Throughout history, civilizations have used art to reflect cultural values and express ideas. Art provides important insights into the cultures of the past and helps us to understand how different people lived and what they valued.
Perhaps one of the most defining and easily identifiable aspects of the ancient Greek culture was the immortalization of humans and gods in sculpture. Sculpture had existed in the world for thousands of years before the ancient Greeks made their stake in the art, but the Greeks added an entirely new set of aspects to their sculptures. Unlike the Egyptian and Mesopotamian sculpture centuries earlier, the Greeks set forth not just to capture the image of a man but to capture that which made him a man. The Greeks set in place three base tenants to display the tone of a sculpture. Through the use of Humanism, Realism, and Idealism the ancient Greeks were able to capture humans and gods forever in marble.
Egypt was one of the first River Valley Civilizations. In Egypt there were big advances in art, math and science and also pottery. We still use the same number system and they even had fractions back in that time. During the Old Kingdom times the pyramids were built. The pyramids were tombs for the pharaohs of Egypt. These pyramids are one of the most popular historical sites in the world.
Many people are familiar with the pyramids and tombs of Ancient Egypt, yet not as many know about the different types of art created by the lower classes. Documentaries, movies, and television shows rarely mention the more standard art that was created, that didn’t take years of hard labor to create. This art can be compared to the drawings that many people make today, as a hobby to do in their freetime. The only difference is that the Egyptians made art for more practical purposes, and rarely for fun. You would likely find a lot of these pieces in plebian burial sites, or packed away in museum storage. Though they lack the renown of the pyramids and tombs, the different styles and types of art created by the Ancient Egyptians have just as much value as the larger accomplishments, but for different reasons.
Between history and showcasing, the Greek and Egyptian are utilized quite brilliantly in the Museum's organization. They set precedents not only culturally and historically that the museum goer can trace throughout the other galleries, but an implication that one can learn a lot about the culture just by observing the very nature of how it was showcased—whether it be the open flow between cultures to implicate a deep connection, or a system of separation to indicate category and purpose—there is so much more to be taken than the mere observation of singular artifacts and summaries.
From the ornamented caves of the prehistoric era to the surreal colors of impressionistic paintings, art has always been a medium for conveying human thoughts and emotions. By analyzing this artwork, much can be learned about human history, tendencies, psychology, culture, and the like. For instance, by comparing a sunken relief of Horus—considered to be the Egyptian god of the sky, sun, and war—with the Torso of Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love, many hidden intricacies of Egyptian and Grecian civilization as well as the motives of the artists themselves can be revealed. Each piece of artwork was created in the same general time period (they are both ancient), composed of different materials, guided by social standards, and composed of a spiritual aura; within these similarities, however, lay a myriad of unique features.
Mesopotamia is a rich flat plain created by deposits from the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. At the southern end of this plain developed the first recognizable civilization, in the area known as Sumer. In 3000 B.C. Sumer contained a dozen or more city-states, each ruled by its own king and worshiped its own patron deity. The citizens of these city-states were classified into three classes: nobles and priests, commoners, and slaves. In the center of a Sumerian city usually stood a tower culminating in a temple for the patron god of the city. The Sumerians believed that this patron god owned the whole city. The Geography of this city helped a lot with the trade, and led to mathematics as well. The Sumerians developed a precise system of mathematical notation called the sexagesimal, in which the number sixty is the main element. We even use this system in our world today! The Sumerian’ chief contribution to later civilizations was writing, even though their script was pictographic.
We have many Greek vases that are a great example but many were uncovered by archaeologist and others like I explained earlier were preserved in tombs. All of the decorations on vases give us only a few ideas of Greek painting. Greek showed the love in growing spirit such as...
Greek culture has strongly influenced the modern world today. This culture has left behind many ideas, concepts, and different aspects of art. Greek city-states taught us that we can trade across large bodies of water, so many of our bigger cities form near the oceans. The first democracy to form was in the Greek city-state Athens. Today we see many problems with the democracy system, many of which Athens also encountered. Art and architecture from ancient Greece has also remained extremely influential to the modern world. In today’s society we rely on different ideas from Greek city-states, encounter the same problems in democracies like the Apology, and create buildings similar to the architecture from the Parthenon.
Before the beginning of history, people from across the land gradually developed numerous cultures, each unique in some ways while the same time having features in common. Mesopotamia and Egypt are important to the history of the world because of religious, social, political and economic development. Mesopotamia was the first civilization, which was around 3000 B.C., and all other countries evolved from it. Mesopotamia emerged from the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. The soil was rich and agriculture was plentiful. The Semitic nomads occupied the land around Akkad. The Sumerians established the city-states. Villages became urban centers. Because of the formation of the city-states everything flourished. However, Mesopotamian agriculture lacked stones; therefore mud brick became their major building block. Their diet consisted of fish from the rivers. The rivers were flooded frequently destroyed the cities. Mesopotamians made their living from crops and pottery.
Two main devices used in Egyptian art from the fourth dynasty, that also help classify it, are a strive for naturalism and the use of sculpture in the round. In addition to the large burial monuments being built, portraiture became quite popular at this time in history. Paintings featuring humans used their own form of "sculpture in the round" by painting in ...
The ancient Egyptians are known for many of the incredible aspects of their culture and everything they have produced. Some of the well known ancient Egyptian relics are the ones like the ancient pyramids, the Great Sphinx of Giza, mummies, and their many forms of art. Ancient Egyptian art is one of the most recognized styles of art. The most commonly known types of ancient Egyptian art are types like paintings, ceramics, and sculptures. Not only is Egyptian art beautiful, but it carries a huge deal of value and significance with it. A great portion of the time, the art has some kind of religious meaning to it. Consequently it is very difficult to discuss the art itself without delving into the various gods and goddesses presented in it. Something that particularly struck me about ancient Egyptian art was their proneness to use animals in their art. Not only do they use the animal’s full figure, but they also put individual parts on human bodies. This intrigued me because not many cultures have art that embrace animals to this extent. I will be exploring why the ancient Egyptians depict animals in their art repeatedly, and considering what they meant to them.
The Ancient Near-Eastern period of our history marks a very large fundamental change in the way human culture has evolved. At that time, growth of its people and cities had definite improvement on urban society, which has continued to prevail through the years as a major influence over our evolvement. The Artwork found from that period directly reflects that change and evolvement. Better soil, water accessibility, and easier means of trade with other civilizations provided the fabric for this new change. Pieces uncovered by archeologists such as wall reliefs, vases, coins, statues, and jewelry, really show a sophisticated society unlike any seen before its time. One can only imagine what type of people flourished in ancient Mesopotamia, also known as the “Fertile Crescent”. Through its villages and cities the Ancient Near Eastern people began to colonize and thus spark the first system of hierarchy. Priests and kings held the rite to the land and the people worshiped them as divine. Palaces in this time of government were adorned with great splendor. Grandiose statues and intricate wall reliefs gave them life. One piece in particular shows Assyria’s vision of worship and hierarchy. “Relief Showing the Head of a Winged Genius” visually depicts the role of worship and deity among this ancient Mesopotamian civilization.
Artists created their own unique style in Greek culture and with the creation of the Roman Empire, Greek artwork had been spread throughout the region. When the empire eventually split and faded from existence, Greek artwork had left its mark on the remaining civilizations. Because Byzantium had arisen from the ashes of the Roman Empire, Byzantine artwork incorporated aspects of Greek art within their own artwork. The purpose of this investigation is to compare and contrast art in ancient Greece and Byzantium. Recognizing the similarities and differences between two related cultures is vital in understanding the evolution of art from one culture to another. Within this investigation designs/patterns and symbols will be researched in the Greek Classical Period (ca. 480-323 BCE) and the Byzantine Golden Age (ca. 850-1050 BC). Artwork within the cities of Athens, Constantinople and others will be examined, examinations and conclusions determined by the Metropolitan Museum of Art will be inspected and online and print sources will be studied as well.
During these captivating times in the years of 300-1900 B.C.E, where the most exquisite masterpieces were born between the revolution of the Greeks and India. The use of colors, beading, gems and stone had birth a new beginning that will last a lifetime to come. Of course, not all of India and Greek art forms exist in its original state some has been remade to preserve its natural existence. Take a dive with me as we capture and explore the relation between man and God, compare similarities and differences between India and Greek art sculpture and look at a modern art that can capture both arts in one.