A Comparison of Two Statues
Art has many forms. One popular form of art created in ancient times were statues. A statue, as defined by Merriam-Webster (n.d.) as “a three-dimensional representation usually of a person, animal, or mythical being that is produced by sculpturing, modeling, or casting.” Cultures around the world have created statues for many different reasons. Here we will examine two ancient statues, The Royal Aquaintences Memi and Sebu, from ancient Egypt, and the Statue of Gudea, created by the Neo-Sumerians in Mesopotamia. The Royal Aquaintences Memi and Sebu is a carved limestone statue. It is a depiction of a man and woman, most likely partners, with the male, Memi, and female, Sebu, embrasing each other. This is not …show more content…
Egyptians buried lifesized statues with their dead, though usually a more common occurance for Royals. This couple is not royalty, but by the name, you can surmise that they were somehow connected to royalty. In this statue you can see that Memi somewhat towers over Sebu. He is sculpted much taller, which may indicate greater power as well as masculinity. (James, 2015) Memi and Sebu are also standing still, in contrast to many royal statues where the royals were stepping forward or moving, as to indicate they are “not a servant, standing still.” (James, 2015) These two are probably intimate partners as shown by how Sebu embrases Memi and Memi “reaches down to return her embrace, and rests his hand, familiarly, on her breast.” (Royal Ontario Museum, n.d.)
In stark contrast to The Royal Aquaintences Memi and Sebu, the Statue of Gudea is a depiction of a Royal. Gudea was the ruler of the city-state of Lagesh from ca. 2150–2125 B.C. (The Metropolitan Museum, 2017) Gudea was a ruler that built many temples. On this statue is inscribed a list of the many temples that he has built and and the words “Gudea, the man who built the temple; may his life be long." (The Metropolitan Museum, 2017) This statue was a representation of the ruler who is accredited with building great things and by the words on the statue, it is clear that this was to pay homage to
Art has many forms. One popular form of art created in ancient times were statues. A statue, as defined by Merriam-Webster (n.d.) as “a three-dimensional representation usually of a person, animal, or mythical being that is produced by sculpturing, modeling, or casting.” Cultures around the world have created statues for many different reasons. Here we will examine two ancient statues, The Royal Aquaintences Memi and Sebu, from ancient Egypt, and the Statue of Gudea, created by the Neo-Sumerians in Mesopotamia. The Royal Aquaintences Memi and Sebu is a carved limestone statue. It is a depiction of a man and woman, most likely partners, with the male, Memi, and female, Sebu, embrasing each other. This is not …show more content…
Egyptians buried lifesized statues with their dead, though usually a more common occurance for Royals. This couple is not royalty, but by the name, you can surmise that they were somehow connected to royalty. In this statue you can see that Memi somewhat towers over Sebu. He is sculpted much taller, which may indicate greater power as well as masculinity. (James, 2015) Memi and Sebu are also standing still, in contrast to many royal statues where the royals were stepping forward or moving, as to indicate they are “not a servant, standing still.” (James, 2015) These two are probably intimate partners as shown by how Sebu embrases Memi and Memi “reaches down to return her embrace, and rests his hand, familiarly, on her breast.” (Royal Ontario Museum, n.d.)
In stark contrast to The Royal Aquaintences Memi and Sebu, the Statue of Gudea is a depiction of a Royal. Gudea was the ruler of the city-state of Lagesh from ca. 2150–2125 B.C. (The Metropolitan Museum, 2017) Gudea was a ruler that built many temples. On this statue is inscribed a list of the many temples that he has built and and the words “Gudea, the man who built the temple; may his life be long." (The Metropolitan Museum, 2017) This statue was a representation of the ruler who is accredited with building great things and by the words on the statue, it is clear that this was to pay homage to