• Shaman: religious practitioners who would go into altered states for various reasons

• Ochre - Red, brown, yellow, clay pigment mixed with sand

• Charcoal

• Magic: supernatural means of man’s environment. Spells, rituals, etc influenced the good and bad things to happen

• Women far more common subjects than men but animals dominated the art world

• Gatherers

Hall of the Bulls - bulls, horses, deer and men. Away from the entrance of the cave. Show the 2 different kinds of painting silhouettes and outlines. This indicates different painters over time

Prehistoric: Paleolithic

“Hunting Scene”

A man (usually a woman) making an appearance (this could be to show their roles). The bowles of the bull are hanging from its stomach, and its hair is standing up perhaps to show rage. The man is wearing some kind of a bird mask? We don’t know if he is dead or not.PREHISTORIC: PALEOLITHIC

PREHISTORIC: PALEOLITHIC

Horses

There are 2 rhinos fighting in the bottom right. This could be one of the first narratives in painting. The original french team that found the cave dated it with carbon dating to be 10K years older than the cave lascaux. This presents a problem because there is a much greater detail of stylization. Perhaps they dated it wrong.

We also see many “Cervico-dorsal lines” these are the topmost line that are essential in drawing animals

• Bulls, horses, rhinos, bears

Nude Woman from Willendorf (Austria)

Also called the Venus of Willendorf. Childbearing ensured the survival of their people (scratched in the public lines). Made from limestone. Not naturalistic (did not carve with the intent of representing the woman. The proportions are all wrong, no face, one big thing of hair)

Emphasis on fertility - means perpetuation of the species, strengthened family and kin groups, every ancient society had a fertility goddess. Fertility also applies to the land (fertility of the land in the new season)

PREHISTORIC: PALEOLITHIC

PREHISTORIC: NEOLITHIC (New Stone Age) They start to cultivate plants and stuff

The ice from the iceage of the paleolithic period melted and people started to settle down into one place. More art and civilizations show that they had a more advanced society. Meat from domestic animals, also wheat, barley, lentils, berries all that. For special occasions they had wild beef. Smaller little settlements all over. Sometimes peace and sometimes war

Çatalhöyük, Turkey

Domestication. It was a harder way of life but more stable. Safer housing, warm in the winter, this is when pottery started showing up. Settled areas were those that provided different kinds of food. Kin groups became more important. They had a defensive wall (battles were common). They buried their dead under them (shows the importance of family and ancestors). Wild animals were always depicted not tame animals.

Cattle = Wealth. You see bulls heads everywhere because they were a symbol of wealth

PREHISTORIC: NEOLITHIC (New Stone Age)

Stonehenge, Salisbury Plain, England

Post and Lintel system

Stonehenge was built by lots of people over time. May have been overseen by elite astronomer-priests to track the movement of the sun and stars. Focal point on spirituality. Way to connect the earth to the cosmos. Circles and cycles. The summer solstice aligns up perfectly with the markers. It was a way for them to know when to plan their crops

PREHISTORIC: NEOLITHIC (New Stone Age)

Bronze Age

Mesopotamia

(the land between two rivers: euphrates and tigris). This is during the bronze age. Flat land, irrigation, no gold or timber. They built with mud bricks.

(oldest civilization we know of) We think it was a sophisticated society with lots of modern roles. They believe that the gods popped up the city

SUMERIAN - Life in area (small city states, rudimentary farming and irrigation, societies defined by king groups, trading, no timber, no stones or minerals, lots of mudbrick, flat plain) In the region of Sumer, it is likely to have been a thriving area with lots of different professions

Lots of different gods, sacrifices

• Lots of gods, sacrifices

• First to have a written language

• The geography had a strong influence on their religious views

• Primordial = timeless realm of mythology

• Primordial sea

• Life came from thats sea

• Their gods

• Human like but with god powers

• Shamash was the god

• First to establish divine rule

• Written language was cuneiform

Mesopotamia: 3 main themes

1. The sacred marriage: fertility of the land

2. Change of seasons

3. Chaos versus order: primeval battle

Ishtar - is the female god represent fertility. Starlike flowers

Shamash - male god. Sometimes represented by the goat

“Ram in a Thicket” sculpture

• 2600-2400

• Flower thing looks like ishtar (a god I think)

• Made from gold, so we know they were a powerful empire that traded because gold was not from there.

• Goat is the male aspect of this, and ishtar is the female aspect. Represents the sacred marriage

• Its a goat not a sheep. This is a wild goat. They choose wild goat to represent power male fertility

• The marcore goats are known for battles to win females

Sumerian

White Temple and Ziggurat, Iraq, neo-sumerian

Temple and ziggurat - Sumerians were the first to build like this

• A mound that is supposed to represent a mountain. On the top there would have been a temple

• They used bitumen between the bricks. Which is like asphalt

Statuettes of two worshippers, from Eshnunna

• Votive figure - this represents the person praying forever. You could pay for it to be done and then bring it to the temple. Their eyes are huge. They are forever awake and praying

• They are wearing the dress of priest and priestess. The clothing to wear inside of the shrine

• Eye Idol - you put those in the temple. Represents eyes praying forever. They believed the eyes are where prays came

Sumerian - neo-sumerian

Victory Stele of Naram-Sin

• To show his power

• Composite view - legs in profile, chest in view. Uncomfortable but shows body

• First time king appears as a god

• There is a priest offering a prayer to thank for their victory

• They are climbing a mountain to commune with the gods. It's a ziggurat

• Hierarchy of scale (king is bigger)

• Horned helmet (divinity)

• First time a king appears as a god

• Ishtar & Shamash are in it

• I was originally on a mountain pass into the country (tells about the kind of king they have)

  Akkadian (after sumeria)

Stele of Hammurabi

300 laws, black basalt, shamash, rod+ring = authority

• Stele of hammurabi babylon - 300 laws on it

• Stele of hammurabi - hammurabi is the king. Shamash is the god (The sun god). The rays behind him represent the sun. The triple layer beneath his feet represent a ziggurat. Helmet with bull horns

Babaloynian

Lamassu from citadel of Sargon II

The citadel was a fortified complex. These lamassus were meant to frighten those coming in. Lamassu = akkadian for ‘protective spirits’. Made from limestone. Artistic pictorial off all the important things instead of what's real. They are meant to scare off unwanted guests.

ASSYRIAN - ruthless despots, colonies, wealthy

Lamassu from citadel of Sargon II

The citadel was a fortified complex. These lamassus were meant to frighten those coming in. Lamassu = akkadian for ‘protective spirits’. Made from limestone. Artistic pictorial off all the important things instead of what's real. They are meant to scare off unwanted guests.

ASSYRIAN - ruthless despots, colonies, wealthy

Ashurbanipal hunting lions relief- Neo-assyrian - Palace of Nineveh

Shows order vs chaos. Hunting was a manly thing and it shows that the king must be  great because he can kill all these lions. Incredible detail on the lions, bows, all the detail. They would bring in lions to the kings courtyard and he would ride around and kill them

2 S’s of civilization: Specialization (specialized occupations), spectacle (how a people defines itself, rituals)

Ishtar Gate - Babylon means gate of the gods (so the gat would be a key aspect of the city). Bulls = adad, Flowers = Ishtar. Acruated: arch shaped

NEO-BABYLONIAN

Palette of Narmer (Egyptian Old Kingdom)

• Oldest piece of egyptian art

• Lines represent parts of a story

• It represents the creation of the kingdom of two lands. Lower egypt is up north. Upper is further south. This is the unification of both. This is the transformation of history to prehistory

• Cut of heads of defeated

• Lions battling but becoming one

• This is a cosmetic grinder used for eye makeup

• The high white hat is the crown of upper egypt

• The pharo appears as a “Living Horus” inn the top right. The falcon with a human arm. This shows his divine right

Funerary statue of Rahotep and Nofret (Old kingdom)

In case your body doesn't make it they have a statute of your likeness

• Cubic format so they don't break easily

• Men have darker skin because they were outside more

• Old kingdom has cankles

• Not true lines nor was it supposed to be. Rather it was to have a body for them to have in the afterlife incase anything happens to their mummy.

• Arms were close so they wouldn't break. They wanted something that would last into the afterlife

• Traditional rigid posture

Imhotep, Djoser’s Tomb, Saqqara (Old Kingdom)

Imhotep was the first artist name recorded in history. He was super famous. Built that temple and was the high priest. He built the stepped pyramid. Each face was pointed to the points of a compass. Unlike ziggurats, this is a tomb not a temple. It was supposed to protect the body of the king and his belongings and to symbolize his godlike power. Hundreds of rooms carved into the ground below the pyramid to serve as djoser’s home in the afterlife. A wall was built around the outside. There were priests who performed daily rituals to celebrate the king.

The Great Pyramids of Egypt (Old Kingdom)

Constructed over the course of about 75 years. They are symbol of the sun, they take the shape of his symbol. The sun's rays were the ramps the egyption kings used to ascent to the heavens. The funerary aspects were on the east side facing the rising sun (underscores the connection with Re)

Primarily made from limestone

It was a tomb

• It hardly changed at all because they wanted to to stay that way

Egyptian Religion

• Osiris is the first born. The first god that rules egypt. Set kills him. Isis brings osiris back to life.

• Osiris comes back to life (after he had every single part of his body back together. He was chopped up by set) That is important for mummification

• God of eternal afterlife. Oten he has green skin and is mummified because he represents the afterlife

• God of death, resurrection, rejuvenation

• Isis & Osiris have Horus - the falcon god. He represents the pharaoh

Fowling scene, from the Tomb of Nebamun

Nebamun was a scribe and counter of grain

Hierarchy of scale (he is much larger than his wife and daughter)

Fresco Secco - they let the plaster dry and then paint it. Not as durable as Fesco but it lets them be more detailed

Hunting represents osiris

The cat was a symbol of help from the gods. Birds represent enemies

They include texts to amplify the meaning of a painting

New Kingdom

The Great Temple of Amen-Re, Karnak (New Kingdom)

Was the work of multiple pharos over time

Sacred lake refers to the primeval waters. The temple symbolizes the mound that rose from the sea at the beginning of time

Axial plans - the temple was laid out on a line

Pylon temple - Pylon referred to the massive gate at the entrance. This faced the nile. Shows the importance of the nile. Serves as a barrier between the chaotic world and the order of the temple

4 functions of temple: 1) show power of pharo 2) homes for cult statues 3) center for religious life, especially on feast days 4) entire class of priests took care of temples

Used a hypostyle hall to let light in. Middle two pillars are taller and let light in.

Funerary Temple of Hatshepsut, Deir al-Bahri (New Kingdom)

Hatshepsut was the first great female monarch whose name was recorded. This temple follows the same axial plan as other temples but is very different from other tombs. It's carved into the mountain, it has successive levels,

Colonnades: light and dart patterns that repeat the patterns in the surrounding cliffs

“Cleopatra’s Needle,” New York City (New Kingdom)

Comes from a pair of needles. The twin is in london. Brought over by  Henry Honeychurch Gorringe

Death mask of Tutankhamen, inner sarcophagus

Made of gold and precious stones. False beard, and head dress to represent his authority and divine right.

Book of the Dead of Hunefer (New Kingdom)

The afterlife process for the dead. Their judgment

Book of the Dead of Hunefer (New Kingdom)

The afterlife process for the dead. Their judgment

(small islands off greece)

This was greece during the bronze age. They traded a lot, farmed, kept small herds, religious cycles

Female figure (Cycladic)

Marble, carved with obsidian tools, polished with emery, Highly schematic (not focused on how real it looks). There are traits like the woman of willendorf that have to do with fertility, the breasts, pubic area. This was found in a grave. It is possible that each person would have their own cycladic figure that would go with them through life.

They come in different sizes

Ocean based people. An earthquake destroyed them. Wrote in Linear A (deciphered script)

Palace Complex, Knossos, Crete (Minoan)

Palaces served as the central meeting place and place for just about everything. Social, commercial, administrative.

It had no fortified walls

Labyrinth comes from the word labrys = double axe motif found in Knossos

Post and lintel system

Bull Leaping Fresco

Acrobatic act done by younger men. It shows them jumping and flipping over a bull. Only the dark parts are original. Lots of curved lines. The people have pinched wastes and curvy bodys to show their youth. Very different from egyption art.

From the Palace Complex, Knossos, Crete

(Minoan)

Fisherman fresco, wall fresco

Incredible detail on the fish. Very curvy and naturalistic. The man is dark because he is outside a lot. Nude

From Thera (Minoan)

Marine-style octopus flask (Minoan) Kononoss

Horovaucing - one is filled with flowing ocean, other is geometric shapes

Amphora = greek for two handles

Minoa

Kiln firing was developed

Would have been a for home use. Shows the importance of the sea. Incredible detail on the suckers

Bull’s-Head Rhyton (Minoan) Pallace of Konossis

Gilded wooden horns, red jasper eye with shell and marble inlay, found in the ruins of Knossos, black steatite. Symbolizes wealth. Very intricate designs

MYCENAEAN

Written language is called Linear B (oldest form of greek). They grew as minoas were at their height. We know mycenaeans dominated because the minoans adopted their language. City-states. Helladic from the greek word hellas

Golden Funerary Mask (Mycean)

Repusse - when they pound the gold from the back

Their thoughts about the afterlife: thoughtless afterlife, devoid of pleasures and suffering

story of the gods, fate, delphic oracles could peek into your fate

They worshiped by making sacrifices, going to certain places, rituals

Syncretism: the amalgamation of different religions, cultures, or schools of thought

Chose their god by: 1) if they were close, 2) family traditions, 3) your profession

They worship so the gods will help them out. They recognize how much the gods do.

Cicero: you give to a god and they give to you

What makes a greek: 1) having same blood and language 2) acknowledging the same temples and rituals 3)observing the same customs 4) speaking greek

Geometric krater, Dipylon (Greek Geometric Period)

Name = Funerary krater

Over 3 feet tall. Was used for mixing wine.

Symposia= drinking together. Meant to symbolize the closeness and unity and celebrate this man's accomplishments. It had holes in the bottom. So it was not used for mixing wine. After the mycenaean culture collapsed, art-making knowledge was lost. This is important because human figure re-entered the scene. It also tells a story

Zoning - they use horizontal lines to tell parts of a story

GREEK: ARCHAIC PERIOD

After Geometric period

Kouros from Attica (Metropolitan Kouros)

Treasury of the Siphnians (Delphi)

Exekias, Achilles and Ajax Playing a Game amphora

Kouros from Attica (Metropolitan Kouros) (Archaic Period)

Monumental sculpture and architecture began

Kouros: boy of noble rank

Graveside, replaces kraters

Nude, curvy. Better human body details

Treasury of the Siphnians (Archaic Period)

Most elaborate treasure in delphi

Temple-line but not actually

Akoteria - the things on top of the building

The frieze = most important artistically. Each side of the building tells a different part of the iliad

Exekias, Achilles and Ajax Playing a Game amphora (Archaic Period)

The artist signed it - “Exekias made me”

Use of zoning - one large band instead of of lots of horizontal bands

Shows the gravity, tension, and fate

Achilles on the left

GREEK: EARLY CLASSICAL PERIOD

The greeks are now the top dogs. Important things for Athenians 1)ancestors 2) self-sufficiency 3) originality 4) the law 5) games 6) festivals 7)private art 8)justice 9)courage 10)beauty with economy …

In the classical: Idealized, symmetrical, mathematically balanced, finely crafted

Humanism-

Rationalism-

Idealism-

Temple of Zeus at Olympia (pediments become very important)

Focused on the games to celebrate the gods

Follows the traditional temple format

Early Classical Period

Heracles metope (TEMPLE OF ZEUS) (Early Calassical period)

Heracles supporting the sky. Greek heroes were in between gods and man. After completing 12 impossible tasks, he was awarded immortality

He founded the olympic games (shows part of why they care. Their ancestor founded it)

Shows quite serine dignity

Another example of using Friezes inside the temples to tell a story

Atlas on the right has the golden apples of hesperides

Phidias, sculpture of Zeus (Temple off zeus at olympia)

Made by Phidias

Huge structure of ivory, wood frame, gold, and many other precious materials.

It was taken to constantinople and burned in a palace

Early Classical Period

GREEK: HIGH CLASSICAL PERIOD

Kritios Boy

Myron, Diskobolus

Polykleitos, Doryphoros

Acropolis, Athens

Kritios Boy (High Classical Period) (Acropolis)

Found buried on acropolis hill (after persians sacked the city)

Smaller than lifesize

It is important because it is the first time an artist cares about how a human actually stands, and sculpting that. It's very naturalistic.

He is vertical but not ridgid. Flexible axis of the spine.

Contrapposto: puts more weight on one knee. Causes a subtle shifting of the body

Head turns and tilts, this breaks the traditional rule of formality which was used by all earlier statues

Myron, Diskobolus (High classical period)

This is a roman copy

They use marble rather than bronze because it costs less and is very abundant

Vigorous action statue

Frozen momentum

Polykleitos, Doryphoros (High classical period)

The cannon = “rules” most famous writing on art from the ancient world.

This sculpture was the demonstration of this treatise

The way to create a perfect statue was to design it based on a mathematical formula

Kallos + Eu = Symmetria (beautiful + good = perfect whole)

Basically, number patterns could be found in sculpture, nature, music

He made two sculptures at the same time (one always did what the crowd said, the other he used is math principles on) they loved his

Doryphoros is the culmination of the evolution in Greek statuary from the Archaic kouros to the Kritios Boy

Polykleitos’s aim was to impose order on human movement

Cross-balance: appears at first to be a natural pose, but is the result of an extremely complex and subtle organization of the figure’s various parts

Tense versus relaxed limbs

Dynamic asymmetrical balance

Golden ratio: symmetry, proportion, harmony

Phidias, Iktinos and Callicrates, Parthenon

Longest temple built in classical period

Trying to create the most perfect timple

Mathematically symmetrical, balanced, each part is in harmony = principle of symmetria

Proportions are consistent all the way to the roof tiles

Represents the culmination of all refinements greek artest had been aspiring to. This is why it is a masterpiece

Would have been very brightly painted

Iktinos was the architect

Kallicrates the contractor

Phidias the head sculpture

It had a bowed stylobate (top level)

Acropolis, Athens

In athens, this was a sanctuary to athena. It was sacked by the persians. Pericles began to rebuild it

Temples were vof

Purpose of a greek temple: provide connection between men and god, a focus of worship for visitors to leave offerings, perpetuate myths through visual means, primarily to house the cult statue in the cella

Iktinos

Kallicrates

Phidias

Iktinos was the architect

Kallicrates the contractor

Phidias the head sculpture

East pediment frieze, Parthenon (High Classical Period) (Phidias - sculpter)

Shows the story of athena

Also called the “Elgin Marbles” because of lord elgin

Wet drapery look

A form of horror vacui - filling in the space. They would have the pediment figures go to the very end to fill in space

Now on display in the british museum. From the east pediment

Thomas bruce was allowed to take a casting of it. He instead took the whole thing back to england (while the ottomans were in charge). They sunk in the sea. Three years and lots of money later they got them out.

West pediment frieze, Parthenon (High Classical Period) (Phidias)

The sculpture understood how clothing flowed and how the muscles and bones moved underneath.

Heavy folds in the garment both reveal and conceal the body.

There is a lot of movement. Natural body positioning for someone standing like that

Panathenaic procession frieze, north side (High Classical Period) (Phidias)

The panthonic procession. Every 4 years it started at the city gates and went up to the parthenon. The statue of athena was presented with a new dress.

This celebrates the people of athens just as much as athena.

Remarkable because it includes regular humans. No greek temple had ever done that

Shows the very high self-worth of the athenians