Mesopotamian art
CiVILITY MESOPOTAMIC
- Civilization grows with farming and trade.
- New tools like the plow and loom lead to big changes.
- Working with metals, especially bronze, is very important.
- First communities become villages and then cities.
- River civilizations (Mesopotamia, Egypt, India, China) grow because of farming with irrigation and managing water.
MESOPOTAMIA
- Mesopotamia was invaded and fought over.
- Akkadians, Hittites, Babylonians, Assyrians, and Persians ruled the area.
- These civilizations built important cities like Babylon and Nineveh.
- Mesopotamia saw empires rise and fall.
- Mesopotamian civilization developed writing, art, and science.
SUMERIANS Period: End of the 4th millennium BC. Achievements:Founding of the first great cities, such as Uruk, Ur, Lagash, Eridu, and Nippur. Ziggurats: Giant religious constructions within the cities, shaped like stepped pyramids with a temple on top. They served as places of worship and representation. Ziggurat of Ur:One of the best preserved, erected in the 22nd-21st centuries BC. It was dedicated to the lunar goddess Nanna. Materials: Use of clay bricks, a true revolution in construction.
Religion: The Sumerians were among the first to develop a complex religion based on deities who personified the forces of nature (Enlil, god of the wind; Utu, god of the sun; Nanna, god of the moon; Inanna, goddess of the planet Venus). Votive Sculpture:Production of sculptures in terracotta and in limestone (3rd millennium BC) with strong religious inspiration. These are statuettes offered to the deities to express devotion and gratitude. Characteristics of the statuettes: They depict anthropomorphic deities or people in prayer. The intent is not realistic representation, but to make the social role recognizable through posture and clothing details. Statue of Gudea:Notable example, dating back to 2120 BC, in diorite. Gudea is depicted with a long cloak and cuneiform inscriptions. It symbolizes irrigation works and sovereign power.
RELIGION AND VOTIVE SCULPTURE OF THE SUMERIANS
BAS-RELIEF
In addition to sculptures in the round, the Sumerians created bas-reliefs with scenes of war and animals. The technique involves incising a stone slab, leaving the figured part in relief compared to the background. Stele of the Vultures:An example is a fragment of the stele (around 2450 BC) depicting Eannatum, king of Lagash, marching at the head of his army against the enemy city of Umma.
STENDARD OF UR
Standard of Ur: Cabinetry works made around 2600-2400 BC, composed of rectangular panels mounted in an inclined manner. The decorations develop on overlapping bands.Function of the Standard: Represents scenes of war (military parades, court ceremonies, war chariots drawn by horses) and scenes of peace (religious rites, offerings of gifts to the king, and moments of serene daily life). Materials:Carvings in mother-of-pearl, shells, or ivory on a lapis lazuli background, cemented with bitumen.
Mesopotamian art
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Transcript
Mesopotamian art
CiVILITY MESOPOTAMIC
MESOPOTAMIA
SUMERIANS Period: End of the 4th millennium BC. Achievements:Founding of the first great cities, such as Uruk, Ur, Lagash, Eridu, and Nippur. Ziggurats: Giant religious constructions within the cities, shaped like stepped pyramids with a temple on top. They served as places of worship and representation. Ziggurat of Ur:One of the best preserved, erected in the 22nd-21st centuries BC. It was dedicated to the lunar goddess Nanna. Materials: Use of clay bricks, a true revolution in construction.
Religion: The Sumerians were among the first to develop a complex religion based on deities who personified the forces of nature (Enlil, god of the wind; Utu, god of the sun; Nanna, god of the moon; Inanna, goddess of the planet Venus). Votive Sculpture:Production of sculptures in terracotta and in limestone (3rd millennium BC) with strong religious inspiration. These are statuettes offered to the deities to express devotion and gratitude. Characteristics of the statuettes: They depict anthropomorphic deities or people in prayer. The intent is not realistic representation, but to make the social role recognizable through posture and clothing details. Statue of Gudea:Notable example, dating back to 2120 BC, in diorite. Gudea is depicted with a long cloak and cuneiform inscriptions. It symbolizes irrigation works and sovereign power.
RELIGION AND VOTIVE SCULPTURE OF THE SUMERIANS
BAS-RELIEF
In addition to sculptures in the round, the Sumerians created bas-reliefs with scenes of war and animals. The technique involves incising a stone slab, leaving the figured part in relief compared to the background. Stele of the Vultures:An example is a fragment of the stele (around 2450 BC) depicting Eannatum, king of Lagash, marching at the head of his army against the enemy city of Umma.
STENDARD OF UR
Standard of Ur: Cabinetry works made around 2600-2400 BC, composed of rectangular panels mounted in an inclined manner. The decorations develop on overlapping bands.Function of the Standard: Represents scenes of war (military parades, court ceremonies, war chariots drawn by horses) and scenes of peace (religious rites, offerings of gifts to the king, and moments of serene daily life). Materials:Carvings in mother-of-pearl, shells, or ivory on a lapis lazuli background, cemented with bitumen.