The first work of art I chose is the Pair of Winged Deities. The works are of Assyrian origin, and were created circa 874 – 860 B.C.E. out of Gypsum. What drew me to these reliefs, and caused me to choose them, is the organized and rigid nature of them. Every detail, be it on the beards, wings, hair, or clothing, is clearly defined by deep indentations of solid, dark lines and curves. Though the faces and bodies are not particularly true to life in their depiction, their stylized nature gives them character and uniqueness. The two reliefs are typical of the Assyrian style, which can be reinforced by the fact that they are from the Northwest Palace of Ashurnasirpal II, a palace in which a number of walls are covered with such reliefs. One aspect
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This work, from Ancient Egypt, was carved from red granite circa 1400 B.C.E. The most fascinating part of this work of art, for me, was the face. Of the statues from Ancient Egypt I have seen, the faces are usually solemn and serene. In this statue of Amenhotep II, the face appears almost whimsical and amused. Though this is a somewhat trivial point, this aspect of the work of art is, in my opinion, what makes the work so different. The character depicted in the face of Amenhotep II shows a departure from the typical, almost rote, features of Pharaohs depicted in the form of statues. Otherwise, every other part of the work is traditional in every sense of the word (such as the crook and flail, and consideration towards …show more content…
This work is the head of what was once a full-length statue. It was sculpted out of marble circa 170-180 C.E. in Rome. One of the best aspects of the work, to me, is the ornate detail on the headband. The visible points on the head and neck that show where the marble has broken off only serve to heighten the sense of imagination as to what beautiful and masterfully crafted statue could have been attached to it. The face is calm and noble, almost self-assured, clueing you into the fact that this was someone of power or importance. The facial features are lifelike and serious, seemingly not emanating any sort of emotion. The work is not propaganda, to my knowledge, and if it were, the intended meaning would most certainly ambiguous. Though the lack of imperial iconography is somewhat of an oddity in prevalent Ancient Roman art, the work embodies all other aspects of their style and naturalistic
This work, from Ancient Egypt, was carved from red granite circa 1400 B.C.E. The most fascinating part of this work of art, for me, was the face. Of the statues from Ancient Egypt I have seen, the faces are usually solemn and serene. In this statue of Amenhotep II, the face appears almost whimsical and amused. Though this is a somewhat trivial point, this aspect of the work of art is, in my opinion, what makes the work so different. The character depicted in the face of Amenhotep II shows a departure from the typical, almost rote, features of Pharaohs depicted in the form of statues. Otherwise, every other part of the work is traditional in every sense of the word (such as the crook and flail, and consideration towards …show more content…
This work is the head of what was once a full-length statue. It was sculpted out of marble circa 170-180 C.E. in Rome. One of the best aspects of the work, to me, is the ornate detail on the headband. The visible points on the head and neck that show where the marble has broken off only serve to heighten the sense of imagination as to what beautiful and masterfully crafted statue could have been attached to it. The face is calm and noble, almost self-assured, clueing you into the fact that this was someone of power or importance. The facial features are lifelike and serious, seemingly not emanating any sort of emotion. The work is not propaganda, to my knowledge, and if it were, the intended meaning would most certainly ambiguous. Though the lack of imperial iconography is somewhat of an oddity in prevalent Ancient Roman art, the work embodies all other aspects of their style and naturalistic