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Many of the rulers of Mesopotamian cultures used religion as backing to legitimize their power, this power was then shown in many of the artifacts we see today. One of the biggest examples is seen through the Stele of Hammurabi where Hammurabi is right there with the god of sun, Shamash, and is receiving the laws that are seen on the stele itself. Not only does that show that Hammurabi is chosen by the gods, but the fact that Hammurabi’s person is on the same level of the god himself show there is a connection between the two that isn’t present between Shamash and other men.
As for the second question, two of these sites – the Gate of Ishtar and Nanna Ziggurat – have been used by Saddam Hussein in an attempt to parallel himself with rulers of the old and their power. With this, I don’t think he intended to connect himself with the old gods with which the structures were connected, he merely wanted to draw the line of power with himself and the older rulers that built them as well.Aastogsdill,
I didn’t even think to view these images as teaching tools – I think that is an awesome concept and makes a lot of sense looking back at it. I agree with all your points as well. The desire to create something after ourselves (as a people) is an excellent point along with the fact that we really, truly, only understand ourselves (and even that can be a stretch sometimes). Great points!
Laura,
I love how you described prehistoric imagery as a ‘doodled’ look – I think that describes its style (for lack of a better word) very well, which is especially seen in the stick figures. I also agree with your statement on the art being “sophisticated, especially considering how long ago it was made.” I think that is a great way of putting it – I couldn’t think of that word when writing my response, but I think it is a good way to put it. I think the statues might be riding the edge between ‘sophisticated’ and ‘abstract,’ however, considering the recurring style seen in the female statues. I agree with everything else you have to say though!
I think to say that prehistoric imagery as a whole is abstract or abstracted is being somewhat ignorant – there are definitely some abstract aspects to prehistoric imagery / art, but not all of it falls under that category. I think the most abstract aspects of prehistoric imagery are the things we still cannot explain today or even begin to speculate about (ex: shapes in Newgrange). However, some of it is rather straightforward and we can narrow down the potential goals the original ‘artists’ had when creating the piece, such as the pottery found under the ‘Neolithic Pottery’ link, which is speculated to have been used as a mortar in ceremonial practices.
If we are to strictly observe the cave art itself as the ‘prehistoric imagery,’ then I believe it to only be slightly ‘abstracted’ and not entirely ‘abstract’ (haha). Once again I think the cave paintings would be mostly used for historic purposes (intentional or not) and storytelling, with the occasional ceremonial reasons. I am not sure how much symbolism or any of those abstract concepts could be thrown into them, because, similar to a story, the audience is what gives the piece meaning.
Today art is a way of expressing abstract feelings and I like to think back then was no different, however, they had other reasons for the creation of their art as well. Intentionally or not, I think it was their way of starting their own history – not necessarily with the intention of reaching us someday, but instead to keep within their people and families. Aside from that I think their art was for ritual purposes and storytelling (which was stated in the wings of the museum a couple times). I believe most of their representative imagery was used for historical and storytelling aspects whereas the symbolic arts were used in a much more spiritual manner which is why I think we cannot understand those ones today (for example, the symbols present in Newgrange or Stonehenge itself).
Hey Jessi,
I most definitely agree with your point on disagreeing with art being harmony. Harmony is such a weird word to use, because it feels like everything needs to be perfect and in sync, but with that there is (like you said) no room for the chaos / real emotion.
Part 1:
Definition of Art:
I looked up “art” on dictionary.com and the first definition I saw I disagreed with. It states that “the quality, production, expression, or realm, according to aesthetic principles, of what is beautiful, appealing, or of more than ordinary significance” and I don’t really agree with the second part of the definition. It might just be me, but it feels very subjective. It feels weird having the words ‘beautiful’ and ‘appealing’ in there, though they are some of the most common adjectives used to describe art of any kind. I can’t really put my thoughts in to words, because it feels weird to me that this definition states that art almost has to be beautiful, and I don’t think that necessarily all art is.Part 2: What is Art History? Why do we study the history of art? How does it help us understand the world in which we live?
Personally, when I think of Art History I think of pieces that have been in existence for an extremely long time and we still marvel at today (I immediately think of stuff like Notre Dame, Mona Lisa, or the Statue of David). We study art because I believe it is another way of storytelling – there is something behind each piece whether we know it or not. It is fascinating to know why (if there is a why) each piece was created and to look at the circumstances of the time to see the potential influence that had on it as well. I think all of that combined helps us understand the world in which we live because it shows what we value, or what we valued at the time of a certain art’s conception. There is a lot that goes into any art, especially what is valued, whether it is directly at the forefront of the piece or hidden behind layers and layers of hard work.Hey Maggie!
It is always crazy to see how fast dogs grow… It makes me miss seeing my own as puppies. I think it is super cool that you work at the large animal research station and it’s even cooler that you run your own small business selling paintings.P.S. The name Henry is great for a stuffed Musk Ox. Good luck this semester!
Hey Jessi!
I think it is really cool that you are pursuing a degree in Criminal Justice – it is something that has always interested me as well. If I wasn’t already about to complete an English Major, it would most likely be something I would go for as well. I really like the piece of art you shared in your intro video – I think it is really pretty!
Also, your cat’s name is awesome. Good luck this semester!
https://drive.google.com/file/d/151_AmUR9x93wD0ohqXjCqscv28id8C-N/view
Here is my introductory video – I look forward to having this class with everybody!
