ABOUT FACTS NET Ancient

The human race had dabbled in art for thousands of years. Ancient art consisted mostly of statues and paintings. The painting was not on canvas, as in later years, but was first put on cave walls and ceilings. We believe this to be true, yet we might find something, someday, to prove this wrong. Maybe we will come across a reckless with an elephant painted on it or something of that nature. This does seem very far fetched though. Another possibility is that we have come across ancient art and didn't recognize it. It might have been just a couple of sticks or two stones, one on top of the other, but it might have been art to our distant ancestors. My goodness, when you look at some of this modern art you have to wonder if anyone 30,000 years in the future will recognize it as art?

Not all ancient art was primitive. A good example of this is the wonderful art of the Egyptians. Their art took the form of statues, paintings, buildings and many other objects. What makes their art even more remarkable is the fact that they used mostly stone tools. They would look for a nice hard stone that had been in a river and tumbled. This stone became the hammer stone when quarrying large blocks of rock. Their mastery of paint and paintings is all the more impressive when you realize that some of the painting that appear on the inside walls of tombs are thousands of years old. But to me it is the statues and structures that define Egyptian art. Some of the statues are so life like that they have preserved the person that they represent much as a photo today does the same job. The structures are exquisite, so much so, that some people say that extraterrestrials helped the Egyptians build them and they cite such 'so called evidence' as the preciseness of the measurements of the Great Pyramid. Unfortunately, according to some people, if it seems too complicated then aliens must have built it or helped build it.

Statuette of Amun, ca. 945–715 B.C.E.; Dynasty 22; late Dynastic period
Egyptian
Gold; H. 6 7/8 in. (17.5 cm)
Purchase, Edward S. Harkness Gift, 1926 (26.7.1412)

Egypt was not alone in ancient countries that had an artistic background. Who could deny that Babylon possessed art and sometimes this art was of gigantic proportions. One has just to see the statue from Mari of the fertility goddess to realize the quality of their art. The statue is of a woman holding a vase. Flowing from the vase and down the skirt, the water beats a path to its destination. Neo-Babylonian art also existed. The neo-babylonian period took place during the last flowering of Mesopotamia (612 BC - 539 BC). Many works of art were produced in this time period.

Two Panels with striding lions, Neo-Babylonian, Nebuchadnezzar II; 604–562 B.C.
Mesopotamia, Babylon (modern Hilah); Modern state Iraq
Fletcher Fund, 1931 (31.13.2)
(Only One Panel Shown)

When we think of art we may think of a statuette that is thousands of years old, but the people who carved it may not have been thinking about art when they made it. What they may have been doing is creating a religious icon, something to appease the gods or something that they could pray to. There is much evidence of this in the very early pieces that have been found.

Seated female, Halaf; 7th–6th millennium B.C.
Mesopotamia or Syria; Modern state Iraq
Purchase, Leon Levy and Shelby White Gift, 1985 (1985.84)

Not all art resides in statues or paintings or even buildings. As we move through time we find that other items are considered artistic treasures. The Chinese, for example, created some of the most beautiful vases that were ever made. They are rare and highly collectable. I am sure most people have heard of Ming vases. The Ming dynasty was China's last imperial dynasty. It began in 1368 and ended in 1644. Another item that is not normally thought of as art is furniture. Yet in France furniture, became art. From 1643 to 1793 the best furniture in the world was built in France. Louis the 14th, King of France, probably had more furniture called after him than anyone in history. I am sure you have heard things like " This is a Louis XIV sofa" or " This is a Louis XIV chair". The lines on these pieces were so beautiful that they became prized possessions worth much money. They are truly works of art.

Small Desk (bureau brisé), 17th century (ca. 1685)
Alexandre-Jean Oppenordt (1639–1715), Maker; Brass inlay designed and possibly engraved by Jean Bérain (1640–1711)
French; Made in France
Oak, pine and walnut veneered with tortoiseshell; engraved brass, ebony and rosewood; bronze-gilt and steel; H. 30 5/16 in. (77 cm), W. 41 3/4 in. (106 cm), D. 23 3/8 in. (59.4 cm)
Gift of Mrs. Charles Wrightsman, 1986 (1986.365.3)

There is no doubt that the ancient peoples knew what art was and some cultures strove to include it in as many places as possible. The ancient Greeks took pride in the human body and created many gorgeous statues of men and women. One of the most famous of these statues is Venus de Milo. The statue resides in the Louvre in Paris and is believed to have been created somewhere around 130-120 BC. It is the statue of a beautiful woman but it is minus the arms. Statues decorated most, if not all, of the Greek temples and one statue, the statue of Zeus, is one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. It was made of gold and ivory by the sculptor Phidias in the 5th century BC. It was said to have been 40 feet high.

So you see, art was very important to the ancient peoples, especially after the birth of countries. Civilization seems to have spurred art on.