Art History Exam 1

Egyptian Illustrated Book of the Dead 1290-1275 BCE Painted papyrus scroll

Judgment of Hunfer

Weight shift Relaxed stance

Contrapposto

Greek/Orientalizing Period 625-600 BCE Rhodes, Greece Amphora--two handled storage jar Use of "oriental" motifs, black figure painting Real and imaginary animals and abstract plant forms

Corinthian black-figure amphora

Egyptian Amarna From the temple of Aton, Karnak, Egypt 18th Dynasty 1353-1335 BCE Sandstone Radical transformation of the political, spiritual, and cultural life. He founded new, monotheistic religion (sun god Aton)

Akhenaton

Egyptian Amarna 1353-1335 BCE Limestone Aton is represented as a round sun sending down rays ending in human hands New artistic conventions - emphasis on naturalism The royal couple receives the blessings of Aton Informal setting (depiction of emotions and interaction between characters represented)

Akhenaton, Nefertiti and three daughters

Greek, "high city" In ancient Greece, usually the site of the city's most important temple(s)

Acropolis

Assyrian Art 645-640 BCE Gypsum Last great king of Assyria Royal hunt, did not take place in the wild A ceremonial hunt, in which the king, protected by his men, rode back and forth killing captured animals as they were released one by one into enclosed area Power of the king Hunt that left no chance to the lions

Ashurbanipal Hunting Lions

Greek/Hellenistic Period 1st century BCE Marble The complex composition illustrates an episode from the Trojan war Struggling figures, diagonal movement, unification of diverse forces in a complex composition

Athanadoros, Hagesandros, Polydoros of Rhodes (the names of these sculpters will not be on the test) Laocoon and his sons

Paleolithic Art Altamira Cave, Spain 13,000-11,000 BCE First prehistoric cave discovered by de Sautuola and his 12 year old daughter Maria (1878) Great public interest--even the king of Spain visited the cave The find was dismissed as fake, and was accepted as authentic only in 1902 after other caves were discovered French people were against it because they thought if paintings like this existed, they would be in France not Spain Represents a herd of bison during mating period Possible function--images meant to enhance the fertility of animals used for food Created sculptural effects by painting over and around natural irregularities in the cave ceilings Firstly, painted large areas (animals shoulders, backs), then added finer details

Bison

Minoan 1400-1379 BCE Fresco Large scale - frescoes covered the entire walls. Wet fresco - the painters had to work quickly Murals focus on human activity rather than the achievements of the ruler. Elegant drawing, linear contours filled with bright colors, a stylization (turned natural forms into decorative patterns) Bull-leaping - may represent an initiation or fertility ritual.

Bull-leaping

A rule (for example, of proportion) The ancient Greeks considered beauty to be a matter of "correct" proportion and sought a canon of proportion, for the human figure and for buildings The fifth-century BCE sculptor Polykleitos wrote the Canon, a treatise incorporating his formula for the perfectly proportioned statue.

Canon

A female figure that functions s a supporting column

Caryatid

In ancient Greek mythology, a creature with the front or top half of a human and the back or bottom half of a horse

Centaur

Wedge-shaped script written on clay tablets, on which symbols were drawn with a stylus The impressions left by the stylus were wedge shaped, thus giving rise to the name cuneiform Created 3000 BCE began as a system of pictographs The pictorial representations became simplified and more abstract

Cuneiform

Hierarchy with god then emperor was very important, and much of Egyptian art reflected that

Egyptian

The convex profile (apparent swelling) in the shaft of a column

Entasis

Greek/Classical Period Acropolis, Athens, Greece 421-405 BCE Asymmetrical plan Housed several shrines and reflected uneven terrain The site of the mythical contest between Athena and Poseidon for patronage over Athens Poseidon used his trident to produce a spout of water Athena gave Athens an olive tree-won the contest Ionic order--scrolls; taller and more slender columns with volute capitals Porch of Maidens--use of caryatids

Erechtheion

Greek/Archaic Period Black figure amphora 540-530 BCE Held: oil, wine, milk, or grain Light background with dark silhouetted figured

Exekias, Achilles and Ajax Playing a Dice Game

Cycladic 2500-2300 BCE Marble Produced abstracted representation of human figures (ranging from a few inches to 5 feet tall) The tilted-back head, folded arms, and down-pointing toes indicate that the figure was intended to lie on its back, as if asleep or dead. Anatomical detail has been kept to a minimum: the body's natural articulation lines at the hips, knees, and ankles are indicated, and the pubic area is marked with a lightly incised triangle. The statue originally had painted facial features, hair, and ornaments in red, blue, and black. Possible Function: funerary offering (found almost exclusively in graves). Female figurines appear to have been painted--use of blue, red, and more rarely green paint Unlike the forms themselves, the painted features are often asymmetrical in organization Variety of explanations for the meaning of these painted motifs Perhaps - references to the way Cycladic people decorated their own bodies (tattoos or scarification), applied either during their lifetime or to prepare their bodies for funeral

Figurine of a woman (Female Cycladic Idol)

The part of the entablature between the architrave and the cornice; any sculptured or painted band

Frieze

Greek/Geometric Period 8 century BCE Terra-cotta From the Dipylon cemetery Athens, Greece Funerary vase (a grave marker) Detailed record of the funerary rituals (practice of cremation) Human beings are depicted as part of narrative The abstract forms are used to represent human figures Figures are shown in either full-frontal or full-profile views (emphasis on flat patterns and outlined shapes) No attempt to create the illusion of 3D forms occupying real space Focus on emotional reactions of the survivors, not the fate of the dead

Geometric krater

Egyptian Giza, Egypt 2490-2472 BCE Limestone Pyramids of Menkaure, Khafre, and Khufu Consists of a square base and 4 sloping triangular faces The angled sides of pyramid meant to represent the slanting rays of the sun--the deceased king was to climb up the rays to join the sun god Ra Desire of rulers to commemorate themselves as divine beings

Great Pyramids

Egyptian 2520-2494 BCE Sandstone Symbol of divine kingship Head of a ruler, body of a lion Could be read as a giant hieroglyph "king departs" Very large Dream Stele at the feet of the Sphinx Khafre or Khufu or Djedefra

Great Sphyinx

--Use of composite view for painted and relief figures --Egyptian stances for statues

Greek/Archaic Period

The artists sought the individual and the specific, not the ideal and general. They turned away from the heroic to the everyday, from serenity to individual emotion, from drama to melodramatic pathos

Greek/Hellenistic Period

Paleolithic Art Lascaux, France Cave discovered by 4 french teenagers on September 12, 1940 Discovery not publicized until after WWII Tourists 16,000-14,000 BCE Paint on limestone rock At least 5 large bulls, the largest 5 meters long Oval shaped cave, highest point 5m People did not live in the parts of the caves where most of the paintings were found Artists demonstrate a profound knowledge of animal shapes Caves were used as places for social gatherings and (perhaps) rituals Twisted perspective--heads represented in profile but horns represented straight on Hard to illuminate cave--animal fat lamp Materials--natural pigment derived from stone and plant, charcoal, and applied using their hands or rough brushes. Some archaeologists believe that the pigment may have been mixed in the mouth and then spat onto the walls

Hall of the Bulls

Greek/Classical Period Athens, Greece 447-438 BCE Statue of Athena Theme of Greek (Athenian) victory over Persians Colored Frieze's so they could be readable from a distance Marbles Huge gold statue of Athena

Iktinos and Kallikrates, Parthenon (Temple of Athena Parthenos)

Greek/Classical Period Acropolis, Athens, Greece 427-424 BCE Athena--goddess of victory in war Ionic order temple Originally the temple was surrounded by a parapet (low wall), decorated with sculptural panels depicting Athena presiding over her attendants (Victories) as they prepared for celebration

Kallikrates, Temple of Athena Nike

Egyptian Giza, Egypt 2520-2494 BCE Diorite--extremely hard and durable stone Function: resting place for pharaoh's ka--the life force--to ensure immortality and permanence Clothing--a linen headdress with the cobra of kinship and a false beard Throne: lions, intertwined lotus and papyrus plants (symbols of unification) Idealized physique

Khafre

Greek/Archaic Period 600 BCE Marble Idealized Often commissioned for a commemorative purpose (grave markers) Kouros--young man Recalls the pose and proportions of Egyptian sculpture No emphasis on permanence (cut away all stone) The figures anatomy is delineated Archaic smile Total nudity (no identifying attributes)

Kouros

Greek/Classical Period 480 BCE Marble Contrappasto--weight shift Relaxed Move away from rigid, frontal presentation of the human figure More natural, lifelike qualitys

Kritos Boy

Assyrian Art 720-705 BCE Limestone Winged, human-headed bull Guardian protectors, gates to palace Designed to be viewed frontally (immobile) and from a side (moving image--addition of a fifth leg) Large scale--strength of a ruler, king's authority

Lamassu

Egyptian 1323 BCE Gold inlaid with enamel and semiprecious stones The emblems on the forehead (vulture and cobra) -- symbols of Upper and Lower Egypt and divine authority. The Egyptian vulture: a tool-using bird. Considered to be close to Gods. The Egyptian Cobra: a protective symbol, the Egyptians believed that the cobra would spit fire at any approaching enemies.

Mask of Tutankhamen

Egyptian 2490-2472 BCE Graywacke Dignity, calm, permanence The queen's symbolic gesture of embrace--royal lineage of the ruler Figures are depicted in accordance to Egyptian ideals

Menkaure and his Wife

Minoan From Crete, Greece 1450-1400 BCE Painted limestone

Minoan (Hagia Triada) Sarcophagus

Greek/Hellenistic Period 190 BCE Marble Theatrical composition The work probably commemorated an important naval victory The powerful forward momentum of the figure's heavy body is balanced by the powerful backward thrust of her wings The large, open movements of the figure, the strong contrasts of light and dark on the sculpted forms, and the contrasting textures of feathers, fabric, and skin typify the finest Hellenistic art

Nike of Samothrace

Large spaces covered with animals 1. Magico-religious motives--once you represent something, you have control over it. May explain why they didn't depict human figure accurately 2. Shamanism--a belief in a parallel spirit world accessed through alternative states of consciousness 3. Cave paintings are prehistoric versions of street art by 9-17 year old boys--not elders or spiritual leaders. Nothing really changes

Paleolithic (cave paintings)

Paleolithic Art 28,000-25,000 BCE Limestone Discovered in 1908 in Willendorf, Austria Museum of Natural History, Vienna Portable size Immodest venus Disproportional figure Full figure--not what women looked like then Very schematic rendition of the head Genital area originally painted red Possible functions: -fertility idol -doll -first of self portraits -obstetric aids, documenting different stages of pregnancy to educate women toward healthy births -prehistoric pin-up images, prehistoric porn (carried by men during long hunting trips)

Nude Woman (Venus of Willendorf)

Greek/Hellenistic Period 150-100 BCE Marble Turn from idealism (the quest for a perfect form) to realism (an attempt to portray the world as one sees it) Statue represents an old woman on her way to the agora (market) with chickens and a basket of vegetables Dress hangs in untidy way; sagging jaw, unfocused stare, lack of concern for exposed breasts Technical virtuosity in rendering of forms and textures, movement

Old Market Woman

Minoan Crete, Greece 1700-1400 BCE Palace - administrative, political, and religious center. Evans believed that Crete was ruled by a succession of kings, however, the evidence has suggested that Minoan society was not ruled by the kings drawn from a royal family but by a confederation of aristocratic families Early buildings were made of rubble and mud-bricks faced with cut and finished local stone Columns and other interior elements were made of wood Square-like plan and a large central courtyard. Multiple causeways and corridors (hence, labyrinth - the legend of Minotaur) Complex layout (multiple doors, dead-ends, etc.) provided the palace with security system Multi-stored, flat-roofed buildings were designed to maximize light and air. Daylight and fresh air entered through open stairwells and air shafts and light-wells.

Palace at Knossos

Egyptian 3000 BCE Slate Function: used to grind eye paint Narmer appears as the main character in the various scenes of the palette: depicted as unifier, protector, and the leader; wears white crown of upper egypt; barefoot standing on holy ground God Horus hovers for protection King tames his enemy who is naked Hieratic scale signals the status of individuals within the society Egyptian representation of human figure Palette 2: Narmer wears crown of lower Egypt: decapitated bodies of his enemies In the center: intertwining necks of two feline creatures form the cup of the palette A bull stands over the fallen enemy outside the wall of the fortress

Palatte of Narmer

Paleo=old; lithic=stone Discovered in 1864 by the Marquis Paul de Vibraye The Laugerie Basse Venus, 'Venus Impudique' (Immodest Venus)--> Venus--goddess of love, ideal classical beauty Venus that refuses to hide her sexuality Crude female figures--exaggerated face and breasts, no faces Connected to fertility

Paleolithic (female figurines)

In classical architecture, the triangular space (gable) at the end of a building, formed by the ends of the sloping roof the colonnade; also an ornamental feature having this shape

Pediment

Greek/Archaic Period 530 BCE Marble Peplos--a loose fitting outer garment Kore--a young woman Actually wearing clothes worn by goddesses Stiff pose Archaic smile

Peplos Kore

Greek/Hellenistic Period 310 BCE Roman copy Roman mosaic after Greek paining Tessera mosaic Indicates a growing taste for dramatic narrative subjects Violent action, gestures, and radical foreshortening meant to elicit the viewer's response to a dramatic situation Interest in creating a believable illusion of the real world

Philixenos of Eretria (this name will not be on the test) Battle of Issus

Greek/Classical Period Roman copy of original bronze 450-440 BCE Marble Goal to find the ideal human figure through math Cannon--ratios Dynamically balanced--combination of tension and relaxation

Polykleitos, Doryphoros (Spear Bearer)

Greek/Classical Period Roman copy after an oricinal of 350-340 BCE Marble The first statue to depict a fully nude woman The goddess is preparing to take a bath Had covering (and simultaneously pointing to) genitals--a gesture of modesty (modest Venus) Seductive pose Placed in an open shrine where people could see her from all sides

Praxiteles, Aphrodite of Knidos

Paleolithic Art Lascaux, France 16,000-14,000 BCE Paint on limestone rock Man is executed in a much more crude manner Remote placement--on the bottom of 16 foot shaft, which contained lamps and spears First narrative scene (very unusual)--attempts to tell a story Human figure is simplified, while the bison s rendered with accurate detail May depict the vision of a shaman--a ritual hunt

Rhinoceros, Bison, Wounded Man

Egyptian 2500 BCE Printed Limestone Scribes belong to Egyptian elite Imperfect body, seated on the floor, less permenant material--very different than how a Pharaoh would be represented

Seated Scribe

Sumerian Art 2700 BCE Gypsum inlaid with shell and black limestone Square Temple at Eshnunna, Iraq Purposely buried near the alter along with other objects Ranging from several inches to 2.5 ft--the richer you were, the bigger the statue you would commision Originally stood in the temple's cella Proportions are off--big eyes, little hands Body parts are very crudely executed Votive figures--statues made as an act of worship to the gods--depict individual donors

Statuettes of two worshipers

Babylonian Art 1780 BCE Basalt Stone slab covered with inscriptions The Code consists of 282 laws with scaled punishments--"eye for an eye" The high relief sculpture at the top shows the king standing before the sun god Shamash Shamash wears the horned headdress that marks him as a god and a robe that bares one shoulder and ends in a stiff flounced skirt. In his right hand he holds a measuring rod and a rope ring, symbols of justice and power

Stele with law code of Hammurabi

Neolithic Art Salisbury Plain, England 2550-1600 BCE Megalithic (massive stone) architecture post and lintel construction techniques Stages: 1: 3100 BCE--a early continuous circle was dug into the ground--stonehenge was a place of burial 2: 3000 BCE-- the avenue and bluestones were added (brought from mountains 150 miles away) 3: 2600-2400 BCE--Sarsen circle--these stones (50 tons each) were dragged from 20 miles away 4: Alter stage Who built it? --Druides (predates them & they did not worship in temples--wouldn't have used it) --Romans (predates the romans) --Merlin, the wizard Possible functions: --cemetery --place of worship --observatory

Stonehenge

Life itself depended on appeasing the gods, who controlled natural forces and phenomena Composition divided into registers so that we have a clear understanding of what is going on Scale--hierarchy: more important people were depicted as bigger Clothing: about social status--only the king wearing clothes Twisted perspective--combination of frontal and profile view The goal is not to create a believable snap shot but rather to show the most characteristic parts of human body

Sumerian

Greek/Archaic Period 550 BCE Large, rectangular, stone post-and-lintel structure with a stepped foundation Not perfectly straight columns

Temple of Hera I

Sumerian Art 2600-2400 BCE Wood, lapis lazuli, shell, and red limestone Box with mosaic Trapezoidal box 1 ft x 20 in Main panels showing the two main roles of the king--peace maker and warrior Woolley assumed it would have been carried into war--now believed it was a music box Lapis lazuli imported from Afghanistan--says a lot about the person that it was buried with A glimpse of what life was like, and shows what qualities of rulers the people found important

The Standard of Ur

Egyptian Abu Simbel, Egypt 19th Dynasty 1290-1224 BCE Sandstone Temple carved out of the face of a cliff The dominant feature of the temple is a row of 4 colossal seated statues of the king himself (each 65 feet tall). Large figures of his wife and other family members stand next to his feet

The Temple of Ramses II

Mycenaean 1300-1250 BCE Mycenae, Greece Vault of the tholos of the Treasury of Atreus Architecturally sophisticated monuments Tholos tomb--rounded

Treasury of Atreus

Akkadian Art 2254-2218 BCE Pink sandstone Commemorates a military conquest Enemies are vanquished King is the biggest and the closest to divinity--near the sky and the mountain. He is also wearing a crown with horns, something typically only worn by gods. People were uncomfortable by his attempts to deify himself--until then people believed that kings were blessed by gods, but they were not gods Main theme--imperial authority Horizontal registers are replaced with wavy ground lines

Victory Stele of Naram-Sin

A spiral, scroll like form characteristic of the ancient Greek Ionic and the Roman Composite capital

Volute

Sumerian Art 3200-3000 BCE Alabaster Presentation of offerings to Inanna Inanna--goddess of love and war Picture is organized into registers Lower register shows the natural world--water and plants In middle register nude men carry baskets with food Top register--king presents food to the goddess

Warka Vase

Sumerian Art Ur, Iraq 2100 BCE Stepped structures (40-50 ft high) with temples or shrines on top Sky god Prevented flood Meeting place between mortals and the gods Dedicated to the mood god Nanna Proclaimed wealth Dominated the landscape around it

Ziggurat