Essay about Formal Analysis of "Relief of a Winged Genius"

Relief sculptures can be found inside the palace above the arched walkways and in the chapel (Perouse de Montclos 285). In the salon of war an equestrian relief sculpture is place above the fireplace (Perouse de Montclos 239). The palace has an abundance of sculpture to connecting it to classical culture.

Since the beginning of time all human beings have had a fascination with human flight. Watching a bird soar through the air, one cannot help but desire the same capabilities. Imagine the point of view of the bird that flies high above the trees, among the mountains, over the ocean, and high in the air, far away from the clamor of everyday life on the ground. To have the freedom and power to release ones self from the tribulations experienced with two feet on the ground, and spring up and away into the peaceful, blue sky is a common human desire. Since ancient times, flight has represented the

Fig. 1 Statue of Yuny and Renenutet, ca. 1290–1270 BCE.; Fig. 2 Akhenaten and his Family,18

At first, everyone’s hair is clean and orderly. On the first page of the story, the status of their hair is immediately noted: “His hair was plastered

As seen in the following image. “Displeased and sleepy,” Stephen looked coldly at Mulligan “at the light untonsured hair,

This document, “A Praise Poem of Iddin-Dagan,” is considered Sumerian royal praise poetry, which often depicted and praised the various achievements, strengths and accomplishments of rulers in the ancient Near East. Royal praise poetry can be used to analyze the legitimacy of a king and how he ruled, how his people felt about him, and his relationship with the gods. Strong and successful kings tended to have a close

The message was that the art form was no longer for the Gods but for the kings instead. The Apadana, or audience hall, at the Ceremonial Complex was started by King Darius I, but, completed by his son, Xerxes.This feature of Persian architecture was created on artificial terraces, made of mud brick and faced with stone, and had giant lamassu gates within the structure.The kings where the ones now being worshiped and receiving gifts and offerings. Within this huge structure, there are many forms of symbolism being used in order to heighten the king's reputation of being strong, intimidating, and ready for battle. Mesopotamian, Sumerian,Babylonian, and Assyrian along with other different types of art forms all influenced this new art. The wealth

His right hand may have held some type of parchment. Here are two images of the sculpture, at the time that he probably held the office of Pontificus Maximus…

Skipping the “War” side (since it has been mentioned in the first paragraph), The “Peace” side, some might claim, is a time of prosperity under that period. One can speculate that this side is depicting a celebration or a banquet of some sort and the preparations that lead up to the event. The bottom and middle registers depictions of farmers carrying crops and leading large animals while the top register shows the ruler and his subjects sitting and drinking. It’s worth noting that the ruler is slightly larger than the rest of the other figures; demonstrating hierarchy of scale. The staircase of Persepolis showcases many themes, but unlike the Royal Standard of Ur, they’re not as obvious. Persepolis, the Greek name for the Persian capital of Parsa, is perhaps one of the most well-preserved sites from the ancient world. It is a testament to what Darius and Xerxes had accomplished under each rule. According to the fifth edition of Art History by Marilyn Stokstad and Michael W. Cothren, the construction of Persepolis brought forth a myriad of different styles of traditions from various cultures such as “…Persian, Median, Mesopotamian, Egyptian, and Greek.” (45). Overall these two both share this theme of glorifying the royals with the Royal Standard of Ur featuring an important figure at the top on both sides, and the

The relief was carved into the northern stairs of the Apadana at Persepolis, the capital of the ancient Achaemenid empire, founded by king Darius. The relief was sponsored by king Darius to show his absolute power. This artifact is significant because it shows the bureaucracy of Achaemenid empire, suggests the king’s absolute power and records the tradition of proskynesis.

This is, once again, a form of royal triumphalism that Shapur I emulates in this massive carving at this location. Certainly, the interrelationship between the successions of Sassanid kings provides a context for these public presentations of high relief stone carvings, which would have also been a public event for those witnessing king Shapur I during this historical period.

Djoser’s Funerary Complex built during the Third Dynasty (twenty six hundred BCE) measured an astounding eighteen hundred feet long and nine hundred feet wide with thirty four foot white limestone walls. Beyond it’s massive scope, it is significant because it was designed by the first architect we know by name, Imhotep. Imhotep was worshipped as a god within the Egyptian culture, which is not uncommon; but it gives insight to the political ramifications of artists in even this time period thousands of years ago.

The sculpture contains the three chief goddesses named: Al-lat, Al-Manat, and Al-Uzza. In the pre-Islamic era, the three sculptures were located inside the Kaaba including the other 360 deities representing the days of the year. There were also various temples to worship these three deities around the Arabian Peninsula. The Kaaba is located in Mecca, Saudi Arabia and was the center to pagan deities from the Hejaz peninsula. According to Islamic traditions, ‘Allah’ ordered the first man on Earth Adam (date) built the Kaaba, however it

It is moreover pyramidal in structure with the vertex coinciding with Mary’s head. The base of the sculpture depicts the rock of Golgotha and is broader than the progressive

As discussed in the Encyclopaedia Britannica article "Cuneiform", cuneiform, a system of writing utilized during the ancient Middle East period, using a slanted edge of a stylus (writing instrument) to press into soft clay (2016). As the Encyclopaedia Britannica article "Hieroglyphic Writing" states, Hieroglyphics, a form of writing used by Egyptians carved on temple walls and public monuments in the form of pictures, symbols, or signs (2016). Runes, an alphabet with 24-33 letters carved on stones, as stated by Encyclopaedia Britannica article "Runic Alphabet" (2016).