GRADE 9 ARTS

This quarter will show you how to

understand and appreciate western
and classical art traditions. In
understanding and appreciating art
the most important factor is
knowledge of its time frame. As you
go through this quarter you will
learn about ancient, classical, and
medieval art.
WESTERN AND CLASSICAL ART
TRADITION
Roman art includes architecture,
painting, sculpture and mosaic
work. Greek and Roman Art has
many similarities. Classical Art dates
back as early as 500 B.C. during the
rise of the Greek Empire. Western
and Classical Art Traditions are
defined in one word and that is
QUALITY!
ANCIENT ART
Ancient art refers to the
many types of art produced
by the advanced cultures of
ancient societies with some
form of writing.
PREHISTORIC ART
In the history of art, prehistoric art is all
art produced in preliterate,
prehistorically cultures beginning
somewhere in very late geological
history, and generally continuing until
that culture either develops writing or
other methods of record-keeping, or
makes significant contact with another
culture that has, and that makes some
record of major historical events.
Many images are engraved,
scratched into the rock walls of the
cave. The cave artist were believed
to have lived nearer to the mouth
of the cave. Experts believed also
that those ancient paintings were
done for magical assistance in the
hunt, to ensure success in bringing
down game animals.
Some of the ancient art dated from
the Chauvet cave of about 30,000 B.C
a few hundred years before the start
of our common era.
The paintings found inside the cave
of Chauvet were studied and
archeologist have formed tentative
conclusions about how the paintings
were done.
Pigments of red and yellow
ochre, a natural earth
substance along with black
charcoal, could have been
mixed with animal fat and
painted onto the wall of the
cave using a reed brush.
The Venus of Willendorf, now
known in academia as the
Woman of Willendorf, is an
11.1-centimeter (4.4 in) high
statuette of a female figure
estimated to have been made
between about 28,000 and
25,000 BCE.
MESOPOTAMIA
Mesopotamia (from the Greek, meaning
'between two rivers) was an ancient region
in the eastern Mediterranean bounded in
the northeast by the Zagros Mountains and
in the southeast by the Arabian Plateau,
corresponding to todays Iraq, mostly, but
also parts of modern-day Iran, Syria and
Turkey. The 'two rivers' of the name
referred to the Tigris and the Euphrates
rivers.
 Mesopotamia is often considered the
cradle of civilization within its boundaries,
some of the most ancient civilizations
flourished there, leaving behind a rich
legacy of ancient art.
Five kingdoms or peoples are known to
us for their distinguished art. These are the
Sumerians, Akkadians, Babylonians,
Assyrians, and the second wave of
Babylonians whose culture is referred to as
Neo-Babylonian.
SUMERIAN
Examples of fine works in marble,
diorite, hammered gold, and lapis
lazuli been found. Stone, wood,
and metal was imported.
Sumerian art and architecture
was ornate and complex primarily
used for religious purposes,
painting and sculpture
AKKADIAN
Akkadian art was the same as the
Sumerian art that went before it.
Carvings still usually had
rounded shapes, recalling early
clay sculptures. But in other ways
Akkadian art was very different
from Sumerian art. Akkadian
rulers used artists to help them
stay in power.
The artists carved images of the
Akkadian kings. Sometimes they showed
the kings on their own, just to remind
people who was in charge. Sometimes
they showed the kings conquering their
enemies, or they showed how much the
gods loved the king. The Akkadian kings
wanted art to remind the conquered
people how impressive and important
the kings were, so they wouldn't try to
revolt.
BABYLONIAN
During the Old Babylonian
Period, the art of the city was
showcased in frescoes and
with enameled tiles.
Frequently religious in
subject matter, as with other
ancient civilizations.
The Babylonians specialized in free
standing statuary. These figures were
three dimensional and largely realistic.
Among the earliest examples of
Babylonian statuary are the Statues of
Gudea carved mainly from diorite, Due
to a scarcity of stone, Babylons artists
treated it as a precious material and
became proficient at stone cutting and
carving.
In 1902 French explorers discovered a
stone of black diorite in the city of
Susa in which were record the laws
promulgated by King Hammurabi, King
of Babylon, 2285-2242 BC. These so-
called laws were somewhat
personal determinations that the King
promulgated as regards as justice and
how should be provided in his
Kingdom.
The code of Hammurabi has an
amazing property and that is the
ability to be understood, its wisdom
and understanding of human
behavior; which is show clearly
through the sections of the code
destined to address the most
important domestic aspects in the
daily live of Babylons city people.
Hammurabi says that he received this laws
from Samash; the Sun God. That milestone
moment is represented in a relief at the top
of the black cylinder stone. Those laws are
written in a way that attracts the attention
of who reads them, rather unusual in
comparison to the way in which were
traditionally written in Mesopotamia
cuneiform clay tablets; since these are
commonly read in linear horizontally from
left to right.
The code of Hammurabi is however written in
the style of writing that was only used in
sculptures and inscriptions with formal or
solemn character. These laws made in a
simplified style called ancient Babylon italics are
written in short columns that are read from the
top down; as you read the Chinese writing and
they were written in the back and part of the
front of the stone pillar in cuneiform writing
hieroglyphs. These laws were divided into
sections, each of which explains a trial that
corresponds with a general law.
ASSYRIAN
The Assyrians imposed on conquered
peoples a very well-organized State with
harsh laws, but it is a reality that without
them it would have been impossible to
maintain control over the extended
territories they grabbed. With strong
control, starting with their warriors up to
the conquered population an iron
discipline was imposed.
One of the various themes used
include, the representation of
injured Lions majestically and
dramatically represented on low
relief decorating their buildings.
These Lions capture the expressions
of pain, anguish, pride or ferocity
according to which scene the artist
represents in the image, doing so
with amazing realism.
The characteristic Assyrian art form
was the polychrome carved stone
relief that decorated imperial
monuments. The precisely delineated
reliefs concern royal affairs, chiefly
hunting and war making.
Predominance is given to animal
forms, particularly horses and lions,
which are magnificently represented
in great detail.
They also produced
stone carving sculptures and
paintings in which the theme of
the Lions was present with
human figures fighting them.
Other animals such as the noble
horse and ox were also
represented.
The technique of the relief
executed in stone, diorite, metal,
and clay was an effective means
of expression of Assyrian beliefs,
their culture and their conception
of life.
Assyrian relief representing the
drama of lion confrontation.
NEO-BABYLONIAN
The Neo-Babylonians are most famous for
their architecture, notably at their capital
city, Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar (604-561
B.C.E.) largely rebuilt this ancient city
including its walls and seven gates. It is also
during this era that Nebuchadnezzar
purportedly built the "Hanging Gardens of
Babylon" for his wife because she missed the
gardens of her homeland in Media (modern
day Iran). Though mentioned by ancient
Greek and Roman writers, the "Hanging
Gardens" may, in fact, be legendary.
The Ishtar Gate was the most
elaborate of the inner city gates
constructed in Babylon in antiquity.
The whole gate was covered in lapis
lazuli glazed bricks which would have
rendered the faade with a jewel-like
shine. Alternating rows of lion and
cattle march in a relief procession
across the gleaming blue surface of
the gate.
- Explain the art of every empire of
Mesopotamia including the
prehistoric art.
 PRE- SUMERIAN AKKADIAN BABYLONIAN ASSYRIAN NEO-
HISTORIC BABYLONIAN
ART
EGYPTIAN ART
The principal message of Egyptian
art is continuity. The Sphinx is the
symbol of this most important
characteristic of Egyptian art. It
reflects stability, order, and
endurance. Built about 2530 BCE
with 65 feet in height facing the
rising sun, it seems to cast its
immobile gaze down the centuries
SPHINX- is a mythical
creature with the head of a
human and the body of a lion.
In Greek tradition, it has the
head of a human
THE GREAT PYRAMID OF GIZA
The use of pyramids are for King or
Queens tombs. The Pyramid was
built by civilization the Pyramid is
meant to protect the King and
Queens, when they die their body is
safe from a burglar. Egyptians
believed they have afterlife, so when
they die at the inside of the Pyramid
they put so many treasures and even
their own slaves.
Some materials that we will use to
build our Pyramids are different
kinds of stones, specifically
limestone. Most of the core will be
limestone as well as some of the
interior. Granite and mud bricks are
also going to be used to create the
walls. We will use clay in between
the stones to keep them in place.
Some of the tools being used will
be wood tools and pounding
stones to help construct the
Pyramids. We will also use ropes
to create a pulley system for
lifting large pieces of stone, and
ramps to help place the pieces in
the exact spot. We will roll the
smaller pieces of stone.
GREEK ART
The ancient Greek art includes much
pottery, sculpture, as well as
architecture. Their architecture and
sculpture have influenced later
periods in the history of western art.
The Greek serenity of spirit, love of
logic, and joy in life are clearly
reflected in their art. Their temple is
really planned and perfected
The Erechtheum
The Erechtheum is an ancient
Greek temple of ionic style on the
north side of the acropolis of
Athens. The temple as seen today
was built between 421 and 407
BC.
Much of the vases decoration
consists of geometric lines and
patterns, including the stroll
pattern that runs around the top
under the rim. Images people are
little more than stick figures
incorporated wonderfully in the
overall geometric design.
Greek sculpture is known for the
contrapposto (counterpoise) standing
of the figures. The art of ancient
Greece is usually divided stylistically
into three periods.
1. Archaic
2. The classical
3. Hellenistic
ARCHAIC PERIOD
The stylization of the archaic
art gave way to realistic
figures. Human anatomy was
deemed worthy of being
immortalized in stone or
bronze for the first time.
CLASSICAL PERIOD
The art of the classical Greek style is
characterized by a triumphant
freedom of movement and freedom
of expression., it celebrates mankind
as an independent entity. Artist
during this period begin to expand
the formal artistic boundaries while
they worked in expressing the
human figure in a more naturalistic
manner.
HELLENISTIC ART
In sculpture, Hellenistic artists
copied and adopted earlier styles,
and also made great innovations.
Hellenistic artists perfected
sculpture in the round. Viewer can
see the statue in all angles, artist
considered also the draping and
effects of transparency of clothing
and the flexibility of poses.
A number of best-known works
of Greek sculpture belong to this
period, including Laocoon and
His Sons, Venus de Milo,
Winged Victory of Samothrace.
In artistic terms, this means that
there is huge variety which is
often put under the heading of
Hellenistic art for convenience.
Laocoon and His Sons
Venus de Milo
Winged Victory of Samothrace