Transcript
What was the primary material used to build
Sumerian temples?
1. (a) marble
2. (b) colored stone
3. (c) mud brick
4. (d) wood
Janson’s History of Art: The Western Tradition, Eighth Edition , ©2011, Education
1. Answer: 3. (c). See pages 23-24. Since stone was scarce, mud bricks covered with plaster were commonly used for temples. Sumerian builders produced uniformly shaped bricks by mixing local clay with vegetable matter, such as straw, and pressing the substance into wooden frames. The bricks were then baked in the sun or kiln-fired to harden. Some structures were further decorated with colored stone or painted clay cones set into the plaster to create colorful mosaic patterns.
Janson’s History of Art: The Western Tradition, Eighth Edition , ©2011, Education
Which object (shown in the following slides)
demonstrates the use of visual narrative in
Sumerian art?
1. (a) Statues, from the Abu Temple
2. (b) The Goat in a Thicket
3. (c) Royal Standard of Ur
4. (d) Priest-King Feeding Sacred Sheep
5. (e) none of the above
Janson’s History of Art: The Western Tradition, Eighth Edition , ©2011, Education
1. (a)
2. (b)
3. (c)
4.(d)
5. (e) none of the above
Janson’s History of Art: The Western Tradition, Eighth Edition , ©2011, Education
2. Answer: 3. (c). See pages 27-28. The Royal
Standard of Ur shows multiple images related
to the theme of kingship. The figures, made with
inlaid stone and shell, are organized in horizontal
registers to distinguish each scene and to suggest a
narrative sequence.
Janson’s History of Art: The Western Tradition, Eighth Edition , ©2011, Education
3. Which of the following conventions is NOT
common to Mesopotamian art?
1.(a) wide, almost round, eyes
2.(b) symmetrically carved cubic forms
3.(c) stylized rendering of hair and eyebrows
4.(d) the use of inlaid shell and stone
Janson’s History of Art: The Western Tradition, Eighth Edition , ©2011, Education
3. Answer: 2.(b). See pages 25-26. The gestures and poses seen in this group of Sumerian votive statues demonstrate artistic conventions that were later adopted widely in Mesopotamian art. Different from the cubic emphasis of Egyptian sculpture, Mesopotamian forms appear more rounded and cylindrical.
Janson’s History of Art: The Western Tradition, Eighth Edition , ©2011, Education
4. Why is the Stele of Hammurabi significant?
1. (a) it shows an earthly ruler represented as a god
2. (b) it is one of the earliest written bodies of law
3. (c) it is one of the earliest examples of cuneiform
4. (d) it was seized as war booty and used to glorify Hammurabi’s enemies
5. (e) all of the above
Janson’s History of Art: The Western Tradition, Eighth Edition , ©2011, Education
4. Answer: 2. (b). See pages 34-35. The black basalt stele survives as one of the earliest written bodies of law. Beneath the relief of King Hammurabi standing before the god Shamash are over 3,500 lines of Akkadian cuneiform recording the Code of Laws compiled by the ruler.
Janson’s History of Art: The Western Tradition, Eighth Edition , ©2011, Education
5. This scene of Ashurbanipal hunting lions was probably intended to
1. (a) present the wounded lions as noble and fierce creatures
2. (b) intimidate visitors to the palace
3. (c) symbolize the king’s strength and military power
4. (d) all of the above
5. (e) none of the above
Janson’s History of Art: The Western Tradition, Eighth Edition , ©2011, Education
5. Answer: 4. (d). See pages 34-37. These large gypsum slabs called orthostats lined the lower walls of the king’s palace. In addition to low relief narrative images, they included cuneiform inscriptions that provided additional information about the scene. While these panels functioned structurally to protect the underlying brick walls, they also served as political propaganda, reminding any visitors of the king’s strength and military power.
