1. Pre-Islamic Empires of Iran HIAA 0031 Professor: Anne Chen
Prequel to the Rise of the Achaemenids: The Empires of Assyria and Babylonia
Pre-Islamic Empires of Iran
HIAA 0031
Professor: Anne Chen

2. Today’s Plan Blog posts Tools of the Art Historical Trade:
Formal Analysis
Sculpture
Architecture
Neo-Assyrian Empire
Neo-Babylonian Empire

3. Activity Find a partner
Select one partner to face away from the screen

5. What is formal analysis?
1. Describe
-composition (arrangement of parts of or in the work)
-medium
-color
-line
-texture
-scale
-proportion
-balance
-contrast
-rhythm
2. Explain

6. 2004 RNC, New York

7. Alabaster wall relief, Assurbanipal and consort dining in garden
Nineveh, North palace, c. 650 BCE

8. The Special Case of Architecture
What kinds of elements should we pay attention to in architecture?
Symmetry
Geometry of spaces
Axes
Light/shadow
Entrances
Circulation through space
Medium
Ephemeral elements (changing, light, artificial light, acoustics, etc.)

9. Reading a floorplan Footprint of a building Conventions
Solid dark lines/dark filled areas
Open space
Dotted lines
Single lines
Columns (and their bases)
Colors
Sketched-in lines

10. Hagia Sophia, Istanbul

11. How did the Neo-Assyrian and Neo-Babylonian kings use art and architecture to convey their power and persuade populations?

12. The Neo-Assyrian Empire 911-627 BCE

13. Before the Neo-Assyrian Period:
Mesopotamian kingdom headed by original capital, Assur
Assur founded c BCE
Old Assyrian Period—colonies in Asia Minor and Levant
Middle Assyrian Period—expansion, conflict with Egyptians, Hittites, Babylonia

14. Neo-Assyrian Empire: 911-627 BCE
War booty, Tribute=Resources

15. “This city, the whole of it, I conquered it with the help of Ashur and Ishtar. Silver, gold, precious stones, all the wealth of the palace, rich cloth, precious linen, great horses, supervising men and women, two obelisks of splendid electrum, weighing 2500 talents, the doors of temples I tore from their bases and carried them off to Assyria. With this weighty booty I left Thebes. Against Egypt and Kush I have lifted my spear and shown my power. With full hands I have returned to Nineveh, in good health.” Assurbanipal, on the sack of Thebes, 667 BCE

16. Important Dates and Names
Assurnasipal II (r BCE)
Shalmaneser III (r BCE)
Sargon II (r BCE)
Sennacherib (r. 704–681 BCE)
Rebellion in Judah backed by Egypt and Babylonia, siege of Jerusalem 701 BCE
Sack of Babylon 689 BCE
Assurbanipal (r BCE)
Sack of the Assyrian capital of Nineveh by an alliance of Chaldeans and Medes  612 BCE

17. Kalhu (present-day Nimrud)

18. The citadel at Nimrud:

19. Ashurnasirpal II’s Northwest Palace:

20. Lamassu, 883–859 B.C.; reign of Ashurnasirpal II, Excavated at Nimrud (Kalhu), Alabaster; H. 10 ft. 3 1/2 in. (313.7 cm), Metropolitan Museum, NY
Kalhu (Nimrud) Lamassu, British Museum

22. Lion Gate, Hattusha (Hittite Capital City), late 14-13 c. BCE

24. Throne Room

25. Austen Henry Layard's fanciful rendering of the Throne Room in the Northwest Palace

26. Mesopotamia, 2005, near the Euphrates River

28. Assyrian archers pursuing enemies, relief from the throne room in the Northwest Palace of Ashurnasirpal II, Kalhu (modern Nimrud), Iraq, ca. 875–860 BCE. Alabaster. British Museum, London.

29. Assyrian archers in chariots with beheaded enemies above, Nimrud Throne Room, British Museum
The Assyrian Army lays siege to a city, Nimrud Throne Room, British Museum

30. I am Ashurnasirpal, the celebrated prince, who reveres the great gods, the fierce dragon, conqueror of the cities and mountains to their furthest extent, king of rulers who has tamed the stiff-necked peoples, who is crowned with splendor, who is not afraid of battle, the merciless champion who shakes resistance, the glorious king, the shepherd, the protection of the whole world, the king, the word of whose mouth destroys mountains and seas, who by his lordly attack has forced fierce and merciless kings from the rising to the setting sun to acknowledge one rule. Many of the captives I have taken and burned in a fire. Many I took alive. From some I cut off their hands to the wrists, from others I cut off their noses, ears and fingers; I put out the eyes of many of the soldiers. I burned their young men women and children to death  I flayed the nobles as many as rebelled and spread their skins out on the piles of their corpses.

31. “Ashurnasirpal, great king, strong king, king of the universe, king of Assyria, son of Tukulti-Ninurta (II), great king, strong king, king of the universe, king of Assyria, son of Adad-nārāri (II) (who was) also great king, strong king, king of the universe, (and) king of Assyria, conqueror from the opposite bank of the Tigris as far as Mount Lebanon and the Great Sea, all lands from east to west he subdued.”
Statue of Ashurnasirpal II
Magnesite and a base made from a Syrian red stone, Nimrud, Ishtar Sharrat-niphi temple, ca. 875 – 860 BCE

32. Throne room relief

33. Hellenistic king, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York