250 Artworks

Apollo 11 Stones. Namibia. c. 25,500–25,300 B.C.E. Charcoal on stone.

Global Prehistory - Africa

• Animal-like feature in profile view

• Art is portable → didn’t have established homes

• Human’s desire to create “art” or make a mark

Great Hall of the Bulls. Lascaux, France. Paleolithic Europe. 15,000–13,000 B.C.E. Rock painting.

Global Prehistory - Western Europe

• Twisted perspective (heads profile, horns from front)

• One of the earliest appearances of males in art

• Illusion of motion

• Scale → bulls are so large

Camelid Sacrum. Tequixquiac, central Mexico. 14,000– 7000 B.C.E. Bone.

Global Prehistory - Mexico

• Possibly looks like a dog

• One of the earliest cultural artifacts found in Mesoamerica

• Sacrum: pelvis bone

Running Horned Woman. Tassili n’Ajjer, Algeria. 6000–4000 B.C.E. Pigment on rock.

Global Prehistory - Africa

• Large woman surrounded by smaller people

• Featureless face

• Feels very celebratory

• Naturalistic and stylized

• Lots of movement, contrast, linework, shapes, scale

Beaker with Ibex Motifs. Susa, Iran. 4200–3500 B.C.E. Painted terra cotta.

Global Prehistory - Iran

• Ram → profile view with horns wrapping around (stylized sense of horn)

• Incredible precision

• Funerary vase/secondary burial objects (given to deceased)

• Synthesis of the environment of the first agricultural communities of ancient Mesopotamia

Anthropomorphic Stele. Arabian Peninsula. Fourth millennium B.C.E. Sandstone.

Global Prehistory - Middle East

• Earliest depiction of facial features

• Probably to recognize a warrior

• Stele: grave marker

• Free-standing stone sculpture

Jade Cong. Liangzhu, China. 3300–2200 B.C.E. Carved jade.

Global Prehistory - China

• Circles most likely represent souls

• Neolithic period - age before the use of metal

• Grand burial objects (found in the graves of leaders)

Stonehenge. Wiltshire, UK. Neolithic Europe. c. 2500–1600 B.C.E. Sandstone.

Global Prehistory - England

• Stonehenge = “hanging stones”

• Earliest form of architecture

• Post + Lintel construction (first of its kind)

The Ambum Stone. Papua New Guinea. c. 1500 B.C.E. Greywacke.

Global Prehistory - Pacific Islands

• Anteater holding its stomach

• First real attempt at a sculpture of an animal

• One of the earliest known Pacific artworks

• Zoomorphic figure

Tlatilco Female Figurine. Central Mexico, site of Tlatilco. 1200–900 B.C.E. Ceramic.

Global Prehistoric - Mexico

• Very elaborate hairstyle → Huge jump in sophistication

• Much more detailed

• Tlatilco figures: small ceramic figures, often women, found in Central Mexico

• Compare with Venus of Villandof?

Terra cotta fragment. Lapita. Solomon Islands, Reef Islands. 1000 B.C.E. Terra cotta (incised).

Global Prehistory - Pacific Islands

• Regarded for detail and precision

• Earliest form of stamps

• Lapita Pottery - ancient Pacific culture

• World of pottery is advancing

Nan Madol. Pohnpei, Micronesia. Saudeleur Dynasty. c. 700–1600 C.E. Basalt boulders and prismatic columns.

Pacific - Micronesia

• Prismatic columns

• Stacked stones

• Capitol for important people and king

• Meeting place for tribe, commercial center/educational center

• Not lasting because not organized well on top of each other

Themes: Royalty, Religion, Socio-economic Status

Connections: Stonehenge, Acropolis, other general temples

Female Deity. Nukuoro, Micronesia. c. 18th to 19th century C.E. Wood.

Pacific - Micronesia

• Reliquary figure

• Considered the resting place of god or dietied ancestral spirit during harvest festival

• Used to have feathers and paint

Themes: Religion, God, Female Form

Connections: Venus of Villandof, Female Tlacticlo Figurines, Peplos Korous, anthropomorphic stele

Navigation Chart. Marshall Islands, Micronesia. 19th to early 20th century C.E. Wood and ber.

Pacific - Marshall Islands

• Was not brought onto sea because too fragile

• Personalized - person who made it was only one who could decipher it

• Sticks indicate wave swells and patterns, shells indicate islands

• Shows sophistication of navigators knowledge and learning techniques (early cartography techniques)

Themes: Navigation, Water, Ocean

‘Ahu ‘ula (feather cape). Hawaiian. Late 18th century C.E. Feathers and ber.

Pacific - Hawaii

• Fitted cloak with bright colors

• Ceremonial sign of power and bravery

• Hawaiian culture → yellow feathers were valuable because of their scarcity

• Worn by higher up during ceremonies and battle

• Made from super rare bird

Themes: Power, Bravery

Connections: Nan Madol

Buk Mask. Torres Strait. Mid- to late 19th century C.E. Turtle shell, wood, ber, feathers, and shell.

Pacific - Torres Strait

• 3 sections → human face, bird, feathers

• For male initiation and funerary rituals

• Natural materials

• Big focus on movement and flight

Themes: Familial connection, transformation, coming of age, nature and man, afterlife

Connections: African masks

Moai on platform (ahu). Rapa Nui (Easter Island). c. 1100–1600 C.E. Volcanic tuff figures on basalt base.

Pacific - Easter Island

• Made over a long period of time

  • Eventually started topping over, but over time, they got bigger and more detailed (shows that the people making them were advancing)

• Made to protect the island/guardians of the island

• Faced towards ocean (not sea) to protect island

• Used to have coral eyes, but British took them off, and in the culture, taking the eyes out means they “die”

Themes: Spiritual, protection

Connections: Vitive Figures, Female Diety, Lamassu

Hiapo (tapa) c. 1850–1900 C.E. Tapa or bark cloth, freehand painting.

Pacific - Niue

• Polynesia

• Belief in mana

• Made to protect the mana of an object or diety (spirit of somebody)

• Made freehand by all of the women in the tribe, beaten down to soften by men

• All women of the tribe would make it together and then give it to one person

Themes: Community

Connections: Staff God, Moai Figures?

Staff God. Rarotonga, Cook Islands, central Polynesia. Late 18th to early 19th century C.E. Wood, tapa, ber, and feathers.

Pacific - Cook Islands

• Representations of the deities worshipped by Cook Islanders

• Sacred item of worship

• Community-based piece → men would carve, women would wrap in cloth

Themes: Sexual, reproduction, community

Connections: Hiapo Cloth

Presentation of Fijian mats and tapa cloths to Queen Elizabeth II. Fiji, Polynesia. 1953 C.E. photographic documentation.

Pacific - Fiji

• Historical documentation of an important moment

• Big deal → first time ever any European royalty came to Fiji

• Learning source of Fijian culture

Themes: History, photograph

Connections: Tamati Waka Nene, The Steerage

Tamati Waka Nene. Gottfried Lindauer. 1890 C.E. Oil on canvas.

Pacific - Maori

• Reliquary figure

• Maori chief who was important war hero

• Maori tattoo → moko, mana

• Eye on staff made of jade → shows he was wealthy and also “all-seeing” eye

• Passed down through families

• Had to be finished wihtin 2 months of death in order to catch the spirit

• Realistic rendering → most realistic portrait in early artwork

• Archaic smile

• Big deal if destroyed because its like destroying the actual person

Themes: Afterlife, spirituality, important people

Connections: Moai figures, Female Diety, other paintings in Europe

Malagan display and mask. New Ireland Province, Papua New Guinea. c. 20th century C.E. Wood, pigment, ber, and shell.

Pacific - Cook Islands

• Made for one occasion then destroyed

• Colorful, intricately carved

• Had ownership (copyright)

• Made for Malagan (a cycle of rituals of the people)

• Honors and dismisses the dead

Themes: Death, afterlife, rituals, spirituality

Connections: Buk Mask, other African masks

Conical tower and circular wall of Great Zimbabwe. Southeastern Zimbabwe. Shona peoples. c. 1000–1400 C.E. Coursed granite blocks.

Africa - Shona Peoples

• To worship the god Mwari

• Maybe a grainery → distributed grain as a way of showing protection

• Political center where they governed the kingdom

• Symbol of royal authority and generosity

Themes: Connection, honor, community

Connections: Athenian Agora, Macchu Pichu, Mesa Verde, Nan Madol

Wall plaque, from Oba’s palace. Edo peoples, Benin (Nigeria). 16th century C.E. Cast brass.

Africa - Edo Peoples

• Oba: King

• Depicts Oba and his attendants from the Benin Empire

• Hierarchy of scale

• Artist’s gaze

• Intensity of graming

• Key historic records for the Benin court and kingdom

• Made with lost wax technique

• Originally hung with others throughout palace of Oba → the sequence of the plaques would have told us the order of the royal lineage of Benin’s Obas

Themes: Power/authority, Human figure, Social status

Connections: Seated Boxer, Doryphoros, Tamati Waka Nene, Augustus of Primaporta

Sika dwa ko (Golden Stool). Ashanti peoples (south central Ghana). c. 1700 C.E. Gold over wood and cast-gold attachments.

Africa - Ashanti Peoples

• Throne for the Ashtani People

• Housed the spirits (living, dead, future) of the Ashanti

• Symbol of the people

• Only the king can sit on it when in rule

• Displays influence of the king

• Bells warn of danger

• Tipped sideways in pictures to represent family practices

Themes: Reliquary object, power, culture

Connections: Votive Figures, King Tutankam’s Tomb

Ndop (portrait gure) of King Mishe miShyaang maMbul. Kuba peoples (Democratic Republic of the Congo). c. 1760–1780 C.E. Wood.

Africa - Kuba Peoples

• Normally portrayed the ruler carrying a weapon in his hand, frequently a peace knife

• All Ndop figures featured a geometric motif and an emblem

• Believed the Ndop housed the Nyim’s double, the counterpart of his soul

• Comissioned by the king to celebrate his regime and accomplishments

• 1-3 proportions

• Some naturalistic features

Themes: Power, authority in culture

Connections: Reliquary Gure, Power Gure, Female Deity

Power Gure (Nkisi n’kondi). Kongo peoples (Democratic Republic of the Congo). c. late 19th century C.E. Wood and metal.

Africa - Kongo Peoples (DRC)

• Reliquary figure → holds someone’s soul

• Glass on stomach represents “other world”

• Would have been activated through chants and rituals

• When something is put in its stomach → activated

• Seek solutions to problems → hammers nails into its skin

• When activated, goes after the evil doers

Themes: Spirituality, order, justice, violence

Connections: Tamati Waka Nene, Jade Cong, Maoi on Platform

Female (Pwo) mask. Chokwe peoples (Democratic Republic of the Congo). Late 19th to early 20th century C.E. Wood, ber, pigment, and metal.

Africa - Chokwe Peoples

• Regarding feminine beauty

• Represents an ideal woman to the man

• Male initiation - men perform masquerade dance

• Women inspire the mask but have no part in wearing or creating

• Resembles a woman in the community that he admires

• Honors women of the community (especially mothers and those who have recently gone through childbirth)

Themes: Coming of age, female beauty, community, role of women

Connections: Portrait Mask, Transformation Mask, Peblos Kore?

Portrait mask (Mblo). Baule peoples (Côte d’Ivoire). Early 20th century C.E. Wood and pigment.

Africa - Baule Peoples

• Can be worn by women

• Honors a specific woman

• Can be passed down

• Used in performances for entertainment

• Enable communication with ancestors

• Elements of the mask symbolize modesty, wisdom, and age

Themes: Identity and honor, community and social life, cultural heritage

Connections: Transformation Mask, Buk Mask, Female (Pwo) Mask

Bundu Mask. Sande Society, Mende peoples (West African forests of Sierra Leone and Liberia). 19th to 20th century C.E. Wood, cloth, and ber.

Africa - Mende Peoples, Sande Society

• Small mouth and ears → not gossiping or listening to gossip

• Closed eyes → being peaceful

• Worn by women

• Thought to actually be a spirit

• When it had the raffia, it was important, but outside of the rituals, it’s just regarded as a piece of wood

• Shaped like a chrysalis → not yet a butterfly but no longer a caterpillar

• Part of public masquerade that celebrates girl’s maturation

• Rings around neck represent fertility, good health, high status

Themes: Spirituality, womanhood, tradition

Connections: Female (Pwo) Mask, Aka Elephant Mask

Ikenga (shrine gure). Igbo peoples (Nigeria). c. 19th to 20th century C.E. Wood. 177.

Africa - Igbo Peoples

• Most commonly a seated male

• Sitting → in reverence, humble pose

• Horns represent determination

• Knife in one hand → challenges one will meet

• Human head in other → mastery over opponents

• When Igbo male comes of age, they are given an Ikenga

• When the owner dies, the Ikenga is broken and buried with them

• Signifies owner’s potential for success and control of fate

• Individualized for each person

• Very elaborately carved

Themes: Potential, honor, commitment, individuality

Connections: Votive Figures, Power Pigure, Female Deity

Lukasa (memory board). Mbudye Society, Luba peoples (Democratic Republic of the Congo). c. 19th to 20th century C.E. Wood, beads, and metal.

Africa - Luba Peoples (DRC)

• Helps people create a collective memory of the society

• Abstract arrangement of symbols that represent the political and historical events

• Really the only people who could read it were the person who made it or the people who’ve been told and passed down

Themes: Memory, kinship, legacy, storytelling

Connections: Navigation Charts, Painted Elk Hide, Last Judgement of Hunefer

Aka elephant mask. Bamileke (Cameroon, western grasslands region). c. 19th to 20th century C.E. Wood, woven raffia, cloth, and beads.

Africa - Bamileke

• Danced by the members of the Elephant Society

• The Fon (king) could transform into the elephant → connections between divine rule and power animals

• To honor king and bring out social harmony

• The leopard and elephant are symbols of the Fon’s power

• Main form: isosceles triable which relates to the patterning of the body of a leopard

Themes: Power/authority, culture, tradition, celebration, spirituality

Connections: Bandolier Bag, Ruler’s Feather Headress, other African masks

Reliquary Gure (byeri). Fang peoples (southern Cameroon). c. 19th to 20th century C.E. Wood.

Africa - Fang Peoples

• Reliquary figure

• Talisman: an object with supernatural powers to protect against evil and give good luck

• Muscles show power and strength

• Capture sense of vitality

• Belly button → shows rebirth

• To protect the remains of dead people of high status

• To ward off evil and protect box filled with bones of important members

• Elongated skull → wisdom

Themes: Death, rebirth, ancestry, protection, afterlife

Connections: Votive Figures, Moai on Platform, Power Figure

Veranda Post of Enthroned King and senior wife (Opo Ogoga). Olowe of Ise (Yoruba peoples). c. 1910–1914 C.E. Wood and pigment.

Africa - Yoruba Peoples

• Veranda post: structural post for a palace

• Commissioned for a principal entryway (1 of 5 veranda posts)

• Hierarchy of scale

• Seated king accompanied by his consort

Themes: Gender roles (patriarchy), transcendence, power/authority, tradition

Connections: King Menkure and Queen (both show men of an equal status), Lamassu Figures

Chavín de Huántar. Northern highlands, Peru. Chavín. 900–200 B.C.E. Stone (architectural complex); granite (Lanzón and sculpture); hammered gold alloy (jewelry).

Indigenous America - Chavín

• Symbol of jaguars → ultimate power

• Totems have mixture of human and animal features

• Important pilgrimage site that drew people and their offerings from far and wide

• Constructed for a god, and is represented in the Lanzón (wedge-shaped stone)

Themes: Religion/tradition, heaven & earth, nature & man, fertility

Connections: Nan Madol, Yaxchilán, Audience Hall of Darius and Xerxes, Pyramids of Giza, Agora, Templo Mayor

Yaxchilán. Chiapas, Mexico. Maya. 725 C.E. Limestone (architectural complex).

Indigenous America - Maya

• Collection of ruins/architectural complex

• Had relief sculptures: lintels, hieroglyphic writing, carvings, stele

• Built next to a river and surrounded by dense jungle

• Honoring Lady Xoox (shield Jaguar II honoring his wife)

• Functions as a shelter and as a complex for life

Themes: Culture, honoration, bloodletting

Connections: Nan Madol, Chavín de Huántar, Machu Pichu, TemploMayor

Templo Mayor (Main Temple). Tenochtitlan (modern Mexico City, Mexico). Mexica (Aztec). 1375–1520 C.E. Stone (temple); volcanic stone (The Coyolxauhqui Stone); jadeite (Olmec-style mask); basalt (Calendar Stone).

Indigenous Americas - Aztec

• 2 twin temples (Tlaloc - god of rain, Huitziapohitie - god of war)

• Positioned at center of the Mexican capital (Mexica Cosmos)

• Coyolxauhqui Stone: Served as a decoration in the god of war temple, originally brightly painted, pinwheel-shaped monolith carved in low relief

• Calendar Stone: Served the purpose of being an astronomical and timekeeping device, central image depicts either the sun deity or heart god

Themes: Sacrifice/ritual, worship, power and submissions (to Mexican government), Deities

Connections: Great Pyramids, Audience Hall of Darius and Xerxes, Chavín de Huántar

Ruler’s feather headdress (probably of Motecuhzoma II). Mexica (Aztec). 1428–1520 C.E. Feathers (quetzal and cotinga) and gold.

Indigenous Americas - Aztec

• Worn as a hat/crown

• Sometimes put on for rituals or performances

• Made of exotic bird feathers

Themes: Celebration, religion, pride

Connections: Buk Mask, Elephant Mask, Ahu’ula, Templo Mayor

City of Cusco, including Qorikancha (Inka main temple), Santo Domingo (Spanish colonial convent), and Walls at Saqsa Waman (Sacsayhuaman). Central highlands, Peru. Inka. c. 1440 C.E; convent added 1550–1650 C.E. Andesite.

Indigenous Americas - Inka

• Old city is shaped like a puma

• Divided in quarters → reflected the 4 divisions of the Inka empire → city was a miniature of Inka mape of Inka empire

• Qorikancha: most important temple in the Inka empire, used to pay tribute to their gods, doorways double jammed to signify importance of the building

Themes: Power, Religion

Connections: Athenian Agora, Machu Pichu, Acropolis

Maize cobs. Inka. c. 1440–1533 C.E. Sheet metal/repoussé, metal alloys.

Indigenous Americas - Inka

• Repoussé

• Little, realistic metallic gifts used by the Inka in rituals that benefited both their state region and government

• Inka visual expression was representational, incorporating more naturalistic forms in small-scale metal objects

Themes: Agriculture, nature, power and authority, religion

Connections: Merovingian Looped Fibulae, Claus Odenurg works

City of Machu Picchu. Central highlands, Peru. Inka. c. 1450–1540 C.E. Granite (architectural complex).

Indigenous Americas - Inka

• Site chosen for its relationship to the Andean mountains, which have long been considered ancestral deiteis through the Andes

• Built as a royal estate for the first Inka emperor

• Intended as a place where the Inka emperor and his family could host feasts, perform religious ceremonies, and administer the affairs of the kingdom

• Entryways: unique Inka shape of a trapezoid

Themes: Wealth, power, agriculture, religion

Connections: Chavín de Huántar, Nan Madol, Mesa Verde, Stonehenge

All-T’oqapu tunic. Inka. 1450–1540 C.E. Camelid ber and cotton.

Indigenous Americas - Inka

• Finely made textiles made from the best materials were objects of high status and much more valuable than gold or gems

• Finest textiles and cloth were produced by acllas (women who were collected from across the empire to make them)

• T’oqapu: the square geometric motifs, only worn by those of high rank

• Sapa Inka: Inka ruler

• Made using backstrap looms

• Functioned as a royal tunic

• Represented the social and political power of the Sapa Inka

Themes: Power, royalty, politics

Connections: Ahu’ula, Ruler’s Feather Headdress

Mesa Verde cliff dwellings. Montezuma County, Colorado. Ancestral Puebloan (Anasazi). 450–1300 C.E. Sandstone.

Indigenous Americas - Ancestral Pueblan

• Accessed these dwellings with retraceable ladders

• Mostly residential structures but some were used for ritual

• Kiva: circular, subterranean rooms used for ceremonies

Themes: Nature v man, community, spirituality, agriculture

Connections: City of Machu Picchu, Nan Madol, Athenian Agora

Great Serpent Mound. Adams County, southern Ohio. Mississippian (Eastern Woodlands). c. 1070 C.E. Earthwork/ef gy mound.

Indigenous Americas - Missippian

• Largest serpent effigy (sculpture/model) in the world

• Possible astronomical functions

• Head of serpent aligns with the summer solstice, tail aligns with the winter solstice at sunrise

• Zoomorphic

Themes: Spirituality, symbolism, mythology, astronomy

Connections: Stonehenge, Templo Mayor

Bandolier bag. Lenape (Delaware tribe, Eastern Woodlands). c. 1850 C.E. Beadwork on leather.

Indigenous Americas - Delaware

• Primarily to complete the ceremonial outfits worn by men

• Copied from those used by European soldiers to carry cartridges for their rifles

• Didn’t carry anything in them; mainly for fashion

• Abstract and symmetrical designs

Themes: Wealth/status, beliefs, balance/duality, adornment, beauty

Connections: Feather Cape, Old Man’s Cloth, Aka Elephant Mask

Transformation Mask. Kwakwaka’wakw, Northwest coast of Canada. Late 19th century C.E. Wood, paint, and string.

Indigenous Americas - Kwakwaka’wakw (in Canada)

• When cords are pulled, mask opens → sense of movement

• When opened, eagle’s face and beak are split and represent a bird spreading its wings

• Reveals the face of an ancestor

• To manifest transformation

• Worn by dancers during ceremonies

• Bilaterally symmetrical

Themes: Manifestation, Tradition, Culture, Coexistence

Connections: Buk Mask, Female (Pwo) Mask, other African masks

Painted elk hide. Attributed to Cotsiogo (Cadzi Cody), Eastern Shoshone, Wind River Reservation, Wyoming. c. 1890–1900 C.E. Painted elk hide.

Indigenous Americas - Eastern Shoshone

• Buffalo hunt with Thunder on horseback with rifles

• Camp scene

• Displays elements of several different dances (Sun Dance, Wolf Dance, Grass Dance)

• To portray Shoshone life

• Used as robes or for teepee walls

Themes: Spiritual, ritual, nature, animals, legacy, storytelling

Connections: Darkytown Rebellion, Running Horned Woman, Apollo 11 Stones

Black-on-black ceramic vessel. Maria Martínez and Julian Martínez, Tewa, Puebloan, San Ildefonso Pueblo, New Mexico. c. mid-20th century C.E. Blackware ceramic

Indigenous Americas - Puebloan

• Perfectly symmetrical

• Geometric shapes

• Used for food storage, cooking, ceremonies, and decoration

Themes: Community, Appreciation for art

Connections: Mesa Verde, Bandolier Bag

Great Mosque. Córdoba, Spain. Umayyad. Begun c. 785–786 C.E. Stone masonry. Pyxis of al-Mughira. Umayyad. c. 968 C.E. Ivory.

Islamic Spain

• Space added onto at least 3 times

• Kept adding onto the arches, creates illusion of infinite space

• Transformed from a Roman temple dedicated to Tanus into a mosque

• Orange trees in courtyard symbolize Umayyad's legacy

• Significant religious and architectural center during Muslim rule in Al-Andalus

• Features a large hypostyle prayer hall characterized by its repressed geometric patterns and symmetrical arches

• Architectural elements recycled Roman columns

Themes: Religion, symmetry, cultural influence, prayer & reflection

Connections: Hagia Sophia, Kaaba, Greate Mosque of Djenne

Mosque of Selim II. Edirne, Turkey. Sinan (architect). 1568–1575 C.E. Brick and stone.

Islamic

• Built in Edirne instead of Istanbul (capital of Turkey) so that the mosque could be the focus of the city

• To prove that architecture could surpass Hagia Sophia

• Octagonal dome

Themes: Religion, Conquest, Architecture

Connections: Great Mosque of Djenne, Hagia Sophia, Great Mosque of Córdoba

Great Mosque of Djenné. Mali. Founded c. 1200 C.E.; rebuilt 1906–1907. Adobe.

Islam in Africa

• Unique → being rebuilt constantly

• Ostrich eggs on roof symbolize fertility and purity

• Became a center of religious and cultural life in Mali

• Used as a center of learning, culture, commerce, and Islam

• Largest built mud structure in the world

• Traditional, all-natural materials

Themes: Fertility, culture, Islam, religion, education

Connections: Sunflower Seeds, Nan Madol, Templo Mayor (religious), others from pacific unit (organic materials)

Great Mosque (Masjid-e Jameh). Isfahan, Iran. Islamic, Persian: Seljuk, Il-Khanid, Timurid and Safavid Dynasties. c. 700 C.E.; additions and restorations in the 14th, 18th, and 20th centuries C.E. Stone, brick, wood, plaster, and glazed ceramic tile.

Islamic

• Designed around courtyard

• More than a place of prayer → community center

• Hypostyle interior (roof supported by many pillars)

• Underside of dome has detailed geometric patterns

Themes: Islamic architecture, symmetry & geometry, cultural fusion, community, religion

Connections: Athenian Agora, other mosques

The Kaaba. Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Islamic. Pre-Islamic monument; rededicated by Muhammad in 631–632 C.E.; multiple renovations. Granite masonry, covered with silk curtain and calligraphy in gold and silver-wrapped thread.

Islamic

• Only Muslims may visit

• Muslims walk around it and make Tawaf

• Holy site for Muslim pilgrimage

• marks the direction that all Muslims should pray towards

• Cubical structure

• Kiswa → large cloth that covers Kaaba

• Arabic writing on exterior

Themes: Religion, faith, culture, pilgrimage, community

Connections: Other mosques

Dome of the Rock. Jerusalem. Islamic, Umayyad. 691–692 C.E., with multiple renovations. Stone masonry and wooden roof decorated with glazed ceramic tile, mosaics, and gilt aluminum and bronze dome.

Islamic

• Incredibly ornate, detailed, and mathematically precise

• Golden dome

• Outside is an octagon

• Islam: Muhammad (PBUH) was called to ascend and learn how to pray

• Judaism: Abraham was asked by God to sacrifice his son → place where he sacrificed his son

Themes: Religion, faith, war

Connections: Hagia Sophia, Pantheon, Great Stupa at Sanchi

Alhambra. Granada, Spain. Nasrid Dynasty. 1354–1391 C.E. Whitewashed adobe stucco, wood, tile, paint, and gilding.

Islamic Spain

• Place of religious reflection

• Residence for ruler and close family

• Lots of intricate carvings

• Induces calming/meditative effect

Themes: Religion, cultural mixing, symmetry, patterns, detail

Connections: Taj Mahal, Acropolis, Great Mosque, Kaaba, Forgotten City

Taj Mahal. Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India. Masons, marble workers, mosaicists, and decorators working under the supervision of Ustad Ahmad Lahori, architect of the emperor. 1632–1653 C.E. Stone masonry and marble with inlay of precious and semiprecious stones; gardens.

Islamic

• Incredibly symmetrical

• Shah Jahan created as a tomb and a place to remember and honor his wife Mumtaz Mahal

• Hasht Bihisht (8 levels) principle, alluding to the 8 levels of paradise

• Red sandstone gate inlaid with precious stones and carved with a lot of detail

Themes: Death, spirituality, honor, life, religion

Connections: The Great Pyramids, Palace of Versailles, Dome of the Rock, Great Mosque of Salim

Basin (Baptistère de St. Louis). Muhammad ibn al-Zain. c. 1320–1340 C.E. Brass inlaid with gold and silver.

Islamic

• Embodies cross-cultural roots with Islamic world and medieval Europe → depicts soldiers, horsemen, birds

• Outer band: depicts a finely crafted procession of Mamluk emirs among mace-bearer

• Created by Mamluks (known as extraordinary craftsmen)

• Symbolizes the influence of Europan aesthetics on Islamic art

• Ritual washing bowl in the Mamluk court → used to baptize children of the royal family

• Original purpose unknown

• Symmetrical with repetition of motifs and figures

Themes: Wealth, culture, power/authority, beauty

Connections: Taj Mahal

The Ardabil Carpet. Maqsud of Kashan. 1539–1540 C.E. Silk and wool.

Islamic

• Carpets were important to Islamic arts and served as a trade item

• Name is inspired from a city in north-eastern Iran - Ardabil

• Geometric and floral patterns

Themes: Tradition, celebration, life, death, history, religion

Connections: All-T’oqapu Tunic, Bayeux Tapestry, Painted Elk Hide, Tiapo (Tapa), Dancing in the Louvre

Bahram Gur Fights the Karg, folio from the Great Il-Khanid Shahnama. Islamic; Persian, Il’Khanid. c. 1330–1340 C.E. Ink and opaque watercolor, gold, and silver on paper.

Islamic Manuscript

• A book illustration depicting one of the many stories from Shahnama, the Persian Book of Kings

• Illustrates the power of the Il’Khanid King of the area at the time

• To help illustrate the story, which was a famous epic poem

• King wearing material from Europe, painted using Chinese styles

Themes: Heroism, bravery, triumph, violence, kingship

Connections: Great Hall of the Bulls, Painted Elk hide, Foli from a Quran, Court of Gayumars, Jahangir Preferring a Su Shaikh to Kings

The Court of Gayumars, folio from Shah Tahmasp’s Shahnama. Sultan Muhammad. c. 1522–1525 C.E. Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper.

Islamic Manuscript

• Depicts history of Persia

• Peaceful and colorful scene with central figure

  • 1st king of Persia (Gayumar) is drawn overlooking his court

  • On cliff beside him are his son and grandson

• Part of the Shahnama (Persian Book of Kings)

• To absorb and enchant the viewer

• To illustrate the story of the great king Gayumars (whom animals and humans alike obeyed)

• Arranged on vertical axis

• Goes outside of margins

• Hierarchy of scale

Themes: Love, suffering, death, harmony, influence of Chinese art

Connections: Bahram Gur Fights the Karg

Jahangir Preferring a Su Shaikh to Kings. Bichitr. c. 1620 C.E. Watercolor, gold, and ink on paper.

Islamic/Hindu Manuscript

• Hierarchy of scale → Salim is the largest of the 5 figures in the piece

• Artist includes himself → to worship the emperor, he is humbly bowing to the emperor

• Implies the extreme nature of emperor’s dominion (kings bowed down to him)

• Once part of a ”muraqqa” - Bound book of powerful artworks

Themes: Supreme power/authority, royal lineage, wealth, transcendence (not toughing floor)

Connections: Wall Plaque from Oba’s Palace, Illuminated Manuscripts, Veranda Post, Court of Gayumars

Shiva as Lord of Dance (Nataraja). Hindu; India (Tamil Nadu), Chola Dynasty. c. 11th century C.E. Cast bronze.

Hinduism

• Intended to be movable during processional parade

• Literal embodiment of the divine

• Damaru (drum) in upper right hand symbolizes creation and time

• Worshipped by Hindu devotees

• Religious worship

Themes: Destruction and creation, devotion to worship, cultural heritage

Connections: Lakshmana Temple, Anthropomorphic Stele, Pallete of King Narmer, Seated Boxer/Wall Plaque

Angkor, the temple of Angkor Wat, and the city of Angkor Thom, Cambodia. Hindu, Angkor Dynasty. c. 800–1400 C.E. Stone masonry, sandstone.

Hinduism

• Largest religious monument in the world

• Mimcs 5 mountain ranges of Mt. Muru (mystical home of the gods)

• Carved Bas reliefs of Hindu narratives

• Dedicated to Hindu god Vishnu

• Supreme abode for Vishnu

• Intended to demonstrate the Angkor Kingdom’s and the King’s central place in the universe

• Construction is a map of the cosmos (mandala)

Themes: Religion, cosmic symbolism, devotion to worship, Khmer architecture, cultural symbolism

Connections: Lakshmana Temple, Borobudur Temple, Great Serpent Mound (cosmic connection)

Lakshmana Temple. Khajuraho, India. Hindu, Chandella Dynasty. c. 930–950 C.E Sandstone.

Hinduism

• Ganesha Niche: symbolizes the correct direction for circumambulation (walking around), associated with beginnings

• Lively sculptures with dramatic “triple-bend” contrapasso poses carved in deep relief

• Originally constructed as a place of worship for followers of Vishnu

• Served as a hub for religious and cultural activities during the time of its construction

• Nagara style → Hindu temple architecture

Themes: Religion, culture

Connections: Angkor Wat, Great Stupa at Sanchi, Longmen Caves, Borobudur Temple

Great Stupa at Sanchi. Madhya Pradesh, India. Buddhist; Maurya, late Sunga Dynasty. c. 300 B.C.E.–100 C.E. Stone masonry, sandstone on dome.

Buddhism - India

• Carvings show Ashoka grieving his wives

• Commissioned by the Emperor Ashoka the Great

• Great teachers used to be buried sitting up, with a mound of dirt covering them

• Walk around it as a mediational practice

Themes: Culture, religion, afterlife, karma

Connections: Spiral Getty, Dome of the Rock, Kaaba, Lakshmana Temple

Buddha. Bamiyan, Afghanistan. Gandharan. c. 400–800 C.E. (destroyed in 2001). Cut rock with plaster and polychrome paint.

Buddhism - Afghanistan

• Centerpiece of a flourishing Buddhist community

• manifested the power and piety of the royal benefactors

• Dramatic reminder to follow Buddhist practices

• Represent Buddha as more than a teacher, but also as a guiding spirit

• Flowing robes with wavy curls

• Situated on Silk Road

• Region served as both a commercial hub and spiritual center

• Feet and legs carved into rock, allowing circumambulation

• Hairstyle and drapery represent Hellenistic Greek traditions and Indian subject matter

Themes: Religion, trade, spirituality, culture, influence

Connections: Petra, Jowo Rinpoche, Pure Land, Mesa Verde, Kaaba (Walking around in a circle)

Longmen Caves. Luoyang, China. Tang Dynasty. 493–1127 C.E. Limestone.

Buddhism- China

• Fengxian sculpture: high relief in a half-circle

• Softer and rounder modeling and calm facial expressions

• 3 caves

• Central cave: Buddha seared on a lion throne, mudra hand gesture

• Rulers held the religion to affirm assimilation and superiority

• Northern Wei rulers used Buddhist iconography to assert authority and dominance

• Movement in the ruffles of robe

• Blending Northern Wei style and Chinese style

  • Northern Wei Style: linear and abstract motifs

  • Chinese style: curvy and dynamic decorations

Themes: Power, superiority, Buddhism, religion

Connections: The Buddha, Bamiyan Buddhas

Jowo Rinpoche, enshrined in the Jokhang Temple. Lhasa, Tibet. Yarlung Dynasty. Believed to have been brought to Tibet in 641 C.E. Gilt metals with semiprecious stones, pearls, and paint; various offerings.

Buddhism - Tibet

• In the “calling the Earth to witness” pose (mudra)

• On a religious altar → people bring offerings to it

• Regarded as the most accurate depiction of Buddha Shakuamurie and thought to have a direct lineage to the Buddha

• To act as the Buddha’s proxy

• Looking down → more present

Themes: Worship, religion, enlightenment

Connections: Emerald Buddha, Bamiyan Buddha, Tutankhamun’s Tomb, Golden Stool

Borobudur Temple. Central Java, Indonesia. Sailendra Dynasty. c. 750–842 C.E. Volcanic-stone masonry.

Buddhism - Indonesia

• Reliefs depict the Dharma (Buddha’s teachings)

• Diagram of the cosmos

• For religious rituals

• Place of worship

• Main message of the scriptures is enlightenment (complete elimination of suffering and dissatisfaction)

Themes: Worship, afterlife, power, astronomy, religion

Connections: Machu Picchu, any other relief carvings, Buddha, Longmen Caves

Todai-ji. Nara, Japan. Various artists, including sculptors Unkei and Keikei, as well as the Kei School. 743 C.E.; rebuilt c. 1700. Bronze and wood (sculpture); wood with ceramic-tile roo ng (architecture).

Buddhism - Japan

• First completion joined Buddhism and politics

• Rebuilding brought in an era of Shoguns

• Housed Japan’s best school of sculpture

• Huge bronze Buddha inside temple

• Designed to be the chief temple in the Kokuban-ji system and the place of national ritual

• To promote Buddhism as protector of the state

• Large scale (very big)

Themes: Religion/spirituality, unity, politics

Connections: Jowo Rinpoche

Ryoan-ji. Kyoto, Japan. Muromachi Period, Japan. c. 1480 C.E.; current design most likely dates to the 18th century. Rock garden.

Buddhism - Japan

• Arranged in such a way that you can only see 14 rocks at a time

• Looks like water, but actually small rocks

• You’re never complete, there’s always room to grow

• Temple also has mirror pond, stone/moss garden

• Rocks have unclear meaning: higher carrying cubs, sen philosophy, or islands in the ocean

• From Edo period

• Religious site for Zen Buddhism

• Used for meditation and finding peace

Themes: Religion, meditation/relaxation, culture, nature

Connections: Dome of the Rock, Great Stupa at Sanchi, Temple of Amun-Re, Spiral Jetty

Gold and Jade crown. Three Kingdoms Period, Silla Kingdom, Korea. Fifth to sixth century C.E. Metalwork.

Korea

• Emphasized the power of the wearer through the precious materials and natural imagery

• Represents fertility and abundance

• Burial rituals; convert social status of tomb occupant in afterlife

• Made to look like a tree

• From Silla Kingdom

Themes: Fertility, afterlife, ceremony, nature

Connections: Ruler’s Feather Headdress

Portrait of Sin Sukju (1417–1475). Imperial Bureau of Painting. c. 15th century C.E. Hanging scroll (ink and color on silk).

Korea

• Sin Sukju in his official robes with a black silk hat on his head

• Rank badge on his chest

• Sin Sukju - eminent scholar and politician who rose to the rank of prime minister

• Cherished by families and worshipped for generations to follow

• To honor the accomplishments of the distinguished court member and prime minister

• Suggests his loyalty to the king and that he deserves respect for staying loyal

• Seated in full-length view

Themes: Honor, rule, loyalty, rank, propaganda, ancestral worship, importance of family

Connections: Tamati Waka Nene, Augustus of Primaporta, Chairman Mao

Terra Cotta Warriors Qin Dynasty. c. 221–209 B.C.E. Painted terra cotta.

China

• Super original in concept and execution

• Underground city guarded by a life-sized terra cotta army

• Full army → horses, chariots, army

• The first emperor Qin Shi Huang sought to conquer death

• Tomb of the Emperor Qin Shi Huang designed to protect him in the afterlife

• Each terra cotta figure has distinct features

• Figures were made using an assembly lines style of production

Themes: Burial, death, afterlife, legacy

Connections: Last Judgement of Hunefer, Tutankhamun’s Tomb, Jade Cong

Funeral banner of Lady Dai (Xin Zhui). Han Dynasty, China. c. 180 B.C.E. Painted silk.

China

• Top to bottom: Heavenly realm → Lady Dai and her attendants → Body of Lade Dai with mourners → Underworld

• Sun and moon symbolize supernatural world

• Elaborate

• Earliest known portrait in Chinese Painting

• Connection with the afterlife

• Used to identify the dead during the mourning ceremonies

• Shrouds used during burial, intended to facilitate the soul’s journey to the afterlife

Themes: Culture, religion, afterlife

Connections: Last Judgement of Hunefer, Portrait of Sin Sukju, Terracotta Warriors, Tamati Waka Nene

Travelers among Mountains and Streams. Fan Kuan. c. 1000 C.E. Ink and colors on silk.

China - Daoism

• More focus on landscape than people

• To portray vast landscape

• To show detail and design

• To show neo-confucian theory

• Incisive thickening-and-thinning contour strokes

Themes: Nature, culture, landscape, scale

Connections: The Oxbow, White and Red Plum Blossoms

Forbidden City. Beijing, China. Ming Dynasty. 15th century C.E. and later. Stone masonry, marble, brick, wood, and ceramic tile.

China

• 9000 temples, residences, halls, rooms

• Palace of Heavenly Purity → emperor’s residence/ceremonial hall

• Hall of Mental Cultivation → emperor’s residence

• Palace of Earthly Tranquility → empresses’ residence

• Ming and Qing Dynasties

• Throne placed at center Each corner represents corners of the world

• Animal gargoyles ward against evil

• Emperors/families/officials only

• Political center

Themes: Power, politics, architecture, tradition, religion

Connections: Templo Mayor, Palace of Versailles, Angkor Wat, Athenian Agora

The David Vases. Yuan Dynasty, China. 1351 C.E. White porcelain with cobalt-blue underglaze.

Daoism - China

• Silk Road

• Yuan Dynasty

• Among the most important examples of blue and white porcelain

• Made for the alter of a Daoist temple

• Created as an offering to higher deities

Themes: Spirituality, culture, history

Connections: Niobides Krater

Chairman Mao en Route to Anyuan. Artist unknown; based on an oil painting by Liu Chunhua. c. 1969 C.E. Color lithograph.

Modern China

• Printmaking → mass production

• Piece of propaganda art

• Mao Zedong: A revolutionary of China’s communist party

• Portrays Mao on his way to the Anyuan coal-mining strike

• Part of a series “Mao Paintings” in an effort to regain factor in his politics

• Trying to move into a more modern style to match the economy and country, but still able to see remnants of traditional values

• Archaic smile

Themes: Politics, propaganda

Connections: Augustus of Primaporta, The Results of the Five Year Plan

Night Attack on the Sanjô Palace. Kamakura Period, Japan. c. 1250–1300 C.E. Handscroll (ink and color on paper).

Japan

• Stories told from Victor’s POV

• Appears on a handscroll

• Individualized gestures and facial expressions (horror to morbid humor)

• Part of Fujiwara no Nobuyori's bid to seize power

• Portrayal of the civil war between two clans (Taira and Minamoto)

• Rhythm in the way the warriors, horses, and emperor are fleeing towards the left

Themes: War, hierarchy, victory, sacrifice, bloodshed/thirst

Connections: White and Red Plum Blossoms, Guernica, Column of Tajan, Bayeux Tapestry

White and Red Plum Blossoms. Ogata Korin. c. 1710–1716 C.E. Ink, watercolor, and gold leaf on paper.

Japan

• Created on a pair of folding screens

• Both abstract and realistic

• Style of art is commonly referred to as Rinpa (“School of Korin”)

• Meant to replicate a traditional Japanese interior

• Inspired other artists’ work such as The Kiss by Gustav Klimt

• Gives the viewer the experience of viewing the 2D image in 3D because of the folding screens

Themes: Landscapes, tradition, nature, beauty, technique

Connections: Night Attack on the Sanjo Palace, Under to Wave off Kanagawa, Summer Trees, The Kiss (Gustav Klimt)

Under the Wave off Kanagawa (Kanagawa oki nami ura), also known as the Great Wave, from the series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji. Katsushika Hokusai. 1830– 1833 C.E. Polychrome woodblock print; ink and color on paper.

Japan - Edo Period

• From a series

• Nature is large and we are small

• Printmaking: Can be easily reproduced

• Arranged the composition to frame Mt. Fuji

• Mountain made tiny by the use of perspective, appears as if the mountain too will be swallowed by the wave

• Ukiyo-e print

Themes: Cultural identity

Connections: Ryoan-Ji, Slave Ship, Winged Victory, Travelers Among Mountains and Streams

​White Temple and Ziggurat. Uruk (modern Iraq). Sumerian. c. 3500–3000 B.C.E. Mud brick.

Sumerian

• Earliest form of architecture that influenced other works

• Represented the Sky god Anu’s religious and political authority

• Ziggurat: a raised platform with four sloping sides

• Function: Animal sacrifice

Themes: sacrifice

Connections: Pantheon

Statues of Votive Figures (modern Tell Asmar, Iraq). Sumerian.c. 2700 B.C.E. Gypsum inlaid with shell and black limestone.

Sumerian

• Votive: Objects offered to a god or goddess at a sacred place

• Pedestals (standing up during worship)

• Huge eyes, hands clasped in prayer

• Supposed to feel static like it’s forever rating to the god

• Portable

• Stand-in object for a wealthy person; your presence is in this object; to offer continuous prayer

• Realistic anatomy

Themes: Religion

Connections: Ambum stone, Venus of Vilandorf, Female Deity, Ikenga

Standard of Ur Sumerian. c. 2600–2400 B.C.E. Wood inlaid with shell, lapis lazuli, and red limestone.

Sumerian

• Contrast in society: peace v war

• Mosiac

• Social hierarchy → wealthy on top

• Profile view

• War side: More intense colors, chariots trampling enemies, soldiers carrying spears

• Peace side: Naturalistic colors, more peaceful, banquet setting

• Trying to show an emerging society

• People of different skills being depicted

Themes: War, peace

Connections: Alexander Mosiac

The Code of Hammurabi. Babylon (modern Iran). Susian. c. 1792–1750 B.C.E. Basalt.

Babylonian

• Large stele

• 2 figures: King Hammurabi and Shamash (god of sun and justice)

• First set of written laws, predates biblical text

• To create a set of very specific written laws

• Shamash in composite view (shoulders are frontal, head in profile)

• Hierarchy of scale: Hammurabi and Shamash are same size

Themes: Rule of law, justice, authority, iconography

Connections: Parthenon, Pallete of King Narmer

Lamassu from the citadel of Sargon II, Dur Sharrukin (modern Khorsabad, Iraq). Neo-Assyrian. c. 720–705 B.C.E. Alabaster.

Akkadian

• Curiform: early form of writing

• 5 legs in an attempt to show movement

• Human head: intelligence, Bull’s body: strength, wings: freedom, crown and beard: wise

• Lamassu guarded gates of the Assyrian citadel of Sargon II

• Protective guardians against outside supernatural powers

• served to protect the gods as well as the important human

Themes: Guardianship, God, safety, security

Connections: Winged Victory, Augustus of Primaporta, Code of Hammurabi, The Great Sphinx, Ambum Stone

Audience Hall of Darius and Xerxes. Persepolis, Iran. Persian. c. 520–465 ​B.C.E. Limestone.

Persian

• Depicts the annual tribute processsions where representatives from the empire’s provinces brought gifts, goods, and tokens of allegiance to the Persian kings

• Grand ceremonial hall within the larger complex of Persepolis

• Ceremonial center

• Served as the hub for political discussions

• Elaborate relief scultpres

• Cyclopean Masonary (stonework)

Themes: cultural, ceremonial, royalty, power, authority

Connections: White Temple and its Ziggurat, Temple of Amun-Re and Hypostyle Hall, Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut

Palette of King Narmer. Predynastic Egypt. c. 3000–2920 B.C.E. Greywacke.

Predynastic Egypt

• Profile view, elongated figures → very popular in Ancient Egyptian art

• Hierarchy of scale

• Relief sculpture

• Unifying lower and upper Egypt

• Palettes in Ancient Egypt were typically used to grind or mix cosmetics

• Makeup palette

Great Pyramids (Menkaura, Khafre, Khufu) and Great Sphinx. Giza, Egypt. Old Kingdom, Fourth Dynasty. c. 2550–2490 B.C.E. Cut limestone.

Old Kingdom Egypt

• “Staircase” build

• Shape mimics the rays of the sun (pharaoh uses to climb up to the sky)

• The 3 pyramids are named after the 3 kings (smallest - Menkaure, middle - Khafre, biggest - Khufu)

• Primarily built for monumental tombs for pharaohs, showcasing their divine authority and belief in afterlife

• Sphinx built as a protector of the pyramids and as a symbol of royal authority

• Pyramids also hold valuables and act as a gateway to the afterlife

Themes: divine power of the pharaohs, afterlife, divine kingship, cultural, legacy, power

Connections: King Menaure and Queen, Large Kneeling Statue of Hatshepsut, Temple of Amun-Re

King Menkaura and Queen. Old Kingdom, Fourth Dynasty. c. 2490–2472 B.C.E. Greywacke

Old Kingdom Egypt

• Contrapasso (stepping forward)

• Archaic smile (looking towards the future)

• King: young, strong man

• Queen: perfect female body, importance of strong leadership

• Stepping with left foot; no human emotions = meant to look more god-like/example of the divine king and queen

• To honor and remember King Mekuara and the Queen during their afterlife

• Showed how kings were considered divine

Themes: Roylaty, eternity, partnership, religious beliefs

Connections: Great Pyramids, Augustus of Primaporta, Peplos Kore, Venus

Seated Scribe. Egypt. Old Kingdom, Fourth Dynasty. c. 2620–2500 B.C.E. Painted limestone.

Old Kingdom Egypt

• Sitting symbolizes humbling status, position of power

• Unusual in Egyptian art because not focused on a ruler

• Focus on naturalism and realism

• Massive jump in realism

Themes: naturalism

Connections: Seated Boxer

Temple of Amun-Re and Hypostyle Hall. Karnak, near Luxor, Egypt. New Kingdom, 18th and 19th Dynasties. Temple: c. 1550 B.C.E.; hall: c. 1250 B.C.E. Cut sandstone and mud brick.

New Kingdom Egypt

• Hypostyle hall inspired by reeds of the Nile

• Celestory lighting

• Reliefs honor Pharoah’s devotion to Amun-Re

• Dedicated to sun god Amun-Re

• Place of worship and devotion to Amun-Re

• Site for pilgrimages

• Represents divine kingship

Themes: religious devotion, expression, spirituality, offering, identity

Connections: Great Sphinx and Pyramids, Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut

Akhenaton, Nefertiti, and Three Daughters. New Kingdom (Amarna), 18th Dynasty. c. 1353–1335 B.C.E. Limestone.

New Kingdom (Armana)

• Armana: period where they went a little wild with their artwork (goes outside canon)

• Canon: when you see something over and over again in artwork

• To introduce the idea of family to the Egyptian people

• Showing the elements of being equal

• Shoe the worshipping of Amin/Aten

• Body proportions are long, with wide hips, thin legs, and curved necks

Themes: Family, change, equality, religion

Connections: Grave Stele of Hegosa, Woman I, Surrealist artworks (departure from art genres)

Tutankhamun’s Tomb New Kingdom, 18th Dynasty. c. 1323 B.C.E. Gold with inlay of enamel and semi precious stones.

New Kingdom Egypt

• Sarcophagus

• Crook and flail associated with Osirus, god of death → symbolized power and order

• Cobra represents Lower Egypt, vulture represents Upper Egypt

• Hieroglyphic and symbolic carvings talking about his life

Last Judgment of Hu-Nefer, (page from the Book of the Dead). New Kingdom, 19th Dynasty. c. 1275 B.C.E. Painted papyrus scroll.

New Kingdom Egypt

• Buried in the tomb of Hu-Nefer

• A scribe had a priestly status in Ancient Egyptian culture

• Book of the Dead is ancient text with spells and prayers that the dead would need to get into the afterlife

• Made for a scribe

• Placed in tombs and believed to protect and aid the deceased in the hereafter

• Twisted perspective: figures in part profile, part frontal

• Balance and order in the repetition of motifs

• Continuous narrative

• Hierarchy of scale

Themes: Afterlife, death, rebirth, funerary

Connections: Standard of Ur, Seated Scribe

Athenian Agora. Archaic through Hellenistic Greek. 600 B.C.E.–150 C.E. Plan.

Archaic → Hellenistic Greek

• Agora: place of gathering

• Known as the birthplace of democracy

• Greeks inspired the Romans → connection to Roman forum

• Open-air stadium that served as a marketplace and civil center for Ancient Greece

• Meritocracy: the belief that those in power show earn their position mainly based on merit

• Patriarchical: only men allowed to participate in conversation regarding politics or business

• Marketplace and civil center

• For business, politics, trade, festivals, sports, community

• Collandes (rows of long columns)

Themes: Democracy, community/society, religion/holiness

Connections: Acropolis, Roman Forum

Anavysos Kouros. Archaic Greek. c. 530 B.C.E. Marble with remnants of paint.

Archaic Greek

• Kouros: “Youth”

• Ideal male form

• Soldier/kouros: someone who died in war and his aristocratic family wanted a grave marker to honor him

• “Perfect young male”

• Represents youthful potential lost and the spiritual ascension

• Archaic period → figures became more natural and lifelike

• Grave marking

• Honoring Kroisos

• Traces of the original paint on the hair, nose, and eyes

• Realistic movements and anatomy

• Technically beginning of Contrapassto

• Archaic smile

Themes: beauty standards, ideal male, human form, death

Connections: King Menkuare and Queen, Peplos Kore, Doryphoros

Peplos Kore from the Acropolis. Archaic Greek. c. 530 B.C.E. Marble, painted details.

Archaic Greek

• Clothed

• Peplos: garment worn by Greek women during early Archaic period

• Kore: female figure, always clothed

• Grave marker

• Offering to the goddess Athena

• Archaic smile

• Only front of body displays fine detail