UNIT 1: Paleolithic - Aegean Art Dr. Downing, ARTH 101 SUNY Potsdam

1. ARTH 101
TEST 1
Paleolithic-Aegean

2. Test Format
• 1) 5 slides
• Artist:
• Date:
• Culture:
• Significant Fact:
• 2) 1-2 mystery slide
• Compare to another piece and give reason to why it's similar to
that
• piece and it's time period/culture

3. Test Format, cont.
• 3) Vocab
• Could range from 5-10 vocabulary words. Remember to also connect the
word with a work of art/architecture learned in that unit, so should be about
2-3 sentences
• 4) Extra Credit
• Questions/fill-in-the-blanks from subjects talked about in class or in the
readings
• 5) Essay
• Could range from 3-5 questions, usually have to answer 2 in short essay
format. I always do an intro paragraph, 2 body paragraphs, and a conclusion. I
make sure to AT LEAST have 4 works to relate to when answering the prompt

4. EXAMPLE TEST FORMAT: Slides
Slide #1:
Nude female (Venus of Willendorf), ca
28,000-25,000 BCE, Paleolithic; In this work,
the artist shows no emphasis on face, but
does show very enlarged breasts and swollen
belly, which may have something to do with
pregnancy and fertility.

5. EXAMPLE TEST FORMAT: Mystery slide
Slide #1:
This work is comparable to the Nude
Female, also known as Venus of Willendorf, from ca
28,000-25,000 BCE of the Paleolithic period. It is
comparable due to it’s emphasis on the enlarged
breasts and belly, along with the triangular genital
area, indicating it is a female. It also does not
display a face which it shares in common with the
Nude Female.

6. EXAMPLE TEST FORMAT: Vocab
• Example:
• Convention:
• A convention is a specific way of depicting something by an
individual or a group that differs from optical reality. An
example of a convention could be the convention of the flying
gallop in Paleolithic art, seen in Lascaux’s Hall of Bulls from c
15,000-13,000 BCE of the Paleolithic period.

7. Vocab – Paleolithic/Neolithic
• Paleolithic 350,000-7,000 BCE:
• “old stone age,” animals commonly depicted, more female than male depictions, small works so they can be portable, nomadic
people due to food
• Neolithic 6,000-1,500 BCE:
• “new stone age,” settled communities with domesticated animals/plants
• Prehistory
• (non-written)
• History
• (written records)
• Convention:
• a specific way of depicting something by an individual or a group that differs from optical reality; aka not realistically depicted
• Twisted perspective:
• example of a convention; more than one view of something at the same time
• Flying gallop:
• when an animal’s front legs are forward and the back legs are back in a flying-like motion to depict movement
• Narrative:
• a spoken or written account of connected events; a story

9. Human with feline head
c. 40,000-35,000 BCE
Paleolithic
-humans depicted with animal characteristics
- unsure on gender due to damage

11. Nude female (Venus of Willendorf)
ca 28,000-25,000 BCE
Paleolithic
-no emphasis on face, but very
enlarged breasts and swollen belly
-may have something to do with
pregnancy and fertility

13. Woman holding a bison horn
ca 25,000-20,000
Paleolithic
-relief sculpture; carved into the rock
-could represent a ritual practice that may
have to do with fertility

15. Altamira, Bison ceiling
12,000-11,000 BCE
Paleolithic
-artists may have been inspired by the
bumps in the ceiling to create these
bison paintings
-not found near the entrances; implies
they had fire to provide light and lived
far in the back to hid away, maybe to
seek safe shelter or to keep paintings
secret/sacred

17. Lascaux, Hall of Bulls
c 15,000-13,000 BCE
Paleolithic
-shows the Paleolithic convention of
twisted perspective and flying gallop

19. Lascaux, Well scene
c 15,000-13,000 BCE
Paleolithic
-one of the only Paleolithic narrative
scene, shows a male with a bird head
-tried to hit the bison and its guts
poured out, then the human got
trampled
-the bird could have been a spear or
representation of clan

21. Pech-Merle, spotted horses
ca 22,000 BCE
Paleolithic
-more abstract than the bison paintings
-made by chewing up the pigment and
spitting it onto the wall “air brush
painting”

23. Chauvet Cave, Auroch, horses, rhinos
ca 30,000-28,000 BCE
Paleolithic
-illusion of motion; multiple heads
-worlds earliest attempt of motion
animation

25. Catal Hoyuk, Turkey, View of town,
volcano painting
c 6,000 BCE
Neolithic
-no streets, walk on roofs, for protection
-the world’s first landscape painting
-shows volcano erupting, source of
lively-hood (trade of obsidian)

27. Stonehenge
ca 2550-1600 BCE
Neolithic
-probably used as a giant calendar
-beam of line shines into the middle of
monument to represent summer solstice
-the stones fit together like Lego blocks

28. Vocab - Mesopotamia
• Ziggurat:
• the raised platform in which the temple is raised, then you can find the temple on the highest level
• stele, stelai:
• flat slab with decoration on one or both sides
• hierarchy of scale:
• convention in which the people who are more important are shown unrealistically larger than the others in a work
• anthropomorphism:
• animals are doing human like things
• barrel vault:
• rounded tunnel-like vault
• narrative:
• ex) standard of ur, telling of a story
• historical relief:
• records an actual historic event
• registers:
• organized rows, something that doesn’t appear in nature

30. White Temple and ziggurat, Uruk
ca. 3200-3000 B.C.E.
Sumerian
-shows example of convention of
ziggurat
-used mud tablets to build

32. Head from Uruk
ca. 3200-3000 B.C.E.
Sumerian
-made from marble, not a complete
head
-probably a women due soft face

34. Worshippers from Temple at Eshnunna
ca. 2700 B.C.E.
Sumerian
-small human figurines, image of
worshippers
-eyes oversized=paying attention to god

36. Standard of Ur
ca. 2600 B.C.E.
Sumerian
-unknown function
-convention of registers and twisted
perspective
-example of narrative

38. Soundbox of lyre from Ur
ca. 2600 B.C.E.
Sumerian
-example of anthropomorphism, where
you see a donkey and bear playing a
bullheaded lyre

40. Copper head of ruler, Nineveh
ca. 2250-2200 B.C.E.
Akkad
-cast-copper head
-unknown who it is, maybe a ruler due
to elaborate hair style

42. Stele of Naram-Sin
2254-2218 B.C.E.
Akkad
-the largest figure is the most important
-also an example of historical relief
-stars probably represent the gods

44. Votive disk of Enheduanna, Ur
ca. 2300-2275 B.C.E.
Akkad
-the first written record of literature
known to history
-shows that one role a women could
have is a priestess

46. Ziggurat at Ur
ca. 2100 B.C.E.
Neo-Sumerian
-the bricks were fired, so it was still
partially standing
-has a center axis and two side
staircases, not a place all people would
go

48. Law Code of Hammurabi
ca. 1780 B.C.E.
Babylon
-8 feet high of solid basalt and displayed
in public
-implies people could read

50. Dur Sharrukin, Lamassu
ca. 720-705 B.C.E.
Assyria
-heavily fortified to protect from war,
ziggurat inside palace to protect temple
and to show he has favor of gobs
Lamassu: wigged human-headed bull
that was used to symbolized protection
-contains 5 legs to show a formal bull up
front, but also a bull in action from the
side

52. Ashurbanipal hunting lions
ca. 645-640 B.C.E.
Assyria
-shows how the assyrians had great
appreciation for lion’s will power

54. Ishtar Gate
ca. 575 B.C.E.
Neo-Baylonia
-sacred to goddess to Ishtar, goddess of
love and war

56. Persepolis, view of palace
ca. 521-465 B.C.E.
Persia
-”city of the Persians”
-wanted to impress visitors, so made it
huge
-bull capitals to use to support ceiling
beams

58. Relief with Persians and Medes at
Persepolis
ca. 521-465 B.C.E.
Persia
-raise out the stone relief, so more
dimension/rounding

59. Vocab - Egypt
• Egyptian conventions:
• profile eye, hieroglyphs, twisted perspective, two of the same hand, appreciation for nile river, use of
registers
• Pharaoh:
• the ruler of
• Dynasty:
• the rule of a family
• Rosetta Stone:
• slap of stone discovered by napoleon, important because it was like a key to unlocking the meaning of
hieroglyphs; two forms of Egyptian writing with greek writing; breaking the code and understanding how the
Egyptian writings worked
• Hieroglyphs cartouche:
• sacred picture writing, rounded shape with a name of an important person inside
• mastaba:
• “bench.” a slightly sloping sided tomb, burial place was underground to avoid grave robbers; believed spirits
left the tomb, so left an air shaft opening in tombs

61. Palette of Narmer
3000-2920 B.C.E.
PreDynastic
-contains an image of Narmer who is the
larger figure(example hierarchy of scale)
-show conquering his enemies
-called a palette because on one side it
has a circular indent used for mixing
pigment for eye makeup

63. Imhotep, Step Pyramid of Djoser
ca. 2630-2611 B.C.E.
PreDynastic
-one of first recorded artist
-came up with the idea of a step-
pyramid
-stacked mastabas that get smaller
-start to see (not free standing, attached
to wall) columns that maybe got the idea
from plants

65. Great Pyramids, Gizeh
ca. 2500 B.C.E.
Old Kingdom
- only surviving of ancient wonder
- larger ones for pharaohs, smaller ones
for family members
- largest one is 480 ft high, all solid rock
with small chambers

67. Khafre
ca. 2500 B.C.E.
Old Kingdom
-attempted to make sculptures last
forever by making limbs enclosed and
connected and made out of hard stones
-put falcon behind head to ensure the
head wouldn’t fall off

69. Menkaure and Khamerenebty
ca. 2500 B.C.E.
Old Kingdom
-sculpture makes both genders look
equal in power and rule
-attempted to make sculptures last
forever by making limbs enclosed and
connected and made out of hard stones

71. Seated scribe
2500 B.C.E.
Old Kingdom
- a professional who did all the writing
for officials, shown as imperfect/realistic

73. Ti watching hippo hunt
ca. 2450-2350 B.C.E.
Old Kingdom
- contains an image of Ti who is the
larger figure ( example hierarchy of
scale)
- Ti shown as formal and the slaves
shown with realistic motions

75. Tombs at Beni Hasan
ca. 1950-1900 B.C.E.
Middle Kingdom
-cut out of the rock itself
- now see free-standing columns

77. Head of Senusret III
ca. 1860 B.C.E.
Middle Kingdom
-when you see images of this pharaoh,
he looks sad
-maybe a real portrait to capture
character of person

79. Senmut, Mortuary Temple of
Hatshepsut
c. 1450 B.C.E.
New Kingdom
-architecture echoes the geological
surroundings
-has a center axis
-what the Greeks were inspired by

81. Hatshepsut with offering jars
ca. 1450 B.C.E.
New Kingdom
-Declared herself as pharaoh
-showed herself as a male in her art
work

83. Temple of Amen-Re, Karnak
begun 15th c. B.C.E.
New Kingdom
-Restored view, 13th c BCE: shows
the main temple and sacred pool;
has a central axis
hypostyle hall, 13th c. B.C.E.:
reliefs were sunk in in hopes to
preserve them longer, along with
painting them as well, contains a
clerestory

85. Fowling Scene, Tomb of Nebamun
ca. 1400 B.C.E.
New Kingdom
-contains the conventions of twisted
perspective and hierarchy of scale
-animals also shown in much more
realistic way than humans

87. Akhenaton
ca. 1350 B.C.E.
Amarna Period
-made changes to Egyptian art
-started a brand new city, called
Amarna and made radical
changes such as believing in
only one God, Aton, seems to
combined both genders

89. Thutmose, Nefertiti
ca. 1353-1335 B.C.E
Amarna Period
-co-ruled with husband,
Nefertiti
-found in his workshop,
maybe a model for another
sculpture
-shows more of the structure
of under the skin

91. Akhenaton, Nefertiti, and daughters
relief
ca. 1353-1335 B.C.E.
Amarna Period
-shows the Aton, the sun with rays,
-shows affection which was
uncommon in Egyptian art

93. Tiye
ca. 1353-35 B.C.E.:
Amarna Period
-Mother of Akehnaton, seems like a
portrait, deep lines and intense face
-originally had headdress of a goddess
but Akhenaton made her cover it up

95. Death mask of Tutankhamun
ca. 1323 B.C.E.
Amarna Period
-Reversed all the rules Akhenaton
had made
-shows his youth, died at age 18

97. Temple of Rameses II, Abu Simbel
ca. 1250 B.C.E.
Amarna Period
-colossal size and idealization of
Rameses
-shifts back to the way it was before
the Amarna period

99. Last Judgment, Book of the Dead
c. 1290-1280 B.C.E.
Amarna Period
-instruction manual of what you
needed to do in the underworld
-when you come to the judgment,
it’s a scale between a feather vs
your heart; if it’s not too heavy from
sins, you receive eternal life

101. Temple of Horus, Edfu
ca. 247-37 B.C.E.
Amarna Period
-very tall gateway with a center
axis, which was a convention of
Egyptian architecture

102. Vocab - Aegean
• Aegean Art – Bronze Age:
• 2800-1100 B.C.E.
• Cycladic/Cyclades:
• 2800-2000 B.C.E.
• Minoan:
• conventions of bulls, marine life, asymmetry,
• Minos/Crete:
• 2800-1200 B.C.E, named after King Minos
• Mycenaean:
• Mycenae, Greece , 1600-1200 B.C.E., depicted war scenes and weapons, conquered Minoans
• Evans labyrinth:
• Arthur Evans, archaeologist who went searching for King Minos’ palace, found Knossos, maybe actually be a temple; labyrinth: “place of the double axes”
• Minotaur:
• bulls head with body of human,
• Homer:
• wrote Iliad, Odyssey: which talked about the Aegean cultures
• Megaron:
• palace, place for a ruler, or a temple; has porch along with throne room, with columns
• corbel vault :
• the stones cave towards each other until they meet, making a point
• tholos tomb
• burial place for dynasties (familes) that contained beehive tombs

104. Cycladic figurines
ca. 2500-2300 B.C.E.
Cycladic
-marble flat slabs
-cannot stand up by selves
due to pointed feet
-mainly females

106. Lyre player
c. 2700 B.C.E.
Cycladic
-more features that are detailed compared
to female
-males are usually doing something unlike
women figurines

108. Kamares jar
c. 1800-1700 B.C.E.
Minoan
-sacred cave were this type of pottery was
found
- most of the background are black with
decoration in red, yellow and white, subjects
of sea creatures/marine life

110. Knossos, plan
c. 1700-1400 B.C.E.
Minoan
- looks like a labyrinth, asymmetrical

112. Bull-leaping fresco
c. 1450 B.C.E.
Minoan
-convention of skin color, men
tan and women pale

114. Thera, Landscape with
Swallows
ca. 1650 B.C.E.
Minoan
- Minoans enjoyed doing
landscape painting with no
people represented

116. Octopus jar
c. 1500 B.C.E.
Minoan
-minoan style of marine life,
abstraction, and asymmetrical

118. Octopus jar
c. 1500 B.C.E.
Minoan
- minoan style of marine
life, abstraction, and
asymmetrical

120. Tiryns, plan with megaron
1400-1200 B.C.E.
Mycenaean
- very thick walls and one main
entrance due to being very
defensive from war

122. Mycenae, Lioness gate
1300 B.C.E.
Mycenaean
- compared to minoan art, it is
symmetrical and rigid

124. Mask from Mycenae
c. 1600-1500 B.C.E.
Mycenaean
-could possibly be Egyptian
gold, showing how they had
exchange with Egypt

126. Dagger from Mycenae
c. 1600-1500 B.C.E.
Myceneaen
- shows the appreciation for violence,
with depictions of animals to express
power

128. Tholos tomb (Treasury of
Atreus)
c. 1300 B.C.E.
Myceneaen
-burial places for dynasties
-contained beehive tombs

130. Warrior vase
c. 1200 B.C.E.
Myceneaen
-compared to minoan, this shows more
appreciation for violence, less abstract and
focus on line and structure

131. Questions?