnum%3D10%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DG
http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/Temple_of_Apollo.html
http://www.sacred-destinations.com/greece/bassae-temple-of-apollo-epicurius.htm
By examining and comparing two structures from different periods, students can better identify with past cultures. Stonehenge is an ever lasting structure that developed as the people around it developed. As the hunters and gathers started to herd animals instead of continuously moving around, Stonehenge was in the works. The development began fifty-six pits called Aubrey holes. It is controversial on the purpose of Stonehenge. Some say it was a calendar, some say it was for ceremonies and burials. Since its construction spaned over such a long period of time, all of the theories may be correct. Gerald Hawkins, an American Astronomer, discovered that lunar eclipses could be predicted through a system moving stones around the circle of Aubrey holes.
In the Neolithic period of Stonehenge where only a ditch, embankment, and Aubrey holes were present, excavations found only bones. Leon Stover believes the enclosure was used as a cemetery, and that Hawkins made many errors and incorrect assumptions, which made archaeologists suspicious of the possibility of astronomical alignments.
In the early Bronze age, around 2000 B.C. the ditch and bank enclosure is realigned along an axis of symmetry that allows for the observation of the midsummer sunrise and midsummer sunset. An avenue was constructed leading into the enclosure from the northwest. The Heal stone was erected; two other standing stones were also erected.
At Stonehenge rocks were washed, and water pored into baths in which the sick were bathed. Healing properties continue to be attributed to Stonehenge in the 17th and 18th centuries. It has been suggested that the association of these stones with healing may have come about through the confusion of “heal” and “heel”, with both words possibly a corruption of the name Helios, the Greek name for “sun” and the sun god. The so-called “Heel Stone” at Stonehenge should probably be called the Helios Stone, or sunstone, over which the sun rose at the summer solstice.
The last phase of Stonehenge is imprecise, during the Bronze age at some point before 1500 B.C., the original circle was removed and replaced with an inner horseshoe and an outer circle of Sarsen stone. It only makes sense that Stonehenge at this time would be used for ceremonies.
The first palace built on the island of Crete in Greece is a good comparison to Stonehenge, but differs from it in many ways. The palace of Minos (Labyrinth) was the first palace constructed as the people of Crete come out of their Neolithic ways of life. The structure was very complex. Labyrinth is a myth about the half human, half bull offspring of Queen Pasiphae that devoured Athenian youths and maidens to avenge the death of Minos’ son Androgeous at Athenian hands, until he was killed by Theseus. It is also associated with a maze, since the design of the palace was so intricately designed. The rooms were very small. Society at this age are becoming more civilized and the elaborately decorated interior of the palace is a reflection of this.
Structures reflect the culture of the time period. By examining the remains of the structures from the past, one can compare and contrast the development of society, such as Stonehenge and the palace of Minos.
The Hesy-Ra was created in the third Dynasty of the Egyptian culture. This is a carving that was to represent one of the greatest kings of Egypt; King Djoser. It was made out of wood and carved in the usual Egyptian style. It seems that it was not fully completed until five centuries later. It shows the rulers raking status in the culter with symbols above his head and emblems of rank as well. This piece is a fine example of Egyptian proportions and perspective. The way the body is angled is not realistic to our time, but it is to the time it was carved. The Egyptians were very mathematical about their art, and this piece shows it. Also they took care to put in details on the eyes, legs and skirt of the ruler. The figure is well defined and is easy to see the statues of the figure by its whole.
(http://www.painting-workshops.com/perspec.htm#Egyptian%20Art)
The Standard of Ur or also known as the Battle Standard of Ur, is a Near Eastern wooden box. The carvings on the side or the same basic style as the Egyptians, but not quite the same. This piece was created around 2400 BCE and was found in a royal tomb. Its figures have limestone and other precious stones to make up the colors of the figures displayed around the box. Compared to the Egyptians the Near Eastern civilization took a less mathematical way to do their art work. They over execrated different parts of the bodies in figures throughout their culture and used colored stones to bring it to life more. It is a fine piece and shows much of how their art was made from what little artifacts are known of their civilization.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standard_of_Ur)
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