Compare and Contrast the Statue of Memi and Sabu vs the Statue of Gudea
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University of the People Compare and Contrast the Statue of Memi and Sabu vs the Statue of Gudea
A statue is a free-standing, three dimensional visual art usually made from wood, ivory, stone, metal, or ceramics by either the process of carving (removing material) or modelling (adding material). The earliest samples of statues come from the Aurignacian civilization of the early Paleolithic era, such as the Löwenmensch figurine and the Venus of Hohle Fels. Producing a statue is labor intensive, and it reflects the both the cultural values and civilizational milestones of the people. In this essay, we will examine and contrast the Statue of Memi and Sabu, and the Statue of Gudea—both of which originate from the so-called “Cradle of Civilization.”
Date
The first statue, that of Memi and Sabu, comes from ancient Egypt, dating from the Fourth Dynasty, in particular between 2575–2465BC—a time span in which seven Pharaohs have ruled. This was the Golden Age of the Old Kingdom, the zenith of the Age of Pyramids—an era of peace and prosperity, in which Egypt flourished by extensive trading with
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However, the Statue of Gudeas is half a millennium younger, and the knowledge or metallurgy and tool making had made great strides. This is evident from the material used; while the Egyptians preferred soft rocks like the limestone used in the statue of Memi and Sabu, the Sumerians were quite comfortable carving hard stones like the diorite used in the statue of Gudeas. Furthermore, the Sumerian statue is both larger and heavier, and has an attractive sheen due to the greater polish a hard stone can take. Yet, the statue of Memi and Sabu shows remarkably more detail in the anatomical features, a testament to the level of medical knowledge that Egypt had
Pharaoh Khufu reigned about 2,551 - 2,528 B.C.E. It was during the old kingdom which is also called the Age of the Pyramids. It was called the age of the pyramids because during this time Pharaoh Khufu had the Great Pyramids of Giza built. Pharaoh Hatshepsut reigned about 1,473 - 1,458 B.C.E. This was during the new kingdom. This period of time is also called the Golden Age. It was called this because the Egyptian arts and architecture flourished under her rule. Trade also flourished under her rule.
The durability of clay has brought forth an immense abundance of Greek pottery, a craft mastered by Athenian artists. Archeologists have found hundreds of varieties in creation, shape, function, style, and artwork in Archaic vases. The museum has been blessed with one of these priceless artifacts; it is the duty of this establishment to accumulate as much data as possible surrounding the vase. In first identifying technique, dimensions, and condition, as well as describing shape, ornament, and figural scenery, one may then begin to analyze the vase. This serves the general purpose of understanding where the artifact stands in Greek culture and history. Through the examination and research of figural scenes, it is then possible to compare these to other scenes and styles of the same and other painters. Finally, one can then hypothesize where, why, and how this piece was used.
The difference between an archaic statue such as Kroisos (fig. 5-11) and a classical statue such as Doryphoros (fig. 5-42) may not seem very great in a single glance. In fact, you may not notice any differences in that one glance. Yet, if you were to look at them closely, you can see that these two statues actually have very little in common.
The Ancient Egyptian sculpture, “Statue of Nykara and His Family”, was sculpted during the late fifth dynasty. The sculpture is a depiction of Nykara, his wife, Nubkau, and son, Ankhma-Re. The statue is in poor condition with pieces of limestone missing and chips on the three subject’s faces and bodies. The painted limestone shows the conventional colors for the male and female subjects. There is a clear discoloration among Nykara and his son’s bodies. The brownish red color they once were has eroded to a light yellowish color, which resembles the purposeful color of Nykara’s wife. The hieroglyphs on Nykara’s seat insinuate that the sculpture is meant to be viewed from the front view. This is also evident by the way the three subjects are facing forward in frontal view. There are hieroglyphs on both the chair and base of the statue near Nykara’s wife and son’s feet.
The Statue of a kouros and the Portrait statue of a boy both depict similar subjects, however are greatly different in how they accomplish this task. Through detail, or lack there of, the Greeks and Romans are able to display a certain value they have in its members. These two statues were made about 500 years apart and approach the sculpting process quit differently. The Greek statue seems to use geometric exaggerated lines to form the body while the Romans use a more realistic approach and sculpt the body with a more rounded finish. Statue of a kouros, from about 590 B.C and Portrait of a boy, from about the first century, do not share any great technical aspects and are basically nothing alike.
It came around 3150 BCE. Ancient Egypt was recorded as a series of stable kingdoms. There were three stages throughout the course of ancient Egypt, the Old Kingdom, the Middle Kingdom, and the New Kingdom. The Old Kingdom lasted from 2686-2181 BCE. The Middle Kingdom lasted from 2134-1690 BCE. The New Kingdom lasted from 1549-1069 BCE. Queen Hatshepsut reigned for 20 years of the New Dynasty.
An analysis of Mycerinus and Kha-merer-nebty II and Augustus of Primaporta, reveals that there are many similarities, but also many differences between these two pieces of sculpture. These similarities and differences are found in the subject, style, and function of both works of art.
Emeline Richardson researched and learned that many Etruscan sculptures and artifacts, like the Chimera from Arezzo, were made of bronze and other materials and artifacts imported from the Eastern regions – Northern Syria or Anatolia, Phoenicia, and Egypt. These imported materials “supplied the motifs that characterize the Orientalizing styles” in Ancient Greece, including winged monster hybrid figures. For example, the Ivory Sphinx from Cerveteri has it’s
middle of paper ... ... The side lighting emphasises the detail and aesthetic qualities of the sculptures and strongly suggests that they should be viewed and compared with works such as 14th and 15th century Italian altar pieces or eastern Orthodox Triptych icons, regarded as stunning art and, therefore, exhibited in national art galleries, even though their original function was routine religious ceremony, as probably was that of the bronzes. This suggests that the best case for the retention of the British Benin sculptures is to accord them the unique status they deserve as exceptional artworks and exhibit them appropriately in a prestigious national art gallery, for everyone to appreciate fully. Works Cited Flinders, P. and Holman, K. and others, (2012) AA100 'Tutorial Forum Book 3, Weeks, 1 and 2' – Benin, online at http://learn.open.ac.uk/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=900850, accessed between 4 and 17 February, 2015.
I chose this sculpture because I was intrigued by the position of the man and the centaur. I was able to witness that the centaur is trying to invade the personal space of the man. The sculpture showed me that there is a strong relationship between man and creature. The quality of the sculpture made me realize that animals play a big part of a human’s life and can be seen as threatening to humans. It was interesting to see that both the man and centaur were created to have almost of the same structures. This statue has a metallic brown and green, bronze tone and appeared undersized. It has a height of four and a half feet, and six inches. It has long, thin, legs with calf muscles, and bulging thighs. The sculpture evolved from Olympia, Greece. The man and centaur sculpture was created in 750 BCE during an orderly time period. The colors used for this sculpture, proved that it has a longer lasting mold for statues. On the left side of the sculpture, the man has a wrap on his head, that can symbolize, he is some form of a god. On the right side, the centaur has the same head piece as the man, but the body of a horse. It can be seen that the man and
The statue of King Khafre Seated , from the fourth dynasty of the Old Kingdom, 2520 - 2492 BCE, was created by an unknown artist in the smooth permanence of graywacke stone. Although the statue is currently at the Metropolitan Museum of Art as number 56 in the Special Egyptian Exhibition, its true home is at the Egyptian Museum, in Cairo. The man being portrayed, King Khafre, ruled Egypt for approximately thirty years, during which he commissioned the single most recognizable monuments of Egypt, the a fore mentioned Pyramids at Giza and the Sphinx. These monuments of symmetry and solidity characterize the focus of popular architecture and sculpture from the Old Kingdom in Egypt.
The votive statues were created by worshipers of the ancient Mesopotamian gods. They were crafted out of materials such as limestone, alabaster, gypsum, and other such materials (Votive Statues). These statues were created around 2900 to 2350 BCE at the Square Temple at Eshnunna. The creators of these statues created them in their own likeness to be held at the Square Temple, a place of worship to their gods. It was the worshipers belief that the gods would bless these statues and in turn, bless the creators (Department of Ancient Near Eastern Art, 2004). Worship of the gods was a huge part of the culture of Ancient Mesopotamia, as such these votive statues played a major role in that culture.
Sculpting is a popular form of art. The Seated Statue of Gudea and Statue of Memi and Sabu are two examples of sculpted work. The two statues are different but have similar levels of detail, with the Seated Statue of Gudea being more detailed. While both statues look rather serene and peaceful, the intentions for them appear to be completely different. The Seated Statue of Gudea can possibly be interpreted as a form of propaganda while the Statue of Memi and Sabu can be interpreted as a sign of partnership in a marriage.
We find that, in conclusion, that these pieces are very similar in many ways. They are both originally created in the same style and time period. They are Hellenistic and dramatic, although in their own, individualistic way. Each sculpture was created in different mediums and have different stories. These are both very individualistic pieces of Greco/Roman sculpture that has influenced many artists throughout time and will
In modern society, Greek pottery is considered an art which is regarded as much for its aesthetic splendor as its historical significance. However, the role of pottery in ancient Greek culture was far more functional as its primary use was for the transportation and storage of such liquids as water and wine (Encyclopedia Britannica). Due to the durability of the fired clay material, Greek pottery is the only remaining art form that allows us to explore the evolution of this ancient culture. Through that examination, three distinct stylistic periods have been unveiled: Geometric, Orientalizing and Archaic. This analysis will detail these distinct periods as well as three design techniques prevalently used: black figure, red figure and white ground