Bryan McCabe Art 105 First Critical Essay 2/11/11

The Cultures of the Ancient World because of the infancy of their written languages and the lack of education among the populous; relied on images rich in symbolism to tell the story of their people in their art. The primary images found in these art works are animals and mythical animal hybrids. The animals often went beyond being a simple animal and took on profound meanings for fertility, wealth, power and war. The fanciful animal hybrids were vehicles of divine power and were creatures of dreams and nightmares. The images of animals on temple walls and their presence at the gates of palaces showed that humans had evolved from the Paleolithic Era, where animals were representational to now a period of animals used as iconic representations of ideas. This evolution can be seen in the cultures of Ancient Egypt who symbolized animals so seamlessly the Gods of their pantheon were often depicted with the heads of powerful beasts. The people of the Aegean Sea recount the stories of massive and terrifying beasts in their myths such as the Minotaur imprisoned beneath the palace at Knossos. In the near east benevolent guardian beasts called lammasu guarded the citadel of King Sargon. These cultures left behind a legacy of myth and legend that still fascinate us to this day. The people who crafted images helped set the course of human history forward and from them sprang some of the most amazing art the world had ever seen.

In the near east the depictions of animals appear to be always associated with royalty and divinity. The two most powerful examples of animal symbolism are found in at the Citadel of Sargon II and at the Ishtar Gate. While these two images both feature animals the image and feelings they convey are powerfully different. At the citadel we see the mystical connection between the earthly ruler of Assyria and the heavenly realms. The lammasu appear very imposing towering over any person who crossed the gate, the message they say in their eternal silence is cross Sargon II and you are crossing the gods. This coupled with how superstitious ancient people were would help to reinforce Sargons apparent divine right to rule over the empire. The Ishtar gate lacks large statues of fearsome beasts, but what it lacks in size it makes up for with color and presence. The bulls and dragons done in gold tones stand out in contrast to the deep blue lapis. This composition shows the might of Babylon the lapis was expensive and demonstrated Babylons vast fortune the creatures adorning the walls reinforced that the rulers of Babylon did so with the Gods blessings. While these cultures used animal symbolism to establish the link between their rule and the Gods blessings the Pharos of Egypt took that link one step further. In Egypt images of animals were everywhere, in the hieroglyphics many of the letters were represented by the animals of the Nile, the tombs of the pharos were decorated with elaborate hunting scenes. The most profound images of animals in Egypt can be found decorating the heads of their gods. The Egyptians used the characteristics of each animal to give characteristics to their Gods. To the people Egypt this helped them to understand the nature of their gods. Images of the Jackal God Anubis found in tombs and at his temple at Luxor is one of the most popular images from ancient Egypt. He prepared the dead for the afterlife; this association was easy for the simple farmers of Egypt because they knew that jackals were

scavengers and were found among the dead. Images of the Falcon God Horus decorate the pyramids at Giza, he was the ruler of heaven and because so many of the royals of Egypt hunted with falcons it was an easy association to see them as kings of the sky. The many cults of Egypt were concerned with life and death and the images of animals representing their gods helped the priests create a culture of mysticism around the mysteries of life and death. The pantheon of Egypt encompassed just about every animal that could be found in the lands of Egypt, which helped to unify the idea that the gods took a daily interest in the affairs of men. As art and human history advance we see a shift away from this especially in the lands of the Aegean. Where in Egypt an animal was the literal representation of the God on earth in the Aegean they became more narrative and decorative. The best examples of Aegean art come from the palace at Knossos the images there are some of the most accurate portrayals of animals we have seen thus far in history. The animals in the palace no longer have deep religious significance they are there to decorate and tell a story. Because the Minoans were a mighty sea power the images of dolphins on the palace wall and octopi on their ceramics, help to link the culture and everyday life of the people to their art. The frescos that adorn the walls of the palace showing the bull fights in the Toreador fresco help to give us a glimpse of what life was like for these people. While all three of these cultures used the images of animals in their art you can see a slow and steady evolution of how humans perceptions of images began to evolve and grow, from starting out with a hacked up rock that kind of looked like a bear to elaborate carvings decorating palace gates. Humans have attempted to create what they saw in the natural world whether on a grand scale like in the massive stone sculptures of their Gods in Egypt to the smaller intricate frescos of Crete. All essentially are showing the same images through very different lenses