Assyrian Art and Architecture

Assyrian art and architecture was first established around 1500 BCE in Assyria which was a region that went from Mesopotamia through Asia Minor and down through Egypt. Assyrian art is unique because it shows, basically the lifestyle and obstacles that Assyrian people went through during their time of civilization, but their art is mainly made to narrate their lives through hunting and battles. The Assyrians would always have to battle other societies, so they can expand their society. The Assyrians was such a tough society that they had art and sculptures to show their toughness and to intimidate when it comes to battles. For example they had two humungous human headed winged bulls and they stood outside of a palace gateway of the Palace of Sargon II at Dur Sharrukin. Both of the sculptures stood at 16 feet tall and weighed a whopping 40 tons.

 Their sculptures and art were made of stones and alabaster, a fined grained form of gypsum. Most of their big sculptures were found outside of their royal palaces, because the royal building were one of the biggest and best designed buildings they had in their society and that's what everyone see if they ever lived in their society or enter. The Assyrians also had relief panels that was significant in many ways as well. Their relief panels are similar to today because they tell stories just like comic book stories starting at one end and following it along the walls of conclusion. Some of their best relief panels are carved to show their famous traditional lion hunts. The Assyrians also had talented architecture buildings that held most of the relief panels and sculptures. These uniquely designed were basically the royal palaces in this society. At their palaces they want to show all of their traditions and basically their way of life. Their relief panels not only consisted of violent things, it also consisted of better and positive things such as gardens, plats, fishing, feasts, Gods, excursions, love, women, men, slaves, families and many more. The fortress of Sargon II at Dur-Sharrukin is a uniquely designed building that consisted of a stone foundation surrounded by seven gates and had massive load bearing wall with regularly spaced towers. Builders in this society also used wood, such as cedar and cypress. An example of this type of architecture is the Balawat Gates. The Balawat Gates were made of cedar and stood to be 22 feet. The gates opened by turning enormous pine pillars that rotated in stone sockets. These gates were designed to help defend  their empire from possible enemies. The Assyrian society is a very ancient society and it shows how they told stories and built builings based on their lifestyle or for protection.

Citation

Hays, Jeffrey. “SUMERIAN, BABYLONIAN AND ASSYRIAN ART.” Facts and Details, factsanddetails.com/world/cat56/sub363/item1519.html.       

     “Assyrian Art (C.1500-612 BCE).” Assyrian Art: Characteristics, History, www.visual-arts-cork.com/ancient-art/assyrian.htm#characteristics.        

           Boundless. “Boundless Art History.” Lumen, courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-arthistory/chapter/assyria/.