unit 1: paleo-aegean

ARTH 101TEST 1

Paleolithic-Aegean

Test Format• 1) 5 slides• Artist: • Date: • Culture: • Significant Fact:

• 2) 1-2 mystery slide• Compare to another piece and give reason to why it's similar to

that• piece and it's time period/culture

Test Format, cont.• 3) Vocab • Could range from 5-10 vocabulary words. Remember to also connect the

word with a work of art/architecture learned in that unit, so should be about 2-3 sentences

• 4) Extra Credit• Questions/fill-in-the-blanks from subjects talked about in class or in the

readings

• 5) Essay• Could range from 3-5 questions, usually have to answer 2 in short essay

format. I always do an intro paragraph, 2 body paragraphs, and a conclusion. I make sure to AT LEAST have 4 works to relate to when answering the prompt

EXAMPLE TEST FORMAT: SlidesSlide #1:

Nude female (Venus of Willendorf), ca 28,000-25,000 BCE, Paleolithic; In this work, the artist shows no emphasis on face, but does show very enlarged breasts and swollen belly, which may have something to do with pregnancy and fertility.

EXAMPLE TEST FORMAT: Mystery slide

Slide #1:This work is comparable to the Nude

Female, also known as Venus of Willendorf, from ca 28,000-25,000 BCE of the Paleolithic period. It is comparable due to it’s emphasis on the enlarged breasts and belly, along with the triangular genital area, indicating it is a female. It also does not display a face which it shares in common with the Nude Female.

EXAMPLE TEST FORMAT: Vocab• Example:• Convention: • A convention is a specific way of depicting something by an

individual or a group that differs from optical reality. An example of a convention could be the convention of the flying gallop in Paleolithic art, seen in Lascaux’s Hall of Bulls from c 15,000-13,000 BCE of the Paleolithic period.

Vocab – Paleolithic/Neolithic • Paleolithic 350,000-7,000 BCE:

• “old stone age,” animals commonly depicted, more female than male depictions, small works so they can be portable, nomadic people due to food

• Neolithic 6,000-1,500 BCE: • “new stone age,” settled communities with domesticated animals/plants

• Prehistory • (non-written)

• History• (written records)

• Convention: • a specific way of depicting something by an individual or a group that differs from optical reality; aka not realistically depicted

• Twisted perspective: • example of a convention; more than one view of something at the same time

• Flying gallop: • when an animal’s front legs are forward and the back legs are back in a flying-like motion to depict movement

• Narrative: • a spoken or written account of connected events; a story

Human with feline head c. 40,000-35,000 BCE Paleolithic-humans depicted with animal characteristics- unsure on gender due to damage

Nude female (Venus of Willendorf) ca 28,000-25,000 BCE Paleolithic-no emphasis on face, but very enlarged breasts and swollen belly-may have something to do with pregnancy and fertility

Woman holding a bison hornca 25,000-20,000

Paleolithic-relief sculpture; carved into the rock-could represent a ritual practice that may have to do with fertility

Altamira, Bison ceiling12,000-11,000 BCE

Paleolithic-artists may have been inspired by the bumps in the ceiling to create these bison paintings-not found near the entrances; implies they had fire to provide light and lived far in the back to hid away, maybe to seek safe shelter or to keep paintings secret/sacred

Lascaux, Hall of Bullsc 15,000-13,000 BCE

Paleolithic-shows the Paleolithic convention of twisted perspective and flying gallop

Lascaux, Well scenec 15,000-13,000 BCE

Paleolithic-one of the only Paleolithic narrative scene, shows a male with a bird head-tried to hit the bison and its guts poured out, then the human got trampled-the bird could have been a spear or representation of clan

Pech-Merle, spotted horsesca 22,000 BCE

Paleolithic-more abstract than the bison paintings-made by chewing up the pigment and spitting it onto the wall “air brush painting”

Chauvet Cave, Auroch, horses, rhinosca 30,000-28,000 BCE

Paleolithic-illusion of motion; multiple heads-worlds earliest attempt of motion animation

Catal Hoyuk, Turkey, View of town, volcano painting

c 6,000 BCENeolithic

-no streets, walk on roofs, for protection-the world’s first landscape painting-shows volcano erupting, source of lively-hood (trade of obsidian)

Stonehengeca 2550-1600 BCE

Neolithic-probably used as a giant calendar-beam of line shines into the middle of monument to represent summer solstice-the stones fit together like Lego blocks

Vocab - Mesopotamia • Ziggurat:

• the raised platform in which the temple is raised, then you can find the temple on the highest level

• stele, stelai: • flat slab with decoration on one or both sides

• hierarchy of scale: • convention in which the people who are more important are shown unrealistically larger than the others in a work

• anthropomorphism: • animals are doing human like things

• barrel vault: • rounded tunnel-like vault

• narrative: • ex) standard of ur, telling of a story

• historical relief: • records an actual historic event

• registers: • organized rows, something that doesn’t appear in nature

White Temple and ziggurat, Urukca. 3200-3000 B.C.E.

Sumerian -shows example of convention of ziggurat-used mud tablets to build

Head from Urukca. 3200-3000 B.C.E.

Sumerian-made from marble, not a complete head-probably a women due soft face

Worshippers from Temple at Eshnunnaca. 2700 B.C.E.

Sumerian-small human figurines, image of worshippers-eyes oversized=paying attention to god

Standard of Urca. 2600 B.C.E.

Sumerian-unknown function-convention of registers and twisted perspective-example of narrative

Soundbox of lyre from Urca. 2600 B.C.E.

Sumerian-example of anthropomorphism, where you see a donkey and bear playing a bullheaded lyre

Copper head of ruler, Ninevehca. 2250-2200 B.C.E.

Akkad-cast-copper head-unknown who it is, maybe a ruler due to elaborate hair style

Stele of Naram-Sin2254-2218 B.C.E.

Akkad-the largest figure is the most important-also an example of historical relief-stars probably represent the gods

Votive disk of Enheduanna, Urca. 2300-2275 B.C.E.

Akkad-the first written record of literature known to history-shows that one role a women could have is a priestess

Ziggurat at Urca. 2100 B.C.E.

Neo-Sumerian-the bricks were fired, so it was still partially standing-has a center axis and two side staircases, not a place all people would go

Law Code of Hammurabica. 1780 B.C.E.

Babylon-8 feet high of solid basalt and displayed in public-implies people could read

Dur Sharrukin, Lamassuca. 720-705 B.C.E.

Assyria-heavily fortified to protect from war, ziggurat inside palace to protect temple and to show he has favor of gobsLamassu: wigged human-headed bull that was used to symbolized protection-contains 5 legs to show a formal bull up front, but also a bull in action from the side

Ashurbanipal hunting lionsca. 645-640 B.C.E.

Assyria-shows how the assyrians had great appreciation for lion’s will power

Ishtar Gateca. 575 B.C.E. Neo-Baylonia

-sacred to goddess to Ishtar, goddess of love and war

Persepolis, view of palaceca. 521-465 B.C.E.

Persia-”city of the Persians”-wanted to impress visitors, so made it huge-bull capitals to use to support ceiling beams

Relief with Persians and Medes at Persepolis

ca. 521-465 B.C.E. Persia

-raise out the stone relief, so more dimension/rounding

Vocab - Egypt• Egyptian conventions:

• profile eye, hieroglyphs, twisted perspective, two of the same hand, appreciation for nile river, use of registers • Pharaoh:

• the ruler of• Dynasty:

• the rule of a family• Rosetta Stone:

• slap of stone discovered by napoleon, important because it was like a key to unlocking the meaning of hieroglyphs; two forms of Egyptian writing with greek writing; breaking the code and understanding how the Egyptian writings worked

• Hieroglyphs cartouche: • sacred picture writing, rounded shape with a name of an important person inside

• mastaba: • “bench.” a slightly sloping sided tomb, burial place was underground to avoid grave robbers; believed spirits left the

tomb, so left an air shaft opening in tombs

Palette of Narmer3000-2920 B.C.E.

PreDynastic-contains an image of Narmer who is the larger figure(example hierarchy of scale)-show conquering his enemies-called a palette because on one side it has a circular indent used for mixing pigment for eye makeup

Imhotep, Step Pyramid of Djoserca. 2630-2611 B.C.E.

PreDynastic-one of first recorded artist-came up with the idea of a step-pyramid-stacked mastabas that get smaller-start to see (not free standing, attached to wall) columns that maybe got the idea from plants

Great Pyramids, Gizehca. 2500 B.C.E.

Old Kingdom- only surviving of ancient wonder- larger ones for pharaohs, smaller ones

for family members- largest one is 480 ft high, all solid rock

with small chambers

Khafreca. 2500 B.C.E.

Old Kingdom-attempted to make sculptures last forever by making limbs enclosed and connected and made out of hard stones-put falcon behind head to ensure the head wouldn’t fall off

Menkaure and Khamerenebtyca. 2500 B.C.E.

Old Kingdom-sculpture makes both genders look equal in power and rule-attempted to make sculptures last forever by making limbs enclosed and connected and made out of hard stones

Seated scribe 2500 B.C.E.

Old Kingdom- a professional who did all the writing for officials, shown as imperfect/realistic

Ti watching hippo huntca. 2450-2350 B.C.E.

Old Kingdom- contains an image of Ti who is the

larger figure ( example hierarchy of scale)

- Ti shown as formal and the slaves shown with realistic motions

Tombs at Beni Hasan ca. 1950-1900 B.C.E.

Middle Kingdom-cut out of the rock itself- now see free-standing columns

Head of Senusret III ca. 1860 B.C.E.

Middle Kingdom-when you see images of this pharaoh, he looks sad-maybe a real portrait to capture character of person

Senmut, Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut

c. 1450 B.C.E. New Kingdom

-architecture echoes the geological surroundings-has a center axis-what the Greeks were inspired by

Hatshepsut with offering jarsca. 1450 B.C.E.

New Kingdom-Declared herself as pharaoh-showed herself as a male in her art work

Temple of Amen-Re, Karnakbegun 15th c. B.C.E.

New Kingdom-Restored view, 13th c BCE: shows the main temple and sacred pool; has a central axishypostyle hall, 13th c. B.C.E.: reliefs were sunk in in hopes to preserve them longer, along with painting them as well, contains a clerestory

Fowling Scene, Tomb of Nebamunca. 1400 B.C.E.

New Kingdom-contains the conventions of twisted perspective and hierarchy of scale-animals also shown in much more realistic way than humans

Akhenatonca. 1350 B.C.E.

Amarna Period-made changes to Egyptian art-started a brand new city, called Amarna and made radical changes such as believing in only one God, Aton, seems to combined both genders

Thutmose, Nefertitica. 1353-1335 B.C.E

Amarna Period-co-ruled with husband, Nefertiti-found in his workshop, maybe a model for another sculpture-shows more of the structure of under the skin

Akhenaton, Nefertiti, and daughters relief

ca. 1353-1335 B.C.E.Amarna Period

-shows the Aton, the sun with rays,-shows affection which was uncommon in Egyptian art

Tiye ca. 1353-35 B.C.E.:

Amarna Period-Mother of Akehnaton, seems like a portrait, deep lines and intense face-originally had headdress of a goddess but Akhenaton made her cover it up

Death mask of Tutankhamunca. 1323 B.C.E.

Amarna Period-Reversed all the rules Akhenaton had made-shows his youth, died at age 18

Temple of Rameses II, Abu Simbelca. 1250 B.C.E.

Amarna Period-colossal size and idealization of Rameses-shifts back to the way it was before the Amarna period

Last Judgment, Book of the Dead c. 1290-1280 B.C.E.

Amarna Period-instruction manual of what you needed to do in the underworld-when you come to the judgment, it’s a scale between a feather vs your heart; if it’s not too heavy from sins, you receive eternal life

Temple of Horus, Edfuca. 247-37 B.C.E.

Amarna Period-very tall gateway with a center axis, which was a convention of Egyptian architecture

Vocab - Aegean• Aegean Art – Bronze Age:

• 2800-1100 B.C.E.• Cycladic/Cyclades:

• 2800-2000 B.C.E.• Minoan:

• conventions of bulls, marine life, asymmetry, • Minos/Crete:

• 2800-1200 B.C.E, named after King Minos• Mycenaean:

• Mycenae, Greece , 1600-1200 B.C.E., depicted war scenes and weapons, conquered Minoans• Evans labyrinth:

• Arthur Evans, archaeologist who went searching for King Minos’ palace, found Knossos, maybe actually be a temple; labyrinth: “place of the double axes”

• Minotaur: • bulls head with body of human,

• Homer: • wrote Iliad, Odyssey: which talked about the Aegean cultures

• Megaron: • palace, place for a ruler, or a temple; has porch along with throne room, with columns

• corbel vault : • the stones cave towards each other until they meet, making a point

• tholos tomb• burial place for dynasties (familes) that contained beehive tombs

Cycladic figurinesca. 2500-2300 B.C.E.

Cycladic-marble flat slabs-cannot stand up by selves due to pointed feet-mainly females

Lyre player c. 2700 B.C.E.

Cycladic-more features that are detailed compared to female-males are usually doing something unlike women figurines

Kamares jar c. 1800-1700 B.C.E.

Minoan-sacred cave were this type of pottery was found- most of the background are black with decoration in red, yellow and white, subjects of sea creatures/marine life

Knossos, planc. 1700-1400 B.C.E.

Minoan- looks like a labyrinth, asymmetrical

Bull-leaping frescoc. 1450 B.C.E.

Minoan-convention of skin color, men tan and women pale

Thera, Landscape with Swallows

ca. 1650 B.C.E.Minoan

- Minoans enjoyed doing landscape painting with no people represented

Octopus jarc. 1500 B.C.E.

Minoan-minoan style of marine life, abstraction, and asymmetrical

Octopus jarc. 1500 B.C.E.

Minoan- minoan style of marine life, abstraction, and asymmetrical

Tiryns, plan with megaron 1400-1200 B.C.E.

Mycenaean- very thick walls and one main entrance due to being very defensive from war

Mycenae, Lioness gate 1300 B.C.E.

Mycenaean- compared to minoan art, it is symmetrical and rigid

Mask from Mycenaec. 1600-1500 B.C.E.

Mycenaean-could possibly be Egyptian gold, showing how they had exchange with Egypt

Dagger from Mycenaec. 1600-1500 B.C.E.

Myceneaen- shows the appreciation for violence, with depictions of animals to express power

Tholos tomb (Treasury of Atreus)

c. 1300 B.C.E.Myceneaen

-burial places for dynasties-contained beehive tombs

Warrior vasec. 1200 B.C.E.

Myceneaen-compared to minoan, this shows more appreciation for violence, less abstract and focus on line and structure

Questions?