Art History BARRONS WORKS

Jade Cong 3,000-2,200 B.C.E. Neolithic China Liangzhu, China Zhejiang Institute of Archaeology, Hangzhou jade sculpture/carving

-Form: Jade -Function: religious object found in tombs -Content: Circular hole placed within a square; abstract designs; main decoration is a face pattern; Four corners of the cong usually carry mask-like images with pronounced eyes and fanged mouth; Jade appears in burials of people of high rank; Chinese linked jade with virtues (durability, subtlety, beauty) Context: c. 3,300-2,200 BC Period/Culture: Neolithic China

Terra-Cotta Fragment, Lapita 1,000 B.C.E. Neolithic Solomon Islands University of Aukland, New Zealand terra-cotta sculpture/handstamped

-Form: Terra Cotta -Function: decorative? -Content: curved stamped patterns: dots circles and hatching; outlined forms using a comb like tool to stamp designs into the clay; one of the oldest human faces in Oceanic Art -Context: 1000 BC Solomon Islands Period/Culture: Neolithic

Tlatico Female Figure c. 1,200-900 B.C.E. Neolithic Tlatilco, Mexico Princeton University Art Museum, Princeton, NJ ceramic sculpture

-Form: ceramic -Function: Shamanistic function -Content: Many shapes and forms: male, female, couples, genre scenes, ball playing games, animals, imaginary creatures, etc; Female figures show elaborate details of hair styles, clothing, and body ornaments; Many show deformities including 2 headed females (perhaps signifying a cluster of conjoined or Siamese twins; Theories that they show bi-facial images (first evidence of congenital defects) flipper like arms; huge thighs; pronounced hips; narrow waists; unclothed except jewelry; arms extend from body Context: c.1200-900 BC Tlatico, Mexico Period/Culture: Neolithic

The Ambum Stone c. 1500 B.C.E. Neolithic Ambum Valley, Papua New Guinea National Gallery of Australia, Canberra greywacke carving/sculpture

-Form: greywacke -Function: decorative or religious, sacred -Content: Artists used stone to carve stone; Found in Ambum Valley; Composite human/animal figure; perhaps an anteater heads and human body; Masked hum?; Anteater embryo in fetal position?; May have been a pestle -1Context: c.1500 BC Papua New Guinea Period/Culture: Neolithic

Alexander Mosaic from the House of Faun c.310 B.C.E. Roman copy of c. 100 B.C.E. Mosaic National Archaeological Museum, Naples Hellenistic

Form: Mosaic Function: Glorify Alexander's defeat of Darius Content: Alexander at left: young, brave, forthright, assured of success; Darius in center on chariot: horrified, weakly ceding victory; crowded; nervous excitement; extremely complex interweaving of figures; Perhaps a copy of mural made by Philoxenos of Eretria for King Cassander; Perhaps made by Helen of Egypt (one of few female Greek artists) Context: Hellenistic Period c.310 BC. Roman Mosaic Copy c. 100 BC Found at Pompeii Period/Culture: Hellenistic

Justinian and Attendants c.547 mosaic from San Vitale Ravenna, Italy Byzantine Art

Form: Mosaic Function: Glorify Justinian Content: To the left the clergy; to the right the military; dressed in royal purple and gold; symmetry; frontality; holds a paten for the Eucharist; Slight impression of procession forward; figures have no volume; seem to float and overlap each other's feet; Minimal background; golden background indicates timelessness; Archbishop Maximianus identified; Halo indicates saintliness (semidivinity as head of church and state); Justinian and Theodora are actively participating in the mass Context: c. 547 BC Period/Culture: Byzantine

Theodora and Attendants c.547 mosaic from San Vitale Ravenna, Italy Byzantine Art

Form: Mosaic Function: Glorify Theodora Content: Slight displacement of absolute symmetry with Theodora; she plays a secondary role to her husband; Richly robed empress and ladies of the court; She stands in an architectural framework; holds a chalice for the mass; figures are flattened and weightless; barely a hint of body can be detected beneath drapery; Three magi are depicted on the hem of her dress Context c. 547 Period/Culture: Byzantine

Temple of Minerva 510-500 B.C.E. model drawn by Vitruvius mud brick or tufa and wood Veii, Italy Etruscan

Form: Mud brick or tufa and wood Function: Temple for worship of Minerva Content: Little architecture survives, model drawn by Vitruvius; steps in front direct attention to the deep porch; entrances emphasized; Influence of Greek Architecture in the columns and capitals; Tuscan order columns; Raised on a podium; Three doors represent 3 gods; division of interior into three spaces Context: 510-500 BC Period/Culture: Etruscan

White Temple and its Ziggurat c.3500-3000 B.C.E. Sumerian Uruk, Iraq Mud-brick Architecture

Form: Mud-brick Function: Monument to Anu, God of the Sky Content: Large settlement at Uruk of 40,000 based on agriculture and specialized labor; Deity was Anu, god of the sky and most important Sumerian deity; Mud-brick building on colossal scale; butresses spaced across the surface to create light and shadow pattern; Whitewash used to disguise mud appearance; Tapers down so rainwater washes off; Temple on top was small, set back, and removed from the populace; acess reserved for royalty and clergy; only base of temple remains; Temple interior contains a cella, and smaller rooms; On top of ziggurat is a terrace for outdoor rituals; temple for indoor rituals; Entire form resembles a mountain; contrast of vast flat terrain and man-made mountain; gods descend from heavens to a high place on earth; 4 corners oriented to the compass Context: c.3500-3000 BC Uruk, Iraq Period/Culture: Sumerian

Grave stele of Hegeso Attributed to Kallimachos. c. 410 B.C.E. painted marble National Archaeological Museum, Athens Original Location: Diplyon Cemetery Athens Classical Greek

Form: Painted Marble Function: Grave marker for a woman Content: Erected in Dipylon cemetery in Athens; Commemorates the death of Hegeso; inscription identifies her and her father; Genre scene; woman examining a piece of jewelry from a jewelry box handed to her; may represent a dowry; Jewelry painted in; not visible Context: c. 410 BC Attributed to Kallimachos Period/Culture: Classical Greek

Apollo from Veii c. 510 B.C.E. terra-cotta Museo Nazionale di Villa Giulia, Rome Temple of Veii Vulcan of Veii

Form: Painted Terra cotta Function: Religious decoration on temple. Content: One of 4 large figures that stood on the roof of the Temple at Veii; meant to be seen from below; Figure has spirit, moves quickly s it strides forward; Archaic Greek Smile; May have been carved by Vulcan of Veii, the most famous Etruscan sculpture of the age Context: c.510-500 BC Stood Period/Culture: Etruscan

Rottgen Pieta 1300-1325 painted wood Rheinisches Landesmuseum, Bonn, Germany Gothic

Form: Painted Wood Function: Private devotion (andachtsbild) Content: Christ emaciated; drained of all blood, tissue, and muscle; Horror of the crucifixion manifest; humanizing of religious themes; grape-like drops of Christ's blood a reference to Christ as "mystical vineyard" Context: 1300-1325 Period/Culture: Gothic

Last Judgement Tympanum 1107-1125 painted stone Sainte-Foy, Conques, France Romanesque

Form: Painted stone Function: Remind pilgrims of the purpose of their journey Content: Largest Romanesque tympanum; Christ as strict judge; divides the world into those going to heaven and those going to hell; Christ's welcoming right hand, cast down left hand; Dividing line runs vertically through the cross in the center; Archangel Michael and the Devil at Christ's feet weighing souls; Hell with damned on right; saved on left; people enter the church on right and exit saved on left; 124 figures originally painted; densely packed together; Paradise, on lower level, portrayed as heavenly Jerusalem; In left triangle, Saint Foy appears kneeling before a giant hand of God; on lower right, Devil presides over a chaotic tangle of sinners; "O sinners, change your morals before you might face a cruel judgement" Context: 1107-1125 AD Period/Culture: Romanesque

Sarcophagus of the Spouses from Cerveteri c.520 B.C.E. terra-cotta Museo Nazionale di Villa Giulia, Rome, Italy Etruscan

Form: Painted terra-cotta Function: Sarcophagus held ashes of deceased couple. (Celebration of life) Content: Sarcophagus of a married couple, whose ashes were placed inside; Full-length portraits; both once held objects in their hands; perhaps an egg to symbolize life after death; Great concentration on the upper body; lesss on the legs; Bodies make an unrealistic L-turn to the legs; Ancient tradition of reclining while eating; banquet couch; Symbiotic relationship: man has a protective gesture around woman; woman feeds the man; broad shoulders; little anatomical modeling; emaciated hands; made in 4 separate pieces and joined together Context: c. 520 BC Period/Culture: Etruscan

Golden Haggadah (The Plagues of Egypt, Scenes of Liberation, and Preparation for Passover) c.1320 illuminated manuscript pigment on vellum British Library, London Gothic

Form: Pigment on vellum Function: Illustrates the story of Jewish Exodus to be read on Seder Content: Haggadah means "narration"; fulfills the Jewish requirement to tell the story of Jew's escape from Egypt as a reminder of God's mercy; narrative cycle of events from the book of Genesis and Exodus; used primarily at home; avoids more stringent restrictions against holy images in Synagogues; generally the most lavishly painted of Jewish manuscripts; Two unknown artists (likely Christian) illustrated the Haggadah; Style similarities to French Gothic manuscripts in the handling of space, architecture, figure style, facial expression, and the medium; painted in Barcelona area of Spain; 56 miniatures with Gold leaf background; books read right to left according to the manner of Hebrew texts (vellum pages) Context: c. 1320 AD Period/Culture: Gothic

Vienna Genesis early 6th century illuminated manuscript, pigment on vellum, Austrian National Library, Vienna Byzantine Art

Form: Pigment on vellum Function: Narrative Content: Lively, softly modeled figures; Classical training of the artists; contrapposto; foreshortening; shadowing and perspective; shallow settings; fluid movement of decorative figures; richly colored and shaded; two rows linked by a bridge or pathway; text placed above illustrations; done in silver script; now oxidized and turned black; origin uncertain; perhaps done in a royal workshop; purple parchment is a hallmark of a royal institution; Genesis stories done in continuous narrative; partial manuscript; Rebecca and Eliezar at the well: Rebecca emerges from Nahor with a jar of water on her shoulder, quenches the thirst of a camel driver and his camel; colonnaded road leads to the spring; Roman water goddess personifies the spring; Jacob wrestling the angel; Roman looking bridge Context: early 6th Century Period/Culture: Byzantine

Queen Hatshepsut with Offering Jars 1473-1458 B.C.E. red granite Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York New Kingdom

Form: Red Granite Function: votive statue Content: One of 200 statues placed around the complex; One of ten statues of Queen Hatshepsut with offering jars; only pharaoh would kneel before a god; statue of god brought before sculpture in a procession; male attributes (false beard and kilt); slender proportions and breasts indicate femininity; wear white crown of upper Egypt Context: 1473-1458 BC Period/Culture: New Kingdom Egypt

Plaque of the Ergastines c.438-432 B.C.E. marble Louvre, Paris Original Location: Parthenon Classical Greek

Form: Relief Sculpture. Marble Function: Depicts a procession held every 4 years honoring Athena Content: Scene from the pantheatic Frieze depicting the Pantheatic procession; held every 4 years to hold Athena; First time in Greek art showing a depiction of a human event on a temple; higher up the relief as the more three dimensional it was; Procession began at Dipylon Gate and ended at the Parthenon; Athenians placed a new peplos on Athena statue; Six Ergastines are greeted by 2 priests; Isocephalism: tradition of depicting heads on the same level; Context: c.438-432 BC Period/Culture: Classical Greek

Anthropomorphic Stele 4th Millennium B.C.E. Neolithic, Arabia Arabia Pergamon Museum, Berlin sandstone sculpture/carving

Form: Sandstone Function: Religious or burial purpose Content: Belted robe from which hangs a double bladed knife or sword. -Found in area that had extensive ancient trade routes. Anthropomorphic-Resembles human form but not human One of the earliest known works of art from Arabia Context: 4th millennium BC Period/Culture: Neolithic Arabia

Stele of Hammurabi c. 1792-1750 B.C.E. Babylonian Susa, Khuzestan Louvre, Paris basalt Bas-relief

Form: Basalt bas-relief Function: Law code Content: Hammurabi united Mesopotamia in his lifetime; Took Babylon from a small power to a dominant kingdom; text in Akkadian language read from right to left in 51 columns; Contains one of the earliest law codes ever written below main scene; Sun god, Shamash enthroned on ziggurat hands Hammurabi a rope, ring, and rod of kingship; Shamash: frontal and profile view at same time; rays from behind his shoulders; Shamash, judge of sky and earth with tiara of four rows of horns presents signs of royal power; Shamash's beard is fuller than Hammurabi's; Hammurabi with a speaking/greeting gesture; stare at one another directly; composite views; 300 law entries placed below grouping; bas relief Context: c.1792-1750 BC Period/Culture: Babylonian

Camelid Sacrum in the Shape of Canine 14,000-7,000 B.C.E. Paleolithic Tequixquiac, Mexico National Museum of Anthropology, Mexico bone carving

Form: Bone Function: Represent a wolf or dog Content: Represents a mammal skull. Sacrum is the triangular bone at the base of the spine; one natural form used to take the shape of another; Mesoamerican idea that the sacrum is a "second skull" Context: 14,000-7,000 BC Tequixquiac, Mexico Period/Culture: Paleolithic Americas

Muhammad ibn al-Zain Baptistiere de St. Louis 1320-1340 brass inlaid with gold and silver Louvre, Paris Islamic

Form: Brass inlaid with Gold and Silver Function: Basin for washing hands at official ceremonies, later use for baptisms for French royal family; coat of arms re-worked with French fleur-de-lis Content: Hunting alternate with battle scenes alongside; Mamluk hunters and Mongol enemies; bottom of bowl decorated with fish, eels, crabs, frogs, and crocodiles Context: 1320-1340 AD. Muhammad ibn al-Zain (signed it 6 times) Period/Culture: Islamic

Mosque of Selim II Sinan Mosque of Selim II 1568-1575 brick and stone Edirne, Turkey Islamic

Form: Brick and Stone Function: Mosque Content: Extremely thin, soaring minarets; abundant window space makes for a brilliantly lit interior; decorative display of mosaic and tile work; inspired by the Hagia Sophia, but centrally planned; octagonal interior with 8 pillars resting on a square set of walls; open airy interior contrasts with conventional mosques that have partitioned interiors; part of a complex including a hospital, school, and library; Sinan was chief architect for Suleyman the Magnificent; transitions from square ground plan to round dome achieved by inserting smaller domes into the corners; huge piers support the dome Context: 1568-1575 Sinan Period/Culture: Islamic

Santa Sabina 422-432 brick, stone, and wooden roof Rome, Italy Late Antique

Form: Brick, Stone and Wooden Roof Function: Basilica Content: Three aisled basilica, no transepts; long, tall; broad nave; axial plan; Spolia: tall slender columns taken from the Temple of Juno in Rome; statement about the triumph of Christianity over paganism; windows not made of glass, but selenite (a type of gypsum); Flat wooden roof; coffered ceiling; thin walls support light roof; bare exterior; sensitively decorated interior; represents the Christian whose exterior may be gross, but whose interior soul is beautiful; men and women stood separately; women stood in side aisles Context: 422-432 AD Peter of Illyria Period/Culture: Late Antique

Hagia Sophia, Anthemius of Tralles and Isidorus of Miletus 532-537 brick, ceramic, stone, mosaic, Istanbul Byzantine Art

Form: Brick, ceramic, stone, and mosaic Function: Church and mosque..now a museum Content: Hagia Sophia means "Holy Wisdom"; combination of axially and centrally planned church; exterior: plain and massive, little decoration; Interior: altar at end of nave, but emphasis placed on area covered by dome; dome supported by pendentives; large central dome with 40 windows at base acting as a "halo" over the congregation; cornice unifies space; Arcade decoration: walls and capitals are flat but richly ornamented; large fields for mosaic decoration; once had 4 acres of gold mosaics on the walls; Minarets added in Islamic period when it was a Mosque; marble columns taken from Rome, Ephesus, and other sites; Patrons were Emperor Justinian and his wife Theodora Context: 532-537 AD Anthemius of Tralles and Isidorus of Miletus Period/Culture: Byzantine

San Vitale 526-547 brick, marble, stone Ravenna, Italy Byzantine Art

Form: Brick, marble, stone Function: Church Content: Eight sided church; plain exterior except for porch added later in the Renaissance; Large windows for illuminating interior designs; interior has thin columns and open arched spaces; interior elements dematerialize the mass of the structure; a martyrium Context: 526-547 AD Ravenna Italy Period/Culture: Byzantine

Great Mosque (Masjid-e Jameh) 700, mostly 11th-17th centuries Brick, wood, plaster, ceramic tiles Isfahan, Iran Islamic

Form: Brick, wood, plaster, ceramic tile Function: Mosque Content: Large central rectangular courtyard surrounded by a two story arcade; each side courtyard has a centrally placed iwan; may be first mosque to have this feature; one iwan is an entry for private space used by the sultan; dome adorned with tile; the qibla iwan is the largest and most decorative; indicates the direction of Mecca Context: c.700 AD Period/Culture: Islamic

Seated Boxer c. 100 B.C.E. bronze National Roman Museum, Rome Original Location: Roman bath in Rome Hellenistic

Form: Bronze cast and Copper Function: Possibly a good luck charm for fighters Content: Rare Hellenistic bronze; May have been a part of a group or a single sculpture with a head turned to face an unseen opponent; Older man, past his prime, mostly defeated look; Smashed nose; lips sunken in to suggest broken teeth; cauliflower ears; nude fighter; hands wrapped in leather bands; blood denoted in copper; dripping form his face; Copper highlights his lips, nipples, straps on leather gloves and wounds on head; Great emotion; Evidence of toes worn away by touching Context: c.100 BC. Period/Culture: Hellenistic

Apollo 11 Stones 25,000-25,300 B.C.E. Paleolithic Nambia, Africa State Museum Nambia charcoal on stone, ochre, and white painting

Form: Charcoal on Stone Function: artistic expression Content: Profile of an animal shown in charcoal; several stone fragments found; named after the Apollo 11 moon landing Context: c. 25,500-25,300 BC Among the world's oldest works of art Period/Culture: Paleolithic Art

Niobid Painter, Niobides Krater c. 460-450 B.C.E. clay Louvre, Paris Original Location: Orvieto, Italy Early Classical Greek

Form: Clay Function: Narrative, mixing water and wine or storing liquid Content: Called the Niobid Krater because one side depicts the killing of Niobids children; Niobid bragged of her fertility to Leto, a god with only 2 children; Apollo and Artemis (Leto's children) seek revenge and kill her children; Other side of vase is up for debate; perhaps shows Hercules surrounded by heroes in arms and Athena; Perhaps warriors of Marathon place themselves under Hercules protection; first time in vase painting that isocephalism has been jettisoned Context: c.460-450 BC Period/Culture: Early Classical Greek

Stonehenge c. 2500-1600 B.C.E. Neolithic Wiltshire, England Sandstone Mortise-and-tenon sculpture

Form: Sandstone Megaliths Function: center of ceremonies concerning death and burial (solstice) Content: Perhaps took 1000 years to build (gradually redeveloped by each succeeding generation; Post-and-lintel buildings; lintels grooved into place by mortise-and-tenon system of construction; Large megaliths in center are over 20 ft tall and form a horseshoe surrounding a flat central stone; ring of megaliths united by lintels; some stones over 50 tons; hundreds of smaller stones of unknown purpose placed around monument; Some stones imported from over 200 miles away; Generally thought to be oriented toward sunrise on longest day of year (may predict eclipses); One of many henges. Context: c. 2500-1600 BC Wiltshire, England Period/Culture: Neolithic

The Pantheon 118-125 AD concrete with stone facing Rome, Italy Roman Architecture

Form: Concrete with Stone facing Function: Dedicated to all gods Content: "Marcus Agrippa, son of Lucius, having been consul 3 times, built it"; Corinthian capital porch in front of building; Façade has 2 pediments; one deeply recessed behind the other; square panels in floor and in coffers contrast roundness of walls; coffers may have been filled with bronze rosette designs; cupola walls are 20 feet thick at base; Oculus 27 feet across; allows for sunlight and air; acts as a moving spotlight; height of the building equals its width; interior building based on the circle; walls have 7 niches for statues of gods; walls thinned at top; coffers take weight off of walls; triumph of concrete construction; brilliantly decorated; originally built on a high podium with an atrium Context: 118-125 AD Period/Culture: Roman

Treasury, Monastery, and Great Temple at Petra c.400 B.C.E.-100 C.E. cut rock Petra, Jordan Roman Architecture

Form: Cut rock Function: Treasury Content: Petra was central city of Nabataeans; built along caravan route; lower story has influence of Greek and Roman temples; columns not proportionately spaced; Upper floor: broken pediment with Tholos; combination of Roman and indigenous traditions; Greek, Egyptian, and Assyrian gods on facade Context: c. 400 BC-100 AD Period/Culture: Roman

Bayeux Tapestry 1066-1080 embroidery on linen Bayeux Tapestry museum, Bayeux, France Romanesque

Form: Embroidery on Linen Function: Narrative Content: Tapestry a misnomer, actually an embroidery; Commissioned by half-brother of William the Conqueror, Bishop Odo; Tell the story of William the Conqueror's conquest of England at the Battle of Hastings; Probably designed by a man; executed by women; fanciful beasts in upper and lower registers; borders sometimes comment on the main scenes or show genre scenes; Color used in a non-natural manner; different parts of a horse are colored differently; neutral background; flatness of figures; no shadows; 75 scenes, over 600 people; 230 feet long; uncertainty over how it was meant to be displayed Context: 1066-1080 AD Period/Culture: Romanesque

Virgin (Theotokos) and Child Between Saints Theodore and George 6th-early 7th centuries encaustic on wood Monastery of St. Catherine Mount Sinai, Egypt Byzantine Art

Form: Encaustic and Wood Function: icon in Medieval Monastery Content: Virgin and child centrally placed; Mary as Theotokos, mother of God; Mary looks beyond the viewer as if looking into the future; Christ Child looks away perhaps anticipating his crucifixion; Saints Theodore and George; warrior saints; stiff and hieratic; engage the viewer directly; Angels look towards heaven; painted in classical style with brisk brushwork; turned toward heaven where the hand of God blesses the scene; because three groups have different styles some believe they were painted by different artists Context: 6th-early 7th Century Period/Culture: Byzantine

Pentheus Room 62-79 AD fresco Pompeii, Italy Roman Painting

Form: Fresco Function: Dining room (triclinium) Content: Triclinium: dining room in Roman house; main scene is death of the Roman hero Pentheus; Pentheus opposed the cult of Bacchus and was torn to pieces by women in a Bacchic frenzy; two women pulling at his hair in this image; architecture seen through painted windows; imaginary landscape Context: 62-79 AD Period/Culture: Roman

Reliquary of Sainte-Foy 9th century gold, silver, gemstones, and enamel over wood Saite-Foy, Conques, France Romanesque

Form: Gold, Silver, gemstones, and enamel over wood Function: Contains remains of child martyr from the 4th century Content: Reliquary of a young girl martyred in 4th century; she refused to sacrifice to Roman gods in a pagan ritual; Relics of her body stolen from a nearby town and enthroned in Conques; one of the earliest large scale sculptures in the middle ages; Jewels, gems, and crown added over the years by the faithful; Child's skull is housed in the rather mannish looking enlarged head Context: Ninth Century Period/Culture: Romanesque

The Kaaba 631-632 Granite masonry, covered with silk curtain, gold and silver thread Mecca, Saudi Arabia Islamic

Form: Granite Masonry covered with Silk curtain, gold and silver thread Function: Islamic religious center Content: Mecca is the spiritual center of Islam; Said to have been built by Ibrahim and Ishmael for God; existing structure encases the blackstone in the eastern corner; only part of the original structure that survives; Has been repaired and reconstructed many times; Cube-like in shape; covered by textiles; destination for those making the hajj; circumambulate the Kaaba 7 times counterclockwise Context: 631-632 Period/Culture: Islamic

Maqsud of Kashan The Ardabil Carpet 1539-1540 silk on wool Victoria and Albert Museum, London Islamic

Form: Silk on Wool Function: Prayer carpet Content: Huge carpet from a pilgrimage site at Sufi-saint; one of matching pair, from funerary mosque of Shayik Safial-Din; probably made when shrine was enlarged. Medallion in center may represent inside of a dome with sixteen pendants; mosque lamps hang =m two of the pendants; one lamp smaller than the other; the larger lamp placed further away so that it would appear the same size as the smaller; corner squinches also have pendants, completing the feeling of a dome; world's oldest dated carpet; wool carpet woven by 10 people; importance of the piece likely means men were entrusted with its weaving Context: 1539-1540 AD Maqsud of Kashan Period/Culture: Islamic

Statues of Votive Figures c. 2700 B.C.E. Sumerian Square Temple at Eshnunna (Tell Asmar) Iraq Museum, Baghdad, University of Chicago, Chicago Gypsum inlaid with shell and black limestone Sculpture

Form: Gypsum inlaid with shell and black limestone Function: Votive figures Content: Figures are of different height, denoting hierarchy of scale; Hands are folded in a prayerful gesture; Huge eyes in awe; Perhaps staring at deity; Men: bare upper chest, skirt from waist down, beard flows in ripple pattern, wear a belt; Women: dress draped over one shoulder; Arms and feet cut away; pinkie in a spiral; chin a wedge shape; ear a double volute; Figures represent mortals; sometimes hold cups or branches; gods and human physically present in statues; none have been found in situ; hundreds survive Context: c. 2700 BC Eshnunna Iraq Period/Culture: Sumerian

Folio from the Qur'an 8th-9th century ink and gold on parchment Pierpont Morgan Library, New York Calligraphy Islamic

Form: Ink and Gold on parchment Function: Qur'an Content: Arabic read right to left; Kufic script: strong rights and long horizontals; great clarity of text important because several readers read book at once; Consonants are scripted; vowels are indicated by dots or other markings; Qur'ans were compiled and codified in the mid-7th century Context: 8th-9th Century AD Period/Culture: Islamic

The Court of the Gayumars Sultan Muhammad From the Shah Tahmasp's Shahnama 1522-1525 Ink, opaque watercolor, gold on paper Aga Khan Museum, Toronto, Canada Islamic

Form: Ink, opaque watercolor, gold on paper Function: Epic Poem telling the history of Persia Content: The Shahnama is a Persian Epic poem; whole book contains 258 illustrated pages; excerpt shows the first king, Gayumars, enthroned before his community; On left: his son; on right: his grandson; his court appears in a semi-circle below him; they are all wearing leopard skins in court attire; harmony between man and landscape; minute details do not overwhelm the harmony of the scene; angel tells Gayumars that his son will be murdered by the Black Div, son of demon Ahriman Context: 1522-1525 AD Sultan Muhammad Period/Culture: Islamic

Blanche of Castille and Louis IX 1226-1234 illuminated manuscript ink, tempera, and gold leaf on vellum Morgan Library, New York Gothic

Form: Ink, tempera, and gold leaf on vellum Function: illuminated manuscript Content: moralized Bible: top left; Blanche of Castile (mother and regent to the King); Top right: teenage Louis IX; Bottom: older monks dictate to younger scribe; luminosity of stained glass windows; strong black outlining of forms; modeling is minimal Context: 1226-1234 Period/Culture: Gothic

Pyxis of Al-Mughira 968 ivory Louvre, Paris carving Islamic

Form: Ivory. Function: Container for expensive aromatics, gems, or seals. Content: Calligraphic inscription in Arabic identifies the owner, asks for Allah's blessings, and tells the function; gift for the caliph's son; Horror vacui; vegetal and geometric motifs; eight medallion scenes showing pleasure activities of the royal court: falconry, hunting, music, sports Context: 968 AD Period/Culture: Islamic

Royal Portals 1145-1155 limestone Chartres Cathedral, Chartres, France Gothic

Form: Limestone Function: Entrance to Chartres Cathedral Content: called royal portals because of the jamb sculptures; depict royalty from the Old Testament; connection between French and Biblical royals; Portals used by church hierarchy, not commoners; Originally 24 statues: 19 survive; Jamb statues stand in front of the wall, almost fully rounded; Upright, rigid, elongated figures reflect the vertical columns behind; rich courtly dress with vertical folds; Robes are almost hypnotic in the concentric composition; Heads: serenity, slightly heavy eyes, benevolent, humanized faces; heads lined up in a row; feet of different lengths; Central Tympanum: Christ as judge of the world, no menacing last judgement; Three portals linked by lintels and by 24 capitals depicting the life of Christ Context: 1145-1155 Period/Culture: Gothic

Chartres Cathedral c.1145-1155, later additions limestone and stained glass Chartres, France Gothic

Form: Limestone and stained glass Function: Church dedicated to Mary (Houses Mary's tunic worn at Jesus' birth) Content: Started in 1145; fire in 1194 forced reconstruction of everything; Dedicated to Mary; Marian Shrine; Mary's tunic worn at Jesus' birth is the most sacred relic; escaped the fire and was seen as a sign to rebuild the cathedral; Right spire is from 1160; Left spire is late Gothic conceived in a different style; more elaborate and decorative; Importance of Church reflected in speed of construction: 26 years; Enlarged Chevet accommodated elaborate church ceremonies; Tall vertical nature of the interior pulls the viewer's eyes up to the ceiling and symbolically to heaven; Dark, mysterious interior increases spiritual feeling; stained glass livens the interior Context: c.1145-1155 AD Period/Culture: Gothic

Athenian Agora c. 600-150 B.C.E. Architectural location Athens, Greece

Form: Many buildings and building materials Function: Held religious ceremonies and was a center of Athenian life Content: Plaza at the base of the Acropolis in Athens that contained commercial, civic, religious, and social buildings; setting for the Panathenaic Festival; ceremonies and parades to honor Athena; Panathenaic way cuts through the plaza from the northwest to southeast; Plaza surrounded by important buildings include: a tholos, several stoas, and a bouleuterion Context: c.600-150 BC

Apollodorus of Damascus, Forum of Trajan 106-112 AD Many materials Rome, Italy Roman Architecture

Form: Many materials Function: Public meeting place Content: built with booty collected from Trajan's victory over Dacians; large central plaza flanked by stoa-like buildings; Originally held an equestrian monument to Trajan in the center; part of a complex that included the Basilica of Ulpia, Trajan's column, etc Context: 106-112 AD Period/Culture: Roman

Ludovisi Battle Sarcophagus c.250-260 AD marble National Roman Museum, Rome sculpture

Form: Marble Function: Burial Sarcophagus Content: Extremely crowded surface with figures piled on top of one another; figures lack individuality; confusion of battle is echoed by congested composition; Roman army trounces bearded and defeated barbarians; Youthful Roman general appears center top with no weapons (only Roman with no helmet indicating that he is invincible and needs no protection); Rome at war throughout 3rd century Context: 250-260 AD Period/Culture: Roman

Column of Trajan 112 AD marble Rome, Italy Sculpture

Form: Marble Function: Commemorate Trajan's victory over the Dacians and burial chamber Content: Burial chamber of Trajan; base holds his ashes; stood amid Trajan's forum; 128 feet high; 625 foot narrative cycle wrapped around the column telling the story of Trajan's defeat of the Dacian's; 150 episodes, 2,500 figures; 23 registers; continuous narrative; crowded composition; low relief; few shadows to cloud an object difficult to view in its entirety; Scholarly debate over how it was meant to be viewed; Column meant to be entered; visitors wander up interior spiral staircase to the viewing platform where a statue of St. Peter now stands; view would impress viewer's with Trajan's accomplishments; two Roman libraries flanked the column Context: 112 AD Period/Culture: Roman

Nike of Samothrace c.190 B.C.E. marble Louvre, Paris Original Location: in situ on Samothrace Hellenistic

Form: Marble Function: Commemorate a naval victory Content: Meant to stand in or above a fountain cascading water around blocks below figure; wet drapery look imitates the water playing on the wet body; Shows evidence of invisible wind on her body; Dramatic twist and contrapposto of her torso; monumentality of the figure; Her missing right arm may have raised a victory crown or held an open hand in greeting; the boat at the base is a battleship with oarboxes and traces of a ram; Nike is a symbol of victory; found in situ in Samothrace Context: c. 190 BC Period/Culture: Hellenistic

Temple of Athena Nike Kallikrates 425 B.C.E. marble Athens, Greece architectural location Classical Greek

Form: Marble Function: Commemorate the Greek Victory over the Persians at Marathon Content: Amphiprostyle: 4 columns in front and 4 in back; Many images of victory on the temple Context: c.425 BC Kallikrates Period/Culture: Classical Greek

Altar of Zeus and Athena at Pergamon c. 175 B.C.E. marble State Museum, Berlin Hellenistic

Form: Marble Function: Commemorates Alexander the Great's defeat of the Persians Content: Altar placed on an elevated platform up a dramatic flight of stairs; conscious effort to be in dialogue with the Panathenaic way Frieze on the Parthenon; 7.5 foot high frieze over 400 ft long wraps the monument; contains an altar dedicated to Zeus; Ionic columns frame the monument; Parallels between god's victory over the giants and Alexander the Greats recent victory Context: c.175 BC Period/Culture: Hellenistic

Augustus of Prima Porta 20 A.D. marble, copy of bronze original Vatican Museum, Rome Original loc: Villa of Livia Sculpture

Form: Marble Function: Idealized portrait of Augustus Content: Contrapposto; idealized view of emperor; confusion between god and man intentional; sense of divine rule; bare feet indicate he is standing on sacred ground; On his breastplate, there are a number of gods participating in the return of Roman standards; breastplate indicates he is a warrior; judge's robes show him as a civic ruler; back not carved; meant to be placed against a wall; characteristic of Augustus is the part in his hair over the left eye and two locks over the right; may have carried a sword in his left hand; right hand in Roman orator pose, perhaps held laurel branches; at base: cupid on back of a dolphin (reference to Augustus' divine ascent from Venus); found in Augustus' wife's villa Context: 20 AD Period/Culture: Roman

Athena from Pergamon Altar c.175 B.C.E. marble State Museum, Berlin Original Location: Base of Pergamon Alter Hellenistic

Form: Marble Function: Describes the battle between the gods and the giants Content: Gigantomachy; Describes the battle between the gods and the giants; giants were dragged up the stairs to worship the gods; Gods victory offered a parallel to Alexander the Great's victory; deeply carved figures overlap one another; masterful handling of spatial illusion; Dramatic intensity of figures, movement; heroic musculature; Athena grabs Alkyoneos by the hair and drags him up the stairs; Nike crowns Athena in victory; Gaia, earth goddesses; looks on in horror Context: c. 175 BC Period/Culture: Hellenistic

Peplos Kore c.530 B.C.E. marble and paint Acropolis Museum, Athens Archaic

Form: Marble and Paint Function: Depiction of a Goddess Content: Broken hand fitted into the socket and probably held an attribute; may have been a goddess; hand emerges into our own space; tightened waist; breasts revealed beneath drapery; named for the peplos, thought to be one of the garments she is wearing; Rounded and naturalistic face; much of the paint still remains; hair falls naturally beside body Context: 530 BC Period/Culture: Archaic

Anavysos Kouros c.530 B.C.E. marble and paint National Archaeological Museum, Athens Archaic

Form: Marble and Paint. Freestanding sculpture with rigid stance. Function: Grave Marker Content: Replaces huge vases of geometric period; not a real portrait, but a representation of an ideal warrior; rigidly frontal; emulates Egyptian stance, but is nude; arms and legs freely cut from stone; legs appear to stride forward; hair is knotted and falls in neatly braided rows; Eyes wide open; squarish shoulders; masklike face; Named after a young military hero; Some paint survives; archaic smile Context: 530 BC. Period/Culture: Archaic

Doryphorus, Polykleitos, Spear Bearer c.450-440 B.C.E. marble copy from a bronze original National Archaeological Museum, Naples Classical Greek

Form: Marble copy of Bronze original Function: Idealize the athletic body of a warrior Content: Closed stance; alternating tense and relaxed elements of the body: left arm and right leg are relaxed, right arm and left leg are tense; block-like solidity; broad shoulders; thick torso; muscular body; movement restrained; Spartan ideal of the body; warrior and athlete; hand once held a spear; averts his gaze; found in Pompeii Context: c.450-440 BC Polykleitos Period/Culture: Classical Greek

Helios, Horses, and Dionysos c.438-432 B.C.E. marble British Museum, London Original Location: East Pediment of Parthenon Classical Greek

Form: Marble. Function: Religious depiction of the birth of a goddess Content: Parthenon sculptures also called the Elgin Marbles; East pediment of the Parthenon; Shows the birth of Athena from the head of Zeus; other deities watch; Two seated figures are Demeter and Persephone; Sculptures sit comfortably in triangular space; classical art; contrapposto Context: c.438-432 BC Period/Culture: Classical Greek

Victory Adjusting her Sandal c. 410 B.C.E. marble Acropolis Museum, Athens Original Location: Temple of Athena Nike Classical Greek

Form: Marble. Function: Depicts a goddess in a very normal, informal way Content: Graced winged figure modeled in high relief; Deeply incised drapery lines reveal body; wet drapery; Dramatic view of goddess in informal way Context: c.410 BC Period/Culture: Classical Greek

The Parthenon Iktinos and Kallikrates 447-438 B.C.E. Athens, Greece Architectural Location Classical Greek

Form: Marble. Function: Religious Temple Content: Constructed under the leadership of Pericles after the Persian sack of Athens in 480 BC; Pericles used extra funds from the war treasury to finance the acropolis; Parts can be expressed as x=2y+1; 17 columns on one side and 8 in the front; proportions are the same for the cella; Unusually light interior had 2 windows in the cella; Floor curves upward in the center of the façade to drain off rainwater and to deflect appearance of sagging at the ends; columns at the ends are surrounded by light which alters their appearance, so they are thicker than other columns; Ionic elements in a Doric temple; interior built to house a massive statue of Athena; statue was gold and ivory over a wooden core Context: c.447-438 BC Iktinos and Kallikrates Period/Culture: Classical Greek

Alhambra 1354-1391 Whitewashed adobe stuck, wood tile, paint, and gilding Granada, Spain Islamic

Form: Whitewashed adobe stucco, wood, tile, paint, and gilding Function: Palace for Spanish Sultans Content: Palace of the Nasrid sultans of Southern Spain; light, airy interiors; built on a hill overlooking the city of Granada; Contains palaces, gardens, water pools, fountains, etc; small low bubbling fountains in each room provide cool temperatures in the summer; Court of the Lions: thin columns support heavy roofs; a feeling of weightlessness; intricately patterned and sculpted ceilings and walls; central fountain supported by protective lions; animal imagery permitted in secular monuments; parts of wall are chiseled through to create vibrant patterns within; Hall of the Sisters: 16 windows at top of hall; light dissolves into honeycomb of stalactites that dangle from the ceiling; abstract patterns; 5,000 muqarnas refract light; carved into stucco on ceiling; highly sophisticated and refined interior; perhaps used as a music room Context: 1354-1391 Period/Culture: Islamic

Standard of Ur c. 2600-2400 B.C.E. Sumerian British Museum, London wood inlaid with shell, lapis, limestone sound box for musical instrument

Form: Wood inlaid with shell, lapis, and limestone Function: Sound box for musical instrument Content: War side and peace side; May have been 2 halves of a narrative; perhaps used as a soundbox for a musical instrument; War side: Sumerian king half a head taller, descended from his chariot to inspect captives; some debased by nakedness; chariots advance over the dead; Peace Side: food brought in a procession to the banquet, musician played a lyre, ruler wears a kilt made of tufts of wool; reflects extensive trading network: lapis lazuli from Afghanistan, shells from Persian Gulf, red limestone from India; Figures have broad frontal shoulders; body in profile; emphasized eyes, ears and eyebrows; organized in registers; figures stand on ground lines Context: c.2600-2400 BC Period/Culture: Sumerian

Lamassu c.720-705 B.C.E. Assyrian Khorsabad Louvre, Paris alabaster architecture

Form: alabaster Function: Ward off enemies both visible and invisible Content: Human-headed animal guardian figures; Winged; 5 legs; seems to be standing at attention and when viewed from the side, walking by you; Meant to ward off enemies both visible and invisible; apotropaic; has a feeling of harmony and stability; Sargon II founded a capital at Khorsabad, surrounded by a city wall with 7 gates; protective spirits placed at either side of each gate; also load bearing Context: c. 720-705 BC Period/Culture: Assyrian

Arena Chapel (Scrovegni) c.1303 Brick Padua, Italy Italian Gothic

Form: brick Function: Chapel Content: built over an ancient Roman arena; also called the Scrovegni Chapel after the patron's name; built to expiate the sin of usury through which Scrovegni's father amassed a fortune; Some narrative scenes of Biblical episodes of ill-gotten gains Context: c. 1303 Period/Culture: Gothic

Market of Trajan 106-112 AD brick and concrete Rome, Italy Roman Architecture

Form: brick and concrete Function: Mall Content: Originally had 150 shops; multilevel mall; semicircular building held several levels of shops; main spaced groin-vaulted; barrel-vaulted shops Context: 106-112 AD Period/Culture: Roman

Last Judgement from the Arena Chapel 1305-1306 fresco Padua, Italy Italian Gothic

Form: fresco Function: Chapel Content: Christ as judge; coming at end of the world; Heavenly powers aranged in an organized chorus; heads aligned in a row; 12 apostles arranged symmetrically around Christ; cross at bottom divides the saved from the damned; On the side of the saved is Scrovegni as a donor presenting a model of the Church to angels; at right is a devil who eats and excretes sinners; those guilty of money related sins are particularly noted Context: 1305-1306 Giotto Period/Culture: Gothic

Lamentation from the Arena Chapel 1305-1306 fresco Padua, Italy Italian Gothic

Form: fresco Function: Chapel Content: Lamentation shows scenes of Jesus's followers mourning his death; Saint John throws hands in air, Mary Magdalene cradles his feet; Mary holds his head, Scene of Jonah is to left, being swallowed by whale and then returning to life, parallel to Christ dying and rising from the dead, Heavy sadness and despair, Leafless tree represents death and also tree of knowledge from Garden of Eden, Grieving angels, Light falls from above, diagonal cliff formation points to the main action. Context: 1305-1306 Giotto Period/Culture: Gothic

Innermost Coffin of King Tutankhamen c. 1323 B.C.E. gold, enamel, semiprecious stones Egyptian Museum, Cairo, Egypt New Kingdom

Form: gold, enamel, semiprecious stones Function: coffin Content: Famous coffin discovered by Howard Carter; mummified body of King Tut buried with 143 objects on his body; gold mask placed over head; 6'7" long containing body of pharaoh; Golden mask has smoothly idealized feature of the boy king; holds a crook and flail, symbols of Osiris; Son of Akhenaton; physically handicapped by genetic inbreeding; Ruled from ages 9-19 Context: c. 1323 BC Period/Culture: New Kingdom Egypt

Menkaura and His Queen 2490-2472 B.C.E. Greywacke Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Old Kingdom

Form: greywacke Function: funerary function Content: Figures attached to block of stone; arms and legs not cut free; figures stare out into space; wife's simple and affectionate gesture; presenting him to the gods; Menkaura's powerful physique and stride symbolize his kingship; Society's view of women shown in ankle length, tight dress; same height indicates equality Context: 2490-2472 BC Period/Culture: Old Kingdom Egypt

The Annunciation Triptych (Merode Alterpiece) Robert Campin or his workshop 1427-1432 Oil on wood Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY Northern Renaissance

Form: oil on wood Function: show the beauty of the Annunciation Content: donors kneeling before the holy scene, annunciation taking place in everyday Flemish interior, humanization of traditional themes, Towels and water stand for purity, flowers have 3 buds representing the trinity, Mary seated on floor = humility, Joseph in his carpentry workshop, intricate detail, figures oversized Context: 1425-1428 Robert Campin? Period/Culture: Renaissance in Northern Europe

Seated Scribe c. 2620-2500 B.C.E. painted limestone Louvre, Paris Old kingdom

Form: painted limestone Function: Provision for the ka Content: Created for a tomb at Saqqara; Not a pharaoh; sagging chest and realistic as opposed to idealistic; Color still remains; Amazingly lifelike, but not a portrait; attentive expression, thin, angular face; Contrasts with the ideally portrayed pharaoh; holds papyrus in his lap; his writing instrument was in his hand ready to write Context: 2620-2500 BC Saqqara Period/Culture: Old Kingdom Egypt

Last Judgement of Hu-Nefer c. 1275 B.C.E. painted papyrus scroll British Museum, London, England New Kingdom

Form: painted papyrus scroll Function: book of the dead Content: Illustration from book of dead, Anubis has a jackal head, leads Hu-Nefer into hall where his heart is weighed against a feather, hippo/lion figure will eat heart if it weighs more than feather, Thoth, with bird head, writes down the event, Osiris is enthroned on the right to subject the deceased to judgment Context: c.1275 BC Period/Culture: New Kingdom Egypt

Lascaux Caves 15,000-13,000 B.C.E. Paleolithic Lascaux, France natural pigment on rock painting

Form: pigment on rock Function: Ancestral animal worship Content: Natural products used to make paint (iron ore, charcoal, plants); 650 paintings (most common are bulls, horses, and deer); Animals are placed deep inside cave; bodies seen in profile; frontal or diagonal view of horns, eyes, and hooves; some animals appear pregnant; many overlapping figures; Evidence still visible of scaffolding erected; Caves were not dwellings because prehistoric people led migratory lives following herds of animals; some evidence exist of shelter at mouth of caves; Walls were scraped to an even surface; paint colors were bound with animal fat; lamps light interior of caves; flat stones served as palettes Context: 15,000-13,000 BC Period/Culture: Paleolithic

Running Horned Women 6,000-4,000 B.C.E. Neolithic Tassili n'Ajjer, Algeria rock paint painting

Form: rock painting Function: Depicts a religious ceremony? Content: More than 15,000 drawing and engravings found at the site; At one time the area was grasslands, now a desert; some drawings are naturalistic, some abstract, some Negroid features; some Caucasian features; depicts livestock, wildlife, and humans; Composite view of the body; dots may reflect body paint applied for ritual; entire site was probably painted by many different groups over time Context: 6,000-4,000 BC Tassili n'Ajjer Period/Culture: Neolithic

Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut c.1473-1458 B.C.E. sandstone Near Luxor, Egypt New Kingdom

Form: sandstone Function: burial temple Content: 3 colonnaded terraces and 2 ramps; Visually coordinated with the natural setting; long horizontals and vertical of terraces and colonnades repeat patterns of cliffs above; patterns of dark and light; terraces were originally planted as exotic gardens; First time achievements of women were celebrated; Context: c.1473-1458 BC Period/Culture: New Kingdom Egypt

Temple of Amun-re and Hypostyle Hall 1550-1250 B.C.E. sandstone and mud brick Karnark, near Luxor, Egypt. New Kingdom

Form: sandstone and mud brick Function: Prayer hall and temple Content: Huge, tightly packed columns; hypostyle halls; elaborately painted; Massive lintels bind the columns; Axial plan; Tallest columns have papyrus capitals; clerestory allows some light; lower columns have bud capitals; carved in sunken relief; Enter complex through massive pylon gateway Context: 1550-1250 BC Period/Culture: New Kingdom Egypt

Looped Fibulae Mid 6th century Silver gilt with semiprecious stones, inlays of garnets and other stones Cabinet des medailles, Paris Early Medieval

Form: silver gilt with semiprecious stones, inlays of garnets and other stones Function: jewelry Content: Fibula: a pin or brooch used to fasten garmets; showed prestige of the wearer; Cloisonne and chasing techniques; Zoomorphic elements; Small portable objects; Decline of classical tradition Context: mid 6th century Period/Culture: Merovingian

Catacomb of Priscilla 200-400 tufa and fresco Rome, Italy Late Antique

Form: tufa and Fresco Function: Grave site Content: Catacombs beneath Rome have 4 million dead and extend for about 100 miles; Greek chapel: three niches for sarcophagi, decorated with Pompeian style paintings; Orants figure; Fresco over a tomb niche set over an arched wall; stands with arms outstretched in prayer; Figure is compact, dark, set off from a light background; terse angular contours; Left: painting of a marriage; Right: mother and child; Good Shepherd Fresco: Restrained portrait of Christ as a Good Shepherd; pastoral motif going back to the Greeks; Symbolism of the Good Shepherd: rescues individual sinners in his flock who stray; Stories of the OT prophet Jonah often appear in the Lunettes; Jonah's regurgitation from the mouth of the Whale seen as prefiguring Christ's resurrection; Context: 200-400 BC Period/Culture: Late Antique

Narmer Palette, 3000-2920 B.C.E. Egyptian Old Kingdom Art Site of Hirakonpolis Egyptian Museum, Cairo Slate Relief Sculpture

Form: Slate, relief sculpture Function: Decorative makeup slate for eye makeup Content: Depicts King Narmer uniting Upper and Lower Egypt; Hathor depicted 4 times in the top register; Figures stand on ground line; Hierarchy of scale; Front: Narmer wears the cobra crown of lower Egypt and is reviewing the beheaded bodies of enemies; Narmer is preceded by 4 standard bearers and a priest; followed by his foot washer; In the center are harnessed lions with elongated necks symbolizing unification; Bottom shows bull knocking down a city fortress; On back: Hawk is Horus, triumphs over Narmer's foes; Holds a rope and papyrus plant (symbols of lower Egypt); Narmer has a bull's tail, symbol of strength; wears a bowling pin-shaped crown as king of united Egypt; Servant holds Narmer's sandal because he stands on sacred ground; schematic lines delineate Narmer's muscles; Hieroglyphics add to the meaning; Narrative believed to show stories over time. Context: old kingdom

Notre Dame de la Belle Verriere "Our Lady of the Beautiful Window" c.1170 stained glass Chartres, Cathedral, Chartres France Gothic

Form: Stained Glass Function: Decoration of Chartres Cathedral Content: Mary is crowned queen of heaven with the Christ Child in her lap (Theotokos); Light as manifestation of the divine; shades color patterns across grey stone; part of a lancet window; Undamaged by fire of 1194; reset with framing angles on either side of main scene; band across surface are typical of early Gothic stained glass Context: c. 1170 Period/Culture: Gothic

Church of Sainte-Foy c.1050-1130 stone Conques, France Romanesque

Form: Stone Function: Church along the pilgrimage road to Santiago de Compostela Content: Church built to handle the large number of pilgrims; wide transepts; large ambulatory with radiating chapels; massive, heavy interior walls; unadorned; No clerestory; light provided by windows over side aisles and galleries; barrel vaults in nave; reinforced by transverse arches; cross-like ground plan Context: c. 1050-1130 AD Period/Culture: Romanesque

Great Mosque of Cordoba 8th-10th centuries stone Cordoba, Spain Islamic

Form: Stone Function: Mosque Content: Double-arched columns; brilliantly articulated in alternating bands of color; voussoirs; a light and airy interior; horseshoe-shaped arches have a tradition in Visigoth Spain and Roman architecture; Hypostyle Mosque: no central focus, no congregational worship; Original wooden ceiling replaced by vaulting; complex dome over mihrab with elaborate squinches; columns are spoila from ancient Roman structures; Relatively short columns made ceilings low; doubling of arches enhances interior space; Kufic calligraphy on walls; built on the site of a church; after Christian reconquest, mosque was used as a church Context: 8th-10th centuries Period/Culture: Islamic

House of the Vettii 2nd century B.C.E.-1st century c.e. (rebuilt) 67-79 AD stone and fresco Pompeii Italy architecture Roman

Form: Stone and Mosaic Function: Home Content: Two brothers owned the house; both were freedmen; Narrow entrances sandwiched between several shops; large reception area (atrium) open to the sky; catch basin or rain water (impluvium) in center; peristyle garden in the rear (private area of the house); Axial symmetry; someone entering the house can see all the way to the rear; exterior of house lacks windows; interior lighting comes from atrium and peristyle Context: 2nd century-1st Century BC --> rebuilt 67-79 AD Period/Culture: Roman

Dome of the Rock 691-692 Stone masonry and wood roof decorated with glazed ceramic tile, mosaics, and gilt aluminum and bronze dome Jerusalem Islamic

Form: Stone masonry and wood, glazed ceramic tile, mosaics, and gilt. Aluminum and Bronze Dome Function: Houses sacred rock where Adam was buried, Abraham attempted to sacrifice Isaac, and Muhammed ascended to heaven Content: domed wooden octagon; influenced by centrally planned buildings; Columns taken from Roman monuments; Meant to rival the Christian church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem; Mosaic Arabic calligraphy urges Muslims to embrace Allah as one god and indicates the Christian notion of the Trinity is polytheism; oldest surviving Qur'an verses; first use of Qur'an verse in architecture; pilgrimage site for the faithful; Erected by Abd al-Malik Context: 691-692 AD Period/Culture: Islamic

The Colosseum 72-80 C.E. stone and concrete Rome, Italy architecture Roman

Form: Stone, Concrete, and Marble Function: Arena for public spectacles Content: Real name is Flavian amphitheater; accommodated 50,000 spectators; concrete core, brick facing; 76 entrances and exits circle the façade; interplay of barrel and groin vaults with arches; gladiator combat, animal hunts, and naval battles; façade has engaged columns (1st story - Tuscan, 2nd story - Ionic, 3rd floor - Corinthian); above squared windows at top level are small brackets that are meant to hold flagstaffs; used as anchors for retractable canvas roof; much of the marble has been pulled off Context: 72-80 AD Period/Culture: Roman

Taj Mahal c. 1632-1648 stone, marble, precious and semi-precious stones Agra, India Islamic

Form: Stone, Marble, precious and semi-precious stones Function: Burial Temple for Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan Content: Translated to English as "Crown Palace"; Named for Mumtaz Mahal, deceased wife of Shah Jahan; she died while giving birth to her 14th child; her tomb is placed centrally under the dome; Shah Janah was interred next to her after her death; placed asymmetrically next to her; symmetrical harmony of design; Typical Islamic feature of one large arch flanked by 2 smaller arches; square plan with chamfered corners; Onion shaped dome rises gracefully from the square faced; Small kiosks around dome lessen severity; intricate floral and geometric inlays on façade; Grounds represent a vast funerary garden; gardens found in heaven is Islamic tradition; Minarets act like a picture frame directing our view and sheltering the monument; once formed part of a larger ensemble of buildings; may have also been built to salute Shah Jahan's grandeur Context: c.1632-1648 AD Period/Culture: Islamic

Bushel (Beaker) with Ibex Motifs 4,200-3,500 B.C.E. Neolithic Susa, SW Iran Louvre, Paris terra-cotta pottery

Form: Terra cotta Function: Burial purposes Content: Found near burial site, but without human remains; Found with hundreds of bowls, baskets, and metallic items; use of potter's wheel; Thin walls of pot; frieze stylized aquatic birds on top; below stylized running dogs with long narrow bodies; Oversized horns; abstract stylized motif; In the middle of horns: clan symbol of family ownership; Made in Susa; may identify the deceased as belonging to a particular group Context: 4,200-3,500 BC Period/Culture: Neolithic

Apollodorus of Damascus, Basilica of Ulpia 112 A.D. Timber Roof, Stone walls Rome, Italy Roman Architecture

Form: Timber roof, stone walls Function: Law court Content: 385 by 182 feet; 2 apses; grand interior space; nave is spacious and wide; double colonnade side aisles; second floor had galleries; timber roof 80 feet across; law courts held here; apses were a setting for the judges; said to have been paid for by Trajan's Dacian spoils; Ulpius was Trajan's family name Context: 112 AD Period/Culture: Roman

Tomb of the Triclinium c. 480-470 B.C.E. tufa and fresco Tarquinia, Italy Etruscan

Form: Tufa and fresco. Function: Tomb Content: Named after a Triclinium an ancient roman dining table; Banqueting couples recline, eating in the ancient manner; Ancient convention of men painted darker than women; Trees spring up between the main figures; shrubbery grows beneath couches (rural setting?); perhaps a funeral banquet is intended, but the emotions are celebratory; ceiling has polychrome checker board pattern; circles may symbolize time; Dancing figures play musical instruments Context: c.480-470 BC Period/Culture: Etruscan

Lindisfarne Gospels Eadrith c.700 illuminated manuscript, ink, pigments, and gold on vellum British Library, London Early Medieval Hiberno-Saxon

Form: illuminated manuscript, ink, pigments, gold on vellum Function: Books used for services and private devotion Content: written by Eadrith; Unusual in that it is a work of an individual artist and not a team of scribes; Written in Latin with English annotations; oldest surviving manuscript of the Bible in English; Used St. Jerome's translation; 130 calf skins to make the manuscript; colophon at the end of the book discusses the making of the manuscript; Book of Matthew: cross depicted on a page filled with Horror vacui decoration; dog-headed snakes intermix with long-beaked birds; Cloisonne style used in the bodies of the birds; elongated figures lost in a maze of S shapes; black background makes patterning standout; mixture of Celtic and Christian imagery; Saint Luke portrait; calf is traditional symbol of Saint Luke; identified by Greek words "Hagios Lucas"; heavily bearded; sits with crossed legs holding a scroll and writing instrument; Saint Luke incipit page; "Incipt" meaning opening words of Luke's gospel; Numerous Celtic spiral ornaments; step patterns appear in the enlarged "O"; lower right corner: naturalistic detail of a cat who has eaten 8 birds Context: c. 700 Period/Culture: Hiberno-Saxon

Bahram Gur Fights the Karg folio from the Great Il-Khanid Shahnama c.1310-1340 ink and watercolor, gold, silver on paper Harvard University Art Gallery, Cambridge, Massachusetts Islamic

Form: ink and watercolor, gold, silver on paper Function: Manuscript Content: Iranian manuscript; Large painted surface areas; calligraphy diminished; Areas of flat colors; Spatial recession indicated by the overlapping planes; atmospheric perspective seen in light bluish background; Bahram Gur was an ancient Iranian King; Represents and ideal king, wears a crown and golden halo; Karg is a unicorn he fought during his trip to India; illustration from the Book of Kings; Wears a garment of European fabric; Chinese landscape conventions seen in background Context: c.1310-1340 AD Period/Culture: Islamic

Scenes from the Apocalypse from a Bible Moralisee (Moralized Bible) c.1226-1234 illuminated manuscript, ink, tempera, and gold leaf on vellum Cathedral, Toledo, Gothic

Form: ink, tempera, and gold leaf on vellum Function: illuminated Manuscript Content: 8 medallions; format derives from stained glass windows; two vertical columns of 4 painted scenes; each scene has a text with a summary of the event depicted in the roundel Context: c. 1226-1234 AD Period/Culture: Gothic

Persepolis c. 520-465 B.C.E. Persian Persepolis, Iran limestone architecture

Form: limestone Function: Area for fantastic receptions and festivals Content: Built by Darius I and Xerxes I, destroyed by Alexander the Great; Built on artificial terraces; mud-brick with stone facing; Giant lamassu gates inscribed as "The Gate of all Nations;" Relief sculpture depict delegations from all parts of the empire bringing gifts to be stored in local treasury; Audience Hall: apadana, had 36 columns covered by a wooden roof; held thousands of people; used for kings receptions; stairways adorned with reliefs of the New Year's festival and a procession; Columns had bell shaped base that is an inverted lotus blossom; capitals are bulls or lions; Carved onto the stairs are the Immortals, the kings guard; many cultures contributed to the sites building; Everything seems to dwarf the viewer; stairs have a central relief of the king enthroned with attendants; orderly and harmonious world symbolized by static processions Context: c. 520-465 BC, Iran Period/Culture: Persian

Great Pyramids c.2550-2490 B.C.E. limestone Giza, Egypt Old kingdom

Form: limestone Function: Monuments and tombs to dead pharaohs. Content: Giant monuments to dead pharaohs; Each pyramid has adjoining mortuary temple; Huge pile of limestone with minimal interior; pharaoh buried within; Each side is oriented to a point on the compass; Faced with stone, most of which has been lost; Each pyramid has a funerary complex connected with a formal pathway used to transport Pharaoh's body; shape may have been influenced by a scared stone relic called a benben; Tombs of Menkaura, Khufu, and Khafre; Context: c. 2550-2490 BC Period/Culture: Old Kingdom Egypt

Akhenaton, Nefertiti, and 3 daughters 1353-1335 B.C.E. limestone Egyptian Museum, Berlin, Germany New Kingdom

Form: limestone Function: religious portrait Content: Akhenaton holds oldest daughter ready to be kissed, Nefertiti holds other 2 daughters, Aton's rays are terminated with ankhs (symbols of life) pointing towards the pharaoh and his family, smoother curved surfaces, low hanging bellies, slack jaws, thin arms, epicene bodies, and heavily lidded eyes show evolving style of Egyptian art; private relationship with god, view into family life; panel is form altar in a home Context: 1353-1335 BC Period/Culture: New Kingdom Egypt

Great Sphinx c. 2500 B.C.E. limestone Giza, Egypt Old Kingdom

Form: limestone, craved in situ Function: Protect pyramids behind it? Content: Very generalized features; some say it is a portrait of Khafre; Carved in situ from a huge rock; symbol of the sun god; Body of a lion, head of a human; Sphinx seems to protect pyramids; Originally brightly painted; Cats are royal ancients in ancient Egypt; head of sphinx mauled in Middle Ages Fragment of beard in British Museum Context: c. 2500 BC Period/Culture: Old Kingdom Egypt

Head of a Roman Patrician 75-50 B.C.E. marble Museo Torlonia, Rome Sculpture

Form: marble Function: portrait Content: Realism of the portrayal shows influence of Greek Hellenistic art/late Etruscan art; extremely realistic face; called a veristic portrait; bull-dog like tenacity of features; overlapping flesh; deep crevices in the flesh; full of experience and wisdom- traits Romans would have desired; features may have been exaggerated by artists to enhance adherence to Republican values; busts are most of elderly men Context: 75-50 BC Period/Culture: Roman

The Arnolfini Portrait Jan van Eyck 1434 Oil on wood National Gallery, London Northern Renaissance

Form: oil on wood Function: Wedding portrait of Giovanni Arnolfini, memorial to dead wife? Content: Burning candle on first night of wedding, shoes off indicate holy ground, prayerful pose of groom, dog symbolizes fidelity, 2 witnesses in mirror "Jan van Eyck was here 1434, Statue of Saint Margaret, childbirth, appears on bedpost, Man near windows symbolizes role in the outside world, woman near bed symbolizes domestic role Context: 1434 Jan van Eyck Period/Culture: Renaissance in Northern Europe