Possible essay topics for the first hourly exam.
[On the exam, you will be given TWO of these questions and you will choose ONE as the topic of your essay.]

1. Compare and contrast the artistic output of the Aegean Cultures of the Bronze Age (ca 3000-1100 BCE) versus that of the contemporary Near East and Egypt in terms of the representation of the human form. In what respects are the phenomena of these areas similar? In what do they differ? Discuss in detail at least two specific examples from each area.

2. Discuss the representation of rulers in Egypt and the Near East in terms of differences and similarities of iconography, form, and function of the monuments that you will use as your examples. Use at least two examples from each area. Your analysis is expected to be as detailed as possible.

3. Define Egyptomania as a diachronic phenomenon (from antiquity to modern times) and give your assessment as to how this phenomenon limits or furthers our understanding of ancient Egyptian culture and art.

4. Compare and contrast the artistic output of Mesopotamia (ca 3000-1100 BCE) versus that of the contemporary Egypt in terms of the representation of the human form. In what respects are the phenomena of these areas similar? In what do they differ? Discuss in detail at least two specific examples from each area.

5. Give a thorough analysis of Egyptian funerary Architecture in comparison to non-funerary architecture. Use specific examples and discuss them in detail.

6. Discuss the main characteristics of Paleolithic art in terms of painting and sculpture. You are expected to treat thoroughly at least two examples for each category.

Painting
- purpose uncertain
- materials such as charcoal
- images layered - not all done at the same time
- Lascaux Hall of Bulls (15,000 - 13,000 BCE)
-- expressed to be realistic
-- silhouette and shading impart volume and three-dimensionality
- Bird-headed man with bison and rhinocerous (15,000 - 13,000 BCE)
-- story uncertain
-- perhaps hunting? ritual?
-- spear and arrows evident
-- depicts a narrative

Sculpture
- purposes uncertain, ritual?
- knowledge of how to carve, render a three-dimensional model
- Blombos Stone (77,000 years ago = 75,000 BCE)
-- crosshatched diamonds
-- knowledge of how to carve and render a controlled pattern
-- oldest art object we have found
- “Venus” of Willendorf (c. 25,000 BCE)
-- limestone, 11 cm high
-- not realistic, anatomy disproportionate
-- not intended to be a specific person, face is blank,
-- emphasis on female characteristcs, emphasizes fertility?

7. How did the cultures we have studied express ideas about social hierarchy and political propaganda through their depiction of the human form? Give at least two examples drawing from the cultures and monuments we have studied so far in lectures and/or discussion sections.

Warka Vase (3,000 BCE) from a temple in Uruk
- 1.05 m tall, made of alabaster
-- large and impressive
- emphasizes king/creator’s wealth
- shows how many blessings he has gotten so far, implies that there will be more
- shows religious affiliation - I have the goddess on my side
- rank shown by clothing
-- servants are identical and naked
-- king and priestess have impressive clothes
Narmer Palette (3200 BCE) - unification of Upper and Lower Egypt
- 25 in tall, made of siltstone
- Front
-- King Narmer is upright in a powerful pose, holding club - signifies royalty
-- has crown of Upper Egypt
-- symbol of Lower Egypt is kneeling and submissive beneath him
-- subjugated peoples are even smaller - naked and beneath his feet
-- surrounded by heads of Hathor, granting fertility
-- Horus, who gives the power to restore life, condones actions of the king
- Back
-- Narmer has crown of Lower Egypt
-- holds mace and flail - smybols of kingship
-- still larger than the rest
-- dead of the fallen enemy are small, headless, and uniform
-- procession showing victory of king
-- bull trampling foes at bottom is anoher symbol of king
-- felines with intertwined necks symbol of Egypt’s unification?

8. Discuss the significance of the Warka vase towards reconstructing various aspects of religious and social life in Mesopotamia of the third millennium BCE.

Warka Vase (3,000 BCE) from a temple in Uruk
- 1.05 m tall, made of alabaster
-- large and impressive
-- meant to be walked around
- earliest narrative
- emphasizes king/creator’s wealth
- shows how many blessings he has gotten so far, implies that there will be more
- shows religious affiliation - I have the goddess on my side
- rank shown by clothing
-- servants are identical and naked
-- king and priestess have impressive clothes
-- “horned crown” is a symbol of divinity
- in many works, there was one central male character
-- possibly two central characters, and one is female
-- importance of religion?
- tiers showing levels of importance?
-- water, plants, animals, servants, king and priestess
- offerings and ritual are important
- is a vase, and it itself is depicted on its imagery
-- vases were used in offerings - as storage?

9. Compare and contrast the artistic output of the Aegean Cultures of the Bronze Age (ca 3000-1100 BCE) versus that of the contemporary Near East and Egypt. In what respects are the arts of these areas similar? In what do they differ? Use specific examples in your discussion which should address issues in all three areas of painting, sculpture, and architecture.

Near East/Egypt - big, wealthy, literate, many images
Aegean - small, poverty, preliterate, rare and special images

Painting
- Near East/Egypt
-- Tomb of Nebamun - Thebes, 14th c. BCE
-- showing scenes from the afterlife
-- having fun - things he liked to do in life
-- prestigeous activities - hunting
- Aegean
-- Frescos in Pylos - king Nestor described in the Odyssey
-- decorated the spaces of the living
-- showed rituals and narrative from current life
--- storyteller reciting epic poems?
--- youth vaulting over the back of a bull

Sculpture
- Near East/Egypt
-- Tutankhamun’s mask - 1300 BCE, gold and precious stones
-- used to show wealth and prestiege of ruler
-- meant to help Ka identify the ruler, service of the afterlife
-- rulers depicted as more regal than they actually might have been
- Aegean
-- Kamares Ware - from Knossos (1700-1300 BCE)
-- used in everday life, storage
-- naturalistic - bird heads at top
-- dark with white and red paint
-- “playful”
-- smaller scale

Architecture
- Near East/Egypt
-- Djoser complex (27th c. BCE)
-- palace complex for a dead king - necropolis w/courtyards, temples, etc.
-- meant to be used in the afterlife
-- focal point is the pyramid
--- huge scale
---- height mathematically associated with distance between earth and sun
---- aligned w/true directions
--- covered in bright stone and hieroglyphs
- Aegean
-- palace at Knossos (1700-1300 BCE)
-- used in life
-- labyrinthian, architecture changes all the time - columns, levels
-- storage chanbers, ritual chambers
-- center for production, redistribution, religion, storage, economics, administration
-- archives of resources, Linear A and Linear B

10. Assess the basic nature of Egyptian painting in comparison with that of Minoan Civilization. Substantiate your answer by reference to specific examples

Egyptian painting
- used in service of afterlife
- reliefs painted in tombs
- showed status of ruler, propaganda
- Tomb of Nebamun - Thebes, 14th c. BCE
-- showing scenes from the afterlife
-- having fun - things he liked to do in life
-- prestigeous activities - hunting

Minoan civilization
- smaller scale art
- used in life
- not as wealthy
- naturalistic, not always people
-- Kamares Ware - from Knossos (1700-1300 BCE)
-- used in everday life, storage
-- naturalistic - bird heads at top
-- dark with white and red paint
-- “playful”
- architecture used for the people, not just the ruler
-- palace at Knossos (1700-1300 BCE)
--- used in life
--- labyrinthian, architecture changes all the time - columns, levels
--- storage chanbers, ritual chambers
--- center for production, redistribution, religion, storage, economics, administration
--- archives of resources, Linear A and Linear B