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78 Cards in this Set
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incise |
to cut into a surface with a sharp instrument; also a method of decoration usually on metal or pottery |
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Contour Line Drawing |
In art, a continuous line defining the outer shape of an object. It shows the outlines, shapes, and edges of a scene, but omits fine detail, surface, texture, color, and tone. (Contour=Outline) |
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Composite View/Twisted Perspective |
A convention of representation in which part of a figure is shown frontally. |
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Schematic |
( of a diagram or other representation) *symbolic and simplified. |
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Megalithic |
Greek, "great stone." A large roughly hewn stone used in the construction of monumental prehistoric structures. |
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hierarchy of scale |
An artistic convention in which greater size means greater importance. |
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stele |
A carved stone slab used to mark graves or to commemorate historical events. A stone slab placed vertically and decorated with inscriptions and reliefs. |
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intaglio |
A graphic technique in which the design is incised, or sketched, on metal plate, engraving manually. The incised lines of the design take the ink, making this the reverse of the woodcut technique. |
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stylized |
a manner of representation that confronts to an intellectual or artistic idea rather than to naturalistic appearances. Ex: "I heart NY" |
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idealized |
regard or represent as perfect or better than in reality |
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polychrome |
painted, printed, or decorated in several colors |
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atlantid |
a muscular male nude, either carved or painted, acting as a column or pillar carrying an architectural element. |
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sunken relief |
image carved below the original surface of the background, which is not cut away. |
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hypostyle hall |
a large interior room characterized by many closely spaced columns that support its roof. |
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relieving triangle |
In Mycenaean architecture, the triangular opening above the lintel that serves to lighten the weight to be carried by the lintel itself. |
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cyclopean masonry |
A method of stone construction named after the mythical cyclopse, using massive, irregular blocks without mortar, characteristics of the Bronze Age fortifications of Tiryns and other Mycenaean sites. |
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megaron |
The large reception hall in a Mycenaean palace, fronted by an open, two columned porch. |
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fresco |
Painting on lime plaster, either dry (fresco secco) or wet (true fresco). In the latter method, the pigments are mixed with water and become chemically bound to the freshly laid lime plaster. Also, a pinging executed in either method. |
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Linear A |
was the primary script used in palace and religious writings of the Minoan civilization. |
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Faience |
A low fired opaque glasslike silicate |
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Corbeled arch |
An arch formed by the piling of stone blocks in horizontal courses, cantilevered inward until the blocks meet at a key stone. |
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Name: Women of Willendorf Artist: N/A Style: Prehistory Symbolizes: fertility |
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Name: Hall of the Bulls-Cave of Lascaux
Artist: N/A Style: Prehistory Extra: outlines of animals, twisted perspective (horns), and earliest examples of human visual communication. |
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Name: Catal Hoyuk Artist: N/A Style: Prehistory |
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Name: Stonehenge
Artist: N/A Style: Prehistory Symbolizes: sacred place vs solar calendar Extra: In England |
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Name: He-goat or "ram caught in thicket"
Artist: N/A Style: Mesopotamian Symbolizes: Ur is supposed to be the birth place of Abraham who sacrificed such a ram in lieu of his son, Isaac. However, archaeologists believe that it is really a goat standing on its hind legs eating the leaves of a tree. |
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Name: Head of the Akkadian Ruler
Artist: N/A Style: Mesopotamian Symbolizes: embodies new concept of absolute monarchy Extra: sculpture; beard, ears, eyes mutilated, symbol of power and senses destroyed on the head |
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Name: Ashurbanipal hunting lions
Artist: N/A Style: Mesopotamia Symbolizes: the power of the lions = his strength Extra: propaganda image; he is calm & fearless & of same size as the rest to depict that his heroic nature is of actions rather than size. |
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Name: Ishtar Gate
Artist: N/A Style: Mesopotamian Symbolizes: Not only for defense, but also meant to impress people; that the city was so wealthy & powerful that a defensive structure could be made beautiful. |
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Name: Persepolis Artist: Darious 1st & Xerxes Style: Mesopotamian |
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Name: Palette of King Narmer
Artist: N/A Style: Egyptian (predynastic) Symbolizes: ritual palatte used for cosmetics Extra: sculpture; tells a story about uniting ancient Egypt; King Narmer defeats lower Egypt |
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Name: The Great Pyramids of Giza
Artist: N/A Style: Egyptian (Old Kingdom) Extra: giant monuments to dead pharaohs |
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Name: Ti watching a Hippopotamus hunt
Artist: N/A Style: Egyptian (Old Kingdom) Symbolizes: hieratic scale (Ti is double anyone else's size = his high status; Hippo = chaos. & success in hunt = fight against evil. Extra: Painted relief in the mastaba of Ti |
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Name: Hypostyle Hall from the Temple of Amen-Re
Artist: N/A Style: Egyptian (New Kingdom) Extra: Huge columns, tightly packed together, admitting light into the sanctuary |
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Name: Akhenaton, Nefertiti, and 3 daughters
Artist: N/A Style: Egyptian (Amarna Period) Extra: Heads and necks were elongated; hips, thighs, and buttocks were enlarged and the royal family was shown interacting in a loving manner. |
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Name: Death mask of Tutankhamen
Artist: N/A Style: Egyptian (New Kingodom) Extra: gold sculpture; smoothly idealized features of the boy-king |
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Name: Male Lyre player Artist: N/A Style: Aegean (Cycladic) Extra: sculpture in the round; geometric essentials; maybe votive figure; Marble |
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Name: Bull-leaping Fresco
Artist: N/A Style: Aegean (Minoan) Symbolizes: Maybe an initiation or fertility ritual or sport Extra: Knossos; wall painting; femalle=pale skinned & male = red skinned; pinched waist |
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Name: Marine Style Octopus Jar
Artist: N/A Style: Aegean (Minoan) Extra: Tentacles embrace shape and emphasize volume; dark shape on light background; tentacles follow contours of vase; Crete |
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Name: Snake Goddess
Artist: N/A Style: Aegean (Minoan) Symbolizes: bare chest indicative of fertility goddess; feline on head = protection of the home Extra: dress depicts contemporary fashion; Knossos |
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Name: Lion Gate
Artist: N/A Style: Aegean (Mycenaean) Symbolizes: the lion = Mycenaean power Extra: relieving triangle; corbeled arch; lion stone slab carved in high relief; lions glared at visitors demanding fear; post column between lions = the palace |
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Name: Funerary Mask
Artist: N/A Style: Aegean (Mycenaean) Extra: Repousse (gold hammered into relief from reverse side); placed on the face of the deceased in funerary ritual. |
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Describe sculpture in the round & relief sculpture. Also, be able to identify them in images. |
Relief Sculpture: sculpture in which images are set against a flat background (ex: a coin). Sculpture in the round : freestanding, attached to no background (ex: most statues & portrait busts). |
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Know the difference between additive sculpture and subtractive sculpture. Be able to identify in images. |
Additive: is a kind of sculpture technique in which materials (like clay) are added or built up to create form. Subtractive: is a kind of sculpture technique in which materials are taken away from the original mass; ex: carving. |
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How did these ancient artists use the natural contours of the cave walls to enhance their paintings? Why might they have done this? |
Typically, the outline of the image was drawn on the cave wall either by scoring on the surface of the rock with a sharpened stone or by applying a black outline using charcoal. Then, the drawing of the animal would be colored or filled in with red ochre pigments. Then, the body would be shaded it black to give 3-dimension ideals. Depending on wether or not the contour of the cave wall made it necessary, additional engraving or even sculpting would be applied to boost volume and relief. |
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What is the difference between Negative and Positive Images? Be able to identify them too. |
Negative: when the painter placed one hand against the wall and then brushed or blew or spat pigment around it. Positive: when the painter dipped a hand in the pigment and then pressed it against the wall. |
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A contour line drawing is a basic artist concept. How did these ancient artists use this concept in their art? How do artists use contour line drawings today? |
Cave painters used contour lines to define the shapes of the animals. Today, a contour drawing shows the outlines, shapes, and edges of a scene, but omits fine detail, surface texture, color, and tone. |
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The people of Catal Hoyuk constructed their city in a unique way. How did they construct their buildings, and why might they have done this? |
Rectangular flat-roofed houses stuck together with back to back walls. No ground level doorways. Entrance from roof only, by climbing down a ladder. Possibly arranged for defense. Raised bench around 3 sides of the room, apparently for sleeping, activities, and burials underneath too. Houses made of mud brick. There were only holes on the roof to let out smoke. |
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What is narrative composition and give an example... |
It is a painting or sculpture representing stories or events... Ex: The Standard of Ur; the Sumerian artist depicted a battlefield victory in 3 registers. The barative reads from bottom to top, and the size of the figures varies with their importance in society. |
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Using Jericho as an example, explain how people during the Neolithic period lived differently than the people of the Paleolithic period... |
Paleolithic: humans create 1st sculptures & paintings; Works range form tiny figurines to life-size paintings on walls; they were hunters & gatherers moving from one place to the next for survival & food. Neolithic: 1st settled communities; artists began to make 1st monumental sculptures, the earliest paintings w/coherent narratives, the 1st large scale constructions were built like settlement towers and walls-such as Jericho-, and ceremonial sites like the Stonehenge. |
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What natural landscape element do the ziggurats mimic? Why would the Mesopotamians want to mimic this feature? |
Ziggurats were built to house the gods. It was a temple not a tomb. Where as pyramids had passageways inside. They were tombs for pharaohs symbolizing the power of the deceased & giving them access to the afterlife. They had no temples nor were they for worshiping gods. Ziggurats were meant to lead one up towards the heavens by ascending a staircase. Pyramids & ziggurats both had religious & political purposes, but they were with different ideals. Ziggurats have steps going up while pyramids generally have a long stretch of stairs leading down. |
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Why do we only have the face mask of female statue of Inanna from Uruk instead of the whole statue? |
The missing body was probably decked out in expensive fabrics and jewels. |
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Hierarchy of scale is a way to depict social rank and status based on the most important person as the biggest. Why would this be so important to a community that they felt the need to create a symbolic way of depicting all the "little people", well, as little and the "big people" as big? How is it used in the Warka Vase? Be able to identify this concept in artwork. |
The Warka Vase is the earliest known work of narrative relief to date. As the viewer's eyes move upward, the size of the registers increases, indicating that the importance of what is being depicted is greater (animals were more depicted than crops, humans more than animals, etc.) The uppermost register depicts the goddess Inanna herself. She is the largest figure & is located in the largest band, indicating her significance and high importance. |
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What have the scholars deduced about the eyes from these statuettes & written sources? |
Because the purpose of the figures was to offer constant prayer to the gods on their donor's behalf, the open-eyed stares most likely symbolized the eternal wakefulness necessary to fulfill their duty. Similar figurines from other sites have inscriptions with the name of the donor & the god & even the exact prayers to the deity on the owner's behalf. |
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How does the He-goat of Ur express fertility? |
The goat was seen as sacred to Dumuzid, the shepherd god, whose marriage to Inanna was an important mythological event associated with agricultural abundance. Plus, the tree = life= fertility |
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What were seals and how were they used? |
Mesopotamian cylinder seals are small cylinders, generally made of stone and pierced through from end to end so that they could be worn on a string or pin. The surface of the cylinder was carved in intaglio (cut into the stone) with a design, so that when rolled on clay the cylinder would leave a continuous impression of the design, reversed & in relief. Cylinder seals were linked to the invention of cuneiform writing on clay. Sealing discouraged unauthorized people from secretly gaining access to goods or information. |
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What can we tell about music during this period form the Grave goods from Ur? |
The Mesopotamians had singers, percussion (drums & bells), wind instruments (flutes & horns), and stringed instruments (the lyre & the harp). Music was for the wealthier citizens and an integral part of a banquet & even private meals. The queen Ur loved music so much that with the help of a sleeping potion she took her musicians with her into the beyond. Mesopotamians listened to music while drinking beer or reading or relaxing in their home or garden. We watch a shepherd playing his flute and a dog sits and listens to it. |
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What is a Hollow-Cast sculpture and give an early example of this? |
It is the casting in a mold by lining the walls of the mold with layers of sculpture material rather than filling up the mold. Ex: Head of the Akkadian Ruler, from Nineveh |
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Stele of Hammurabi has words & images on it. What is the connection between the two & how would that effect the viewers understand of what they saw? |
The stele shows the people that the god is giving the king the authority to make justice through the sculpture on top of the judgement laws below it. The composition was intended for the gods, especially Marduk & Shamash (the god of justice). Entrusting the king with the administration and equitable application of the principles of "truth & justice." It was to bring honor & blessings upon the king himself. The oppressed & the victims of miscarriage of justice would be the second intended audience as the would find solace & comfort in Hammurabi's application of justice. |
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How do the Ishtar Gates show Nebuchadnezzar the second's desire to connect himself with the gods? |
The Ishtar Gate is named so, b/c it was dedicated to the Babylonian goddess Ishtar, although Nebuchadnezzar pays homage to other Babylonian deities through various animal representations. The animals represented on the gate are young bulls, lions, & dragons. They represent certain deities. Lions with Ishtar, bulls with Adad, & dragons with Marduk. Ishtar was a goddess of fertility, love, war, & sex; Adad was a weather god; & Marduk was the chief or national god of Babylon. |
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What can we tell about the rulers of this region by looking at how structures like Dur Sharrikin, Northwest Palace of Ashurnasirpal the second, & Persepolis were built and the art that was created for the walls? |
Assyrian kings were confident in their all conquering might, but its strong defensive walls also reflect a society ever fearful of attack during a period of constant warfare. They are works of art with an unmistakable political mission in just one of many cultures that rose & fell in the ancient Near East. |
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What is a Lamassu & what was its purpose? |
They are extraordinary guardian-protectors of palaces & throne rooms. They may combine the bearded head of a man, the powerful body of a lion or bull, the wings of an eagle, & the horned headdress of a god. They often have 5 legs, so that when seen from the front they appear immobile, but when views from the side they seem to be in motion. They are around 2x a person's height symbolizing the strength of the ruler they defend. The detailing of their beards, feathers, and jewels testifies to boundless wealth, which is power. These fantastic composite beasts inspire civic pride and fear. |
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How does Narmer show he is king over both Upper & Lower Egypt in the Palette of King Narmer? |
Narmer is the largest figure, wears the cobra crown of lower Egypt & is reviewing the beheaded bodies of the enemy. Narmer is preceded by four standard bearers & a priest & followed by his foot washer/sandal bearer. Narmer has a symbol of strength, the bull's tail, at his waist; wears a bowling pin-shaped crown as king of united Egypt. He stands on scared ground as a divine king. Defeated Egyptians lie beneath his feet. |
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What is the name of the first architect we know in history? |
Imhotep; a royal diplomat & priest as well as an architect, made first work with named artist. |
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What colors were sexes painted? |
Females were plea white & males were dark orange or light brown. |
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What message did the pharaohs want to communicate by the way they were presented in their statues? |
They were made of stone to ensure a permanent substitute home for the Ka if the deceased mummy was destroyed. Statues with flawless bodies & faces considering ideal proportions were perfect to represent their god-kings. The purpose was to proclaim the divine nature of Egyptian kingship. |
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What important belief about the afterlife dictated the need to have a blocky stable statue? |
The egyptians believed that a person had a life force, which continued on after the living body passed away. The Ka, however, still needed some type of body. This is why Egyptians preserved corpses through mummification.The simplification of the human figure was carried to its ultimate in the block statue, a uniquely Egyptian type that represents the subject squatting on the ground with knees drawn up close to his body. They were set up in temples. They were inscribed with texts that offered prayers for the person depicted, providing their owner with a permanent presence within the temple's sacred halls, courts, or chapels. |
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In comparison to the pharaohs, how is The Scribe depicted? |
It is not a Pharaoh, since it is a wooden sculpture w/a sagging chest & has realistic rather than idealistic features. It is naturalistic & a person who learns hieroglyphs. Amazingly lifelike, but not a portrait, rather, a conventional image of a scribe. Attentive expression; thin, angular face which contrasts w/the ideally portrayed pharaoh. |
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Why was it important for Hatshepsut to associate herself with the gods at her Mortuary Temple? |
The reliefs show her divine birth & coronation. She was said to be the daughter of the sun god, whose sanctuary was on the temple's upper most level. |
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What did an Obelisk represent? |
A tall, thin, four-sided shaft of tapering stone that rises to a pyramidal point..in front of temples. It symbolized a petrified ray that penetrates the clouds & disperses negative forces that accumulate in for of storms. Indicates protection, defense, & stability. They honor the solar god RA. Egyptians believed that solar rays held immense power that followed a person to the grave & had the potential to bring about resurrection. |
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WHat are we witnessing in the scroll of the Last Judgement of Hu-Nefer? |
The scroll of Hu-Nefer was found in the Theban necropolis and represent the final judgement of the deceased. Anubis, the jackal-headed god of embalming, leads Hu-Nefer into the hall judgment. The god than adjusts the scales to weigh the dead man’s heart against the feather of the goddess Maat, protectress of truth and right. A hybrid crocodile-hippopotamus-lion monster awaits the decision of the scales. The ibis-headed god Thoth records the proceedings. The gods are witnesses. Having been justified by the scales, Hu-Nefer is brought by the falcon-headed Horus to receive the award of eternal life.
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Describe the characteristics of Cycladic Sculpture? |
Cycladic tombs produced many sculptures which were initially painted; their use is still questionable. Most numerous were the female figurines. Females: had slender feet that couldn't have supported downwards to the weight of the work. Males: more tubular than females. Both sexes followed simple geometric shapes. |
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What characteristics in the design of the Palace of Knossos make Art Historians & Archeologists think it is related to the story of the Minatar? |
A legend says that King Minos ruled Athens & forced Athenians to deliver 7 youths & 7 maidens every 9 years. They became prey of the Minotaur in the labyrinth. A monster w/the body of a man & the head of a bull. Sacrifices ended when Theseus went to Crete to be scarified, but killed the monster once inside. He got out with the help of Ariadne. The palace was designed by Dedalos so that no one could find the exit. King Minos imprisoned the architect so the exit wouldn't be revealed. The Labyrinth was the dwelling of the Minotaur in Greel Myth & many associate the palace of Knossos w/the legend of Theseus killing the Minotaur. |
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What engineering concepts were used in the stairwells by the Minoans to help keep their buildings standing during & after earthquakes? |
At the back of the palace is a staircase which unfolds around & it is flanked by a gutter that leads water to the bottom. Columns were made of wood, which is flexible when wet. |
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What were the characteristics & materials used in Minoan columns? |
Minoans fashioned their columns of wood & painted the shafts red. The columns had black cushion like capitals. The shafts taper from a wide top to a narrower base, the opposite of Egyptian and later Greek columns. |
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The Minoans painted grand frescos. We can determine/assume certain things about Minoan life from these frescos. What did Minoan life seem to be like based on the frescos? |
That the essence of the island included vivid colored rocks, graceful lilies, cool island breezes, flower delicacy, & birdsong in flight. Mural paintings adorned the Knossos palace depicting Minoan life and nature such as bull-leaping for sport, ceremonies, animals, and flowers. |
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The Minoans didn't put walls around their cities, but the Mycenaeans did. What can we tell about how safe the people felt in these cities due to their architectural designs? |
Mycenaean architecture: Entrance to the complex was through a columned or vaulted passageway leading to a grand hall or megaron. The Late Helladic fortress palace was typically built into the side of mountain w/the valley below in full view for defensive purposes. The interior structures were surrounded by a great wall comprised of huge, rough cut stones as well. Minoan architecture: the islands didn't have to build fortification, since the sea provided Crete w/a natural defense against invasions. Emphasis was put on comfort, light, and space, and adjustment to the hot climate. |
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What can we tell about the travel & trade practices of the Mycenaeans by looking at the Inlaid Dagger blade w/Lion Hunt? |
Population grows, trade commences, Olympic games are established, epic poems (i.e. Homer) were written down. One thing the Myceneans did not copy from the Minoans was their skill in metalwork, especially inlay on swords or dagger blades. The dagger-blade from Grave Circle A at Mycenae, with lion-hunting scenes on opposite sides (16th century). The scenes are reminiscent of similes and descriptions in Homer.
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