Periods of Art History I The history of art from Prehistory to Imperial Rome Vladimir Ivanovici The Ancient Near East • The The The Fertile Crescent • ca. 8000–7000 B.C. -The first evidence of domesticated grains and animals. Baked clay female figures. • ca. 7000–6000 B.C. - The earliest pottery is made and used for preparing, serving, and storing food. • ca. 6000–5000 B.C. - Some early types of handmade pottery, painted with elaborate polychrome geometric designs. • ca. 5000–4000 B.C. - the Ubaid culture, distinctive painted pottery made on a slow wheel. As the culture spreads, local pottery styles are replaced throughout Mesopotamia extending into the eastern Mediterranean, Iran, and the Arabian Peninsula. • ca. 4000–3500 B.C. - Smaller Ubaid villages gradually give way to fewer but larger settlements in the south. From this emerges the Uruk culture, marked by mass-produced pottery made on a fast wheel or in a mould. • ca. 3500–3000 B.C. - Cities emerge throughout the region, with the largest concentration in the south, centred around monumental mud-brick temples set on high platforms. At the largest city, Uruk, walls and massive columns of some buildings are decorated with mosaics of coloured stone or clay cones embedded in plaster. Stone carving reaches new heights of artistry, with representations of humans, animals, and possibly deities. They are shown both in the round and in relief and range from tiny amulets to nearly life-size sculpture. The development of cuneiform writing, which uses a reed stylus to incise and later impress signs on clay tablets. • ca. 2900–2350 B.C. - The first palaces are built throughout Mesopotamia during the Early Dynastic period, indicating a new emphasis on royal authority. Politically, the landscape is controlled by a series of rivalrous city-states ruled by Sumerian speakers. Excavated objects and texts demonstrate the existence of long-distance trade between Sumer and the Persian Gulf region, Iran, Afghanistan, and the cities of the Indus Valley. • ca. 2350–2150 B.C. - From Akkad, a site yet to be identified, King Sargon unifies much of Mesopotamia and northern Syria through conquest. Akkadian, a Semitic language related to modern Arabic and Hebrew, becomes the lingua franca of the new administrative apparatus that maintains the world’s first empire. The arts of this period acquire a new naturalistic dynamism. • ca. 2100–2000 B.C. - After nearly two centuries of rule, the Akkadian empire disintegrates and local kings in southern Mesopotamia reassert their independence. In the city-state of Lagash, Gudea rebuilds many temples and installs finely carved diorite statues of himself to demonstrate his piety before the gods. When southern Mesopotamia is reunited under the kings of Ur, Sumerian is reintroduced as the administrative and literary language. Main characteristics at a glance: - pottery - cities - temples - cuneiform writing - reliefs - lapis lazuli - statues Date: ca. 5600–5000 B.C. Geography: Mesopotamia or Syria Culture: Halaf Period: Ubaid Date: mid 6th–5th millennium B.C. Geography: Mesopotamia, Eridu (modern Abu Shahrein) Culture: Ubaid Medium: Ceramic • Uruk Uruk Reconstruction of central area of Uruk Anu Ziggurat and the White Temple, Uruk, 4th millennium BCE Ideograms, pictograms, and cuneiform writing Gilgamesh as Master of Animals, grasping a lion in his left arm and snake in his right hand. Relief from the façade of the throne room, Palace of Sargon II at Khorsabad, 713–706 BCE. Lapis lazuli Sumer The palace and temple of Tell Asmar. Standing female worshiper Period: Early Dynastic IIIa Date: ca. 2600–2500 B.C. Geography: Mesopotamia, Nippur Culture: Sumerian Medium: Limestone, inlaid with shell and lapis lazuli Dimensions: H. (24.9 x 8.5 x 5.4 cm) Female figure, c. 2600 BCE, Nippur Irak Ebih-il from Mari, Syria, c. 2500 BCE Sumerian votive statuettes from the Temple of Abu, Tel Asmar c. 2700 B.C.E. “I created my royal monument with a likeness of my countenance of red gold (and) sparkling stones (and) stationed (it) before the god Ninurta my lord” Ashurnasirpal on installing his image in Ninurta’s temple in Nimrod Accademia di architettura, Mendrisio Statue of the god dLAMA from Ur, ca. 1800 B.C.E. Mahomet receiving visions The Roman sun-god Anu Ziggurat and the White Temple, Uruk, 4th millennium BCE The White Temple, Uruk. The White Temple, Uruk. Accademia di architettura, Mendrisio Accademia di architettura, Mendrisio Akkad Neo-Sumerian Statue of Gudea Period: Neo-Sumerian Date: ca. 2090 B.C. Geography: Mesopotamia Culture: Neo-Sumerian Medium: Diorite Dimensions: 44 x 21.5 x 29.5 cm Model of the great ziggurat of Ur, Sumer, c. 2000 B.C.E. Left: Assyrian Langraumcella Right: Babylonian Breitraumcella From Heinrich 1982, fig. 41 and 55. Generic temple plans The great ziggurat of Ur, Sumer, c. 2000 B.C.E. The great ziggurat of Ur, Sumer, c. 2000 B.C.E. Old-Assyrian Cylinder seal and modern impression: goddess leading a worshiper to a seated deity Period: Middle Bronze Age–Old Assyrian Trading Colony Date: ca. 20th–19th century B.C. Geography: Central Anatolia Culture: Old Assyrian Trading Colony Medium: Quartzite Dimensions: 2.21 cm Stamp seal with bird of prey with two horned animals caught in its talons Period: Middle Bronze Age–Old Date: ca. 18th century B.C. Geography: Central Anatolia Culture: Old Assyrian Medium: Black steatite Dimensions: 2.72 cm Furniture support: female sphinx Period: Middle Bronze Age–Old Assyrian Date: ca. 18th century B.C. Geography: Anatolia Culture: Old Assyrian Medium: Ivory, gold foil Dimensions: 12.7 x 10.4 cm Middle- and Neo-Assyrian Northwest Palace, Nimrud, Ashurnasirpal II (r. 883–859 B.C.E.) Human-headed winged bull (lamassu) Period: Neo-Assyrian Date: ca. 883–859 B.C. Geography: Mesopotamia, Nimrud Culture: Assyrian Medium: Gypsum alabaster Dimensions: 313.7 x 67.3 x 309.9 cm Relief panel Period: Neo-Assyrian Date: ca. 883–859 B.C. Geography: Mesopotamia, Nimrud Culture: Assyrian Medium: Gypsum alabaster Dimensions: 229.9 x 214.6 x 15.2 cm Relief panel Period: Neo-Assyrian Date: ca. 883–859 B.C. Geography: Mesopotamia, Nimrud Culture: Assyrian Medium: Gypsum alabaster Dimensions: 234.3 x 233.7 x 11.4 cm Relief fragment: siege of a city by Assyrian troops Period: Neo-Assyrian Date: ca. 704–681 B.C. Geography: Mesopotamia, Nineveh Culture: Assyrian Medium: Gypsum alabaster Dimensions: 53 × 65.4 cm Threshold pavement slab with a carpet design Period: Neo-Assyrian Date: ca. 7th century B.C. Geography: Mesopotamia Culture: Assyrian Medium: Gypsum alabaster Dimensions: 83.8 x 73.7 cm Furniture plaque “woman at the window” Period: Neo-Assyrian Date: ca. 9th–8th century B.C. Geography: Syria Culture: Assyrian Medium: Ivory, glass Dimensions: 6.4 x 4.5 x 1.2 cm Furniture plaque carved in high relief with two Egyptianizing figures Period: Neo-Assyrian Date: ca. 9th–8th century B.C. Geography: Mesopotamia, Nimrud Culture: Assyrian Medium: Ivory Dimensions: 12.4 x 7.7 x 1.1 cm Furniture or cosmetic box plaque with a winged youth Period: Neo-Assyrian Date: ca. 8th–7th century B.C. Geography: Mesopotamia, Nimrud Culture: Assyrian Medium: Ivory Dimensions: 5.9 x 2.8 x 3.6 cm Babylon Basalt stele with the Law Code of King Hammurabi of Babylon (1792–1750 BC). Accademia di architettura, Mendrisio Panel with striding lion Period: Neo-Babylonian Date: ca. 604–562 B.C. Geography: Mesopotamia, Babylon Culture: Babylonian Medium: Ceramic, glaze Dimensions: 97.16 x 227.33 cm Animals Head of a ram Period: Late Uruk Date: ca. 3500–3100 B.C. Geography: Southern Mesopotamia Medium: Ceramic Dimensions: 12.7 cm Cylinder seal and modern impression: male worshiper, dog surmounted by a standard Period: Kassite Date: ca. mid-2nd millennium B.C. Geography: Mesopotamia Culture: Kassite Medium: Carnelian Dimensions: 2.46 cm Plaque fragment with chariot scenes inscribed with the Urartian royal name Argishti Period: Iron Age III Date: ca. 713–679 B.C. Geography: Urartu Culture: Urartian Medium: Bronze Statuette of a man with an oryx, a monkey, and a leopard skin Period: Neo-Assyrian Date: ca. 8th century B.C. Geography: Mesopotamia, Nimrud Culture: Assyrian Medium: Ivory Dimensions: 13.5 x 7.6cm Top fragment of a kudurru with a mushhushshu dragon and divine symbols Period: Second Dynasty of Isin Date: ca. 1156–1025 B.C. Geography: Mesopotamia Medium: Limestone Dimensions: 16.5 x 10 x 18.4 cm Kneeling bull holding a spouted vessel Period: Proto-Elamite Date: ca. 3100–2900 B.C. Geography: Southwestern Iran Culture: Proto-Elamite Vessel terminating in the forepart of a fantastic leonine creature Period: Achaemenid Date: ca. 5th century B.C. Geography: Iran Culture: Achaemenid Medium: Gold Dimensions: H. 17 cm Incense burner Date: ca. mid-1st millennium B.C. Geography: Southwestern Arabia Medium: Bronze Dimensions: 27.7 × 23.7 × 23.2 cm Images of power Ashurbanipal (ca. 668–627 b.c.) grasps a lion From Nineveh, Palace of Ashurbanipal, Neo-Assyrian period, Dimensions: 63.5 Å~ 71 cm. Molded plaque: king or a god carrying a mace Period: early Old Babylonian Date: ca. 2000–1700 B.C. Geography: Southern Mesopotamia Culture: Isin-Larsa–Old Babylonian Medium: Ceramic Dimensions: H. 12.1 cm, W. 7.1 cm Male standing figure. Early Dynastic I–II period, ca. 2900–2600 b.c. Mesopotamia, excavated at Eshnunna (modern Tell Asmar) Gypsum, shell, black limestone, and bitumen; Dimensions: 29.5 cm. Statue of Gudea, King of Lagash c. 2144 - 2124 B.C.E. Period: Neo-Sumerian Date: ca. 2090 B.C. Geography: Mesopotamia Culture: Neo-Sumerian Medium: Diorite Dimensions: 44 x 21.5 x 29.5 cm Accademia di architettura, Mendrisio