MESOPOTAMIAN ART: CHARACTERISTICS AND REPRESENTATIVE WORKS - ART - 2025

The Mesopotamian art is one of the oldest in the world. It was developed in Mesopotamia, a region whose name means "between two rivers" and which is located between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, located in Asia, in today's Middle East.

The dates that define this art are very long. Experts date its beginning in the Neolithic, around 4000 BC. The end is established after the fall of the Babylonian Empire, in the year 539 BC. C. It was the area of ​​the world where the first civilizations appeared, which left their artistic and cultural mark.

Banner of Ur, one of the most representative works of Mesopotamian art

The most important of these civilizations were the Sumerian, Akkadian, Babylonian, and Assyrian. Each one contributes different characteristics to artistic production, although they coincide in taking advantage of the materials found in their areas: from clay to stone.

In the art developed in this region, the author was not given too much importance, so the name of any of them is not known.

The most important thing was the theme, often religious or related to the rulers. Among the most important creations are stelae, ziggurats, tombs, sculptures, and stelae.

Main characteristics of Mesopotamian art

Mesopotamian art benefited from the large number of cultures that developed in the area. The materials and artistic techniques used varied over time.

Shortage of certain materials

The representatives of this art had to deal with the poverty of some materials, such as stone, which was very difficult to find.

They also lacked metals, so they had to take advantage of what was found in abundance.

Among these materials is clay, very important in their constructions. Usually with this they made adobe, a mixture of the clay itself and straw. They also owned glass and incorporated it into their works.

War themes

One of the most important factors when making any artistic manifestation was the war, practically constant in the area. Thus, part of the art was dedicated to representing battles, and above all victories.

Religious purpose

Religion was another fundamental aspect in Mesopotamian society and, therefore, in their art. Both sculptures and buildings often had a religious purpose.

Architecture

The lack of stone and other solid materials made architecture one of the most complicated artistic manifestations of the time.

The Mesopotamians had to use what they had closest to hand: clay. With this they made bricks and adobe, which were the basis of their constructions. This has left very few remains of his creations.

The most common element was the use of wooden beams to create lintels. They also used to use vaults and arches, although less than the Egyptians, who developed them later.

The most important buildings were the temples and palaces, while the tombs were not very spectacular.

The temple

Ziggurat temples are the best known and most characteristic buildings of art in Mesopotamia. Its structure started from a walled courtyard; one of its walls led to the ziggurat itself.

The ziggurat is a kind of stepped pyramid several stories high. The sanctuary was at its highest point. Each of the four faces of the ziggurat is oriented to a cardinal point, with a ramp that leads to the top.

The other way to go up were two symmetrical staircases built with marble, lapis lazuli and alabaster, among other precious materials.

The palace

In reality the palace is not a single building, but rather several buildings linked together. They were of different sizes and were connected by galleries and corridors, with some interior courtyards.

One of the most interesting aspects was the decoration of the interior walls. These were painted in fresco or enameled with colors and reliefs.

The tombs

Unlike the Egyptians and other cultures, the Mesopotamians do not give much importance to the tombs, or at least not to their exterior. However, the grave goods found inside are spectacular.

In addition to the riches that accompanied kings, they also had the custom of burying their servants and servants with them, including musicians and guards.

Sculpture

Along with the ziggurats and the rest of its architecture, the sculpture is the most recognizable artistic manifestation of Mesopotamia.

It was normally used to represent monarchs and gods. They never made sculptures that were not of someone specific, even with their name engraved.

The style of these creations is called “conceptual realism”. This consists of simplifying the human forms, making them regular. They are totally symmetrical and quite static figures.

In addition, they were also specialists in producing large brick reliefs, as well as stelae in which a story was told.

Painting

Due to the type of material used, not many examples of paintings from the region have emerged. Those that have been studied show the same theme as the reliefs.

These are decorative works but with certain rules. For example, human figures are represented according to their social importance: the higher the rank, the greater the figure in the painting.

Representative works

Banner of Ur

It is one of the top works of Sumerian art. It is a kind of box decorated on each of its faces with mosaics.

These mosaics showed images of war and peace. Among the materials used are shells and lapis lazuli.

Naram-Sin Stele of Victory

The importance of this Akkadian work is in the representation of a man as synonymous with a god. Although later this theme is quite common, this is the first time it was done.

It is built with sandstone and indicates the hierarchy of the characters, which appear by varying their size.

Thus, Naram-Sin is represented as bigger and more powerful than the others, to make it clear that he is the most important.

Ishtar Gate

The Ishtar Gate is the most spectacular work of those that are preserved today. Made with blue brick and decorated with dragons and cattle, it came to be considered one of the wonders of the world, although it was later replaced by the Lighthouse of Alexandria.

Nebuchadnezzar II was the king who commissioned its construction to dedicate it to the goddess Ishtar, one of the main Babylonian deities.

Stele of Hammurabi

Along with the Ishtar Gate, the Hammurabi Stele is the most popularly known work of Mesopotamian art.

More than for its aesthetic qualities, this stela is important because it is the first collection of laws in history. It was commissioned by King Hammurabi in 1750 BC. C.

Ziggurat of Ur

Although it has been restored numerous times, it is still easy to feel the magnificence of this ancient temple.

The surrounding wall was 8 meters high, built with bricks. For its part, the interior used adobe as the main element.

To go up there were 3 exterior stairs. The maximum height of the complex is 21 meters, and at the top was the sanctuary dedicated to the goddess.

References

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