Krystal Palmer
HON 201- Concept
Post
Powell-Wolfe
22 January 2013
Bas-Relief Sculpture
Bas-relief sculpture is an art form that
was started in Ancient Mesopotamia, but more commonly known from Classical
Greece. Bas-relief is a French term that means, “low raised.” There are three
main types of sculpture: bas-relief, high relief, and in the round. Bas-relief
sculpture is very articulate work that is meant to be seen from one direction,
unlike in the round sculpture that is meant to be seen from all angles. Bas-relief
sculpture could be compared to a pop up book or art work done on a tile (Smart
Art 1). Bas-relief sculpture was primarily used as a way to tell stories or
record major events.
We previously read about the people of
Sumer in an Inanna poem. An interesting bas-relief work I came across during my
research was the Warka Vase. The Warka Vase is an ancient urn carved of stone
that features bas-relief. The urn is tall and made of stone. The materials and
height of this urn show its importance. Most urns were made of ceramics and
were short in stature. The urn depicts various levels of the Sumerian world, in
other words, the Sumerian hierarchy (Wildeman 1). Toward the bottom of the vase, are grains.
Above that sheep, and then humans working in a field. At the very top of the
vase is the goddess we all know as Inanna. Inanna is the largest figure on the
vase. An important element of all art to remember is that the more important
figures, especially in ancient times, are always displayed with the largest scales.
Their power is bigger than everyone else, and that is reflected in their size.
On this vase, there are horizontal lines that separate each level. The
horizontal lines are called registers and divide the sections to highlight the
hierarchy (Wildeman 2). One the bottom register we see the Tigris and Euphrates
rivers. This image probably symbolizes
the honor the people gave to the rivers for providing water and fertile soil to
grow plants. The middle register shows a group of males carrying what looks to
be fruit and grains. On the top register, Inanna is shown being offered a bowl
of fruit by a male figure. The vase shows the sacrifice the people are willing
to bestow upon their goddess. The offerings being depicted on the Warka Vase
are most likely linked to the Sacred Marriage, which we read about in our first
handout. The constant reference to Inanna displays the importance of her
presence during this time. I think it is important to mention that the figures
on the vase, not including Inanna were nude. Nudity, in Mesopotamian and other
ancient art works is an interpretation of destitution or fragileness, however
in the Warka Vase, the nude figures are displayed differently. The nudity depicted on the Warka Vase leans
more toward the idea of beauty of the human body, which leads us to the Greek
depictions of the nude figure. The Warka Vase was discovered in Inanna’s temple
located in Southern Iraq. It is what we would consider a narrative relief sculpture.
The vase shows the sacrifice and assurance of fertility and abundance. The importance
of the rituals presented on this vase, are verified by it’s narrative.
Bas-relief sculpture was the beginning of
a new art form. Bas-relief is an intricate, but somewhat simple art form that
was used for many, many years to document important events and rituals for the
ancient civilizations. Bas-relief sculpting, although still prevalent today,
was the beginning of a new kind of sculpting era. Bas-relief sculpture opened
doors for high relief sculpture, and eventually, in-the-round sculpture. The
Greeks took many of the Mesopotamians art making ideas and used them to form
their own. As we look at the evolution of the Mesopotamians and civilizations
following them, one idea reigns true. Records, whether written, sculpted, or
orally shared, are what connect us to the culture from thousands of years ago.
From a scholarly point of view, bas-relief sculpture is extremely important. It
is a window to the past and connection to the present. Bas-relief sculpture is
a part of history and without it, we would not know as much about who came
before us or of the trials they faced.
Works Cited
Albenda,
Pauline. "Ashurnasipal II Lion Hunt Relief." Journal of Near Eastern Studies, Vol. 31, No. 3. The
University of Chicago, July 1972. Web. 23 Jan. 2013.
Ancient
Relief Sculpture Mesopitamia and Egypt," The Minneapolis Institute of Arts
Bulletin9i 9 42, no. 12 (March,
1953): 56-57.
Atac,
Mehmet-Ali. "Visual Forumla and Meaning in Neo-Assyrian Relief Sculpture." The Art Bulletin 88.1 (2006):
69-101. JSTOR. Web. 21
Jan. 2013. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/25067226>.
Moorey,
P. R. S. Ancient Mesopotamian Materials and Industries: The Archaeological Evidence. Oxford: Clarendon, 1994. Print.
"Relief:
king and eunuch attendant.” In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, October
2006. Web. 22 Jan. 2013. <http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/32.143.4>
"Smart
Art." Smart Art. Walter's Art Museum, 30 Aug. 2010. Web. 22 Jan. 2013.
Wildeman,
Brian. "Art History Lab." Brian Wildeman's Ancient Mesopotamia. University of Chicago, 9 May 2012. Web. 22
Jan. 2013.
Krystal, I really enjoyed reading your blog. I had no idea what bas-relief meant and feel like I learned a lot. I like how, when talking about nudity, you gave a little background information about how the nudity was portrayed at the time the art was made. I also liked that you found a piece that had to do with the people of Sumer and Inanna. That really helped me connect to the art because the story of Sumer has already been studied. Great job!
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