Mesopotamia

MESOPOTAMIA

Eugene Weber: The Western Tradition: From Bronze to Iron

Kenney Mencher

Fertile Crescent 2 Cuneiform

Languages and Literatures: Cuneiform Civilizations

Kenney Mencher

Fertile Crescent 3 Typical Examples

Smarthistory, Art History at Khan Academy

Law Code Stele of King Hammurabi, 1792-1750 B.C.E.

Smarthistory, Art History at Khan Academy

Victory Stele of Naram-Sin, 2254-2218 B.C.E.

Kenney Mencher

Fertile Crescent 6 Kings Naram Sin and Hammurabi

Ishtar Gate and Processional Way (reconstruction), Babylon, c, 575 BCE

 

Rosa Steffensen

Berlin Museum Island 2011.mp4 - Ishtar Gate from 6.35

King Khafre 

(Chephren, Khaf-Re, Khauf-Re, Khephren, Khafra, Rachaf) is the same pharaoh that built the pyramid by the same name. He reigned approximatly between 2558 and 2532 in the 4th Dynasty.

This artwork is a masterpiece, realized in one of the hardest stones, making it difficult to execute, but explains the excellent condition, except for his left leg and arm being compromised. The hardness of the stone can also be read as a metaphor for Khafra's character.

Statue of Khafre in diorite. 2540-2250 BCE.  Valley Temple of Khafra, Giza. Egyptian Museum, Cairo. Diorite: height 168 cm, width 57 cm, depth 96 cm.

http://www.touregypt.net/images/touregypt/khafre2.jpg

http://www.art.com/asp/View_HighZoomResPop.asp?apn=11726615&imgloc=13-1352-Z000SIUJ.jpg&imgwidth=670&imgheight=894

http://www.art-prints-on-demand.com/a/
egyptian/statue-of-khafre-2520-249.html
  http://www.oocities.org/unforbidden_geology/ancient_
egyptian_copper_coring_drills.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khafra         http://homepage.ntlworld.com/nige-d-smith/nelea/khafre.html



The artists worked within a formula (style), which dictated the frontal position, the youthful perfect body and the dress code. The freedom lies in the treatment of the face, which is stylized and yet reveals individual features. In the photo above you can clearly see the "Sema Tawy" , the symbol for the union of the upper (lilies) and lower (papyrus) Egypt.

Chronology

How to memorize D A T E S ???

We all struggle to put dates to events, and that is no problem, if you got an idea about the chronology (what happened when) of events anyway. 

But we often don't!

Here are some suggestions to help us to remember these 'numbers' anyway...

1. http://www.wikihow.com/Memorize-History-Lessons

This website gives you nice pictures and advice - what I like is the ' warning' : 

• Don't treat learning history like learning vocabulary. You won't do well if you just try to memorize a list of facts. The key is to understand how dates and people and things fit into the story of the past.

which is very true!

2. http://www.twainquotes.com/HistoryDates/HistoryDates.html

Not serious, but seriously good : Mark Twain's methods - I think as visual artists, that might work for us...

3. http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/art-history-timeline.html

These are a few websites, that try to make the chronology of events simple and therefore easy to understand...

4. http://smarthistory.khanacademy.org/for-the-beginner.html  or the more complex site http://smarthistory.khanacademy.org/

5. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/  I am quite sure (not?!) you are familiar with this great site...

6. http://www.sporcle.com/games/Almasa/Painters   is for those of you who like quizzes...one can get quite good and it is fun....

Prehistory

Overview Prehistory

Eugene Weber 'The Western Tradition' - The Dawn of History