Introduction/General: Recognize: Genre: pictorial representations that represents scenes of events from every life.

e. Landscape: depiction of natural scenery Cityscape: urban equivalent of a landscape. High Relief: Relief comes from the Latin levo, to raise. When the mass of the scene projects from the background. Low Relief: Sunken in to the medium Still Life: vases, flowers, fruit, bowls Description/ Definition: Neolithic Ceremonial Architecture: Megalith:Mega (big or great) + lithos (rock or stone) Henge: circular pattern of stones Stonehenge: alignment from the center, east to the summer solstice Menhir: single standing vertical stone Crhomlec: usually refers to the remains of prehistoric stones, occasionally used to describe more complex megaliths. Cuneiform: wedge-shaped. Sumerians pressed it into clay tables with a stylus. One of the earliest known forms of written expression. Veneer: an outside cover, used often in architecture to fool the viewer. Realism: attempt to depict objects accurately and objectively Abstraction: depart from literal realism to capture the essence of a form. May simplify, distort, stylize, or transform the subject to achieve a desired expressive effect. Naturalism: closely linked to realism but often implies a grim or sordid subject matter. Idealization: strive to create images of physical perfection according to the prevailing values of a culture. The artist may work in a representational style or may try to capture an underlying or expressive reality. Elements of the Neolithic revolution: Took place about 10,000 years ago Cave Paintings 28,000-10,000 BCE Central/ southern France and northern Spain Reason?: To strengthen clan bonds and increase ceremonies to enhance animal fertility, rituals, places of worship, initiation rites, etc. The most dramatic paintings were of animals grazing, running and resting. Animal figures, and occasional human figures. Lascaux: One of the Great Bison: ca. 15,000- 13,000 BCE

 Smooth white limestone on celling and upper wall, rougher surface below. Utilized curving to suggest space Twisted perspective: horns, eyes, and hooves are frontal while heads and bodies are in profile. Attempt realism but there is also abstraction The wounded Bison: Only narrative: simplified guy lying on ground. Killed bison. May depict vision of a shaman. Story of the first hero, shit happens, a great warrior is dead. Altamira, Spain: More realism as opposed to abstraction (Lascaux) Possibly more reds Created sculptural effects by painting over an around natural irregularities. Essays: Two illustrations: write short essay on each: name the piece, talk about the piece (content, what its about). For example, Hierarchy of scale or if there are wild beasts and lions or bulls (gate of Ishtar). Details of the context and idea of possible meaning, bulls, lines, eagles. Essay is open ended meaning he will make a statement and ask me if I agree or disagree and why or why not. Woman from Willendorf: ca. 20,000 BCE 4-5 in. Medium: Limestone Colored: Red Ochre Female attributes: Exaggerated Extremities: Neutralized (arms, face, legs) No feet: never meant to stand on its own Fertility Figure? Spring: possibility of food and summer. Warmth, fruit.

Six: Stele of Hammurabi: ca. 1780 BCE Babylonian Black diorite

 Hammurabi at the top of a mountain talking to Shamash the sun god/god of justice. Shamash is enthroned on ziggurat. Fuller beard than Hammurabi. They stare directly at each other. The god gives the law to the king and they flow forth in horizontal lines of cuneiform. The God shamash gives Hammurabi the right to rule & to enforce the divinely appointed laws. the code of Hammurabi is considered an important document because it presents us with the first law code we have in history Victory Stele of Naram-Sin: ca. 2254 BCE Akkadian; limestone Naram-Sin: Ruler (Sargon's grandson) Celebrates a military victory of Naram-Sin Hierarchy of scale King at top. He is recognizable by his size, 3 Stars or flowers representing the gods/deities. The King is close to the gods, at the peek of a mountain. Wearing horned helmet-crown which he Is now entitled to wear/associated with deities. Message: this is the good, victorious ruler, the gods favor the ruler The Standard of Ur: ca. 2600 BCE Sumerian Hierarchy of Scale: The ruler or leader is portrayed larger than life. State of power and statement of propaganda. Two Sides: Peace War: Sumerian king is half a head taller. Chariots advance over the dead. Broad frontal shoulders, emphasized eyes, eyebrows and ears. Possibly two halves of a narrative. Could be war, or a banquet. People bringing tributes to the leader. Possibly giving thanks, or are new subjcets. Ishtar Gate: ca. 575 BCE Neo-Babylonian Glazed brick; low relief

 Double- arched Symbol of Babylonian power,guarded by four crenellations towers. Decorated with mushhushshu (mixture of dragons, snake, lion, and hind legs of bird of prey) and with Bulls You are entering the capital of an important city. A place where the King has power and authority over everyone. Ziggurat of Ur: ca. 2100 BCE Sumerian art Big mud-brick building. Dedicated to Nanna, also called Sin Ceremonial centers or temples. Each city had a ziggurat dedicated to its deity. Then deity was the god protector of its city and the people. Ziggurats have ramps while pyramids never have ramps. They (zig) were burial places. Don't confuse with Pyramid of Zahr. Located on site of earlier temple. Three sets of stairs converging at an entrance gate top the first of what were 3 platforms. Each platform's walls slope outward from top to base. Entire form resembles a mountain. Lamassu: ca. 883-859 BCE Assyrian- they were masters of intimidation. Human-Headed Winged Winged Lion Unique because it is made of a very difficult materia, alabaster, like jade, as opposed to limestone, Palace of Assurnasirpal II At Nimrud, Mesopotamia 10+ feet tall Guardian-protectors of palaces and throne rooms Symbolize the strength of the ruler they defend p 5 legs so they can be seen from the side and the front Forceful, forms, exquisite detail Other: Stonehenge Perhaps took 1000 years to build Post-and-lintel building; lintels grooved in place by the mortise-and-tenon system of construction.

Henge: circle of stones or posts, often surrounded by a ditch with built-up embarkments "Avenue" from henge towards northeast to a pointed gray sandstone megalith . Called the "heel stone." Sun rose directly over it. Center: horseshoe-shaped arrangement of 5 sandstone trilithons (pairs of upright stones topped by lintels). Some of the rocks used were imported from over 200 miles away (why? - part of mystery of Stonehenge) circular pattern - cromlech vertical pattern - menhirs straight rows alignments Statuettes from Tel-Asmara: ca. 2700 BCE What do the statues tell us about the worshippers? Votive figures When prayers are granted, an individual makes a little image of themselves. Most of the figures have their eyes very big. Many theories: (1) when you are granted a miracle you are in awe Lady/Woman from Brassempouy: ca. 22,00 BCE Medium: Ivory Sculptor... Contours= Human Head Neck? Brow line? Hair? There is a sensitivity, a desire to make something ascetically pleasing. Abstraction, pg.5

Lion Hunt: ca 640 BCE Assurnasirpal II Killing Lions Medium: Limestone (the book says Alabaster) Assyrian One of the oldest surviving narratives in art. Emotions in animals, not in humans.

 Deep cut low relied The fearsome beast defeated by the all-powerful king. Random stuff.. Upper Paleolithic= Burials, Complex shelters Architecture? "Enclosure of spaces with at least some aesthetic intent" Mammoth Bone Villages: 18-12 thousand years ago Aesthetics--Beauty Cultures have their own sets of values that define beauty Neolithic Revolution= ca. 10,000 years ago Settlement: Jericho Neolithic lasts to 2300 BCE Extends to Age of Metals (only important in passing, tools. Important in pushing the possibilities of building, make instruments that are useful; e.g. plow, weapons) Bronze Age: 2300 to 1000 BCE Ca. 32,000 years ago: sculptures (small under 10 in.), figurines (fertiliy figures), u people, animals, Medium: bone, ivory, stone, clay