Mesopotamian and Egyptian Art

Paper Summary:

The paper discusses how the art and architecture of both Mesopotamia and Egypt are similarly drawn from their environment, geographical characteristics, climate and natural resources. The paper explains how Mesopotamians benefited from their natural wealth, while the Egyptians focused on their classic achievement, the pyramids. The paper notes that basic differences include the subjugated expressions of Mesopotamian art and architecture on account of their subjugation to other peoples, who envied their natural resources. On the other hand, the paper shows how Egyptian art and architecture document their uniqueness in every feature of the tombs, reliefs and statutes they built for their kings.

From the Paper:

""Mesopotamia" is the Greek word for "between the rivers" and refers to that region between the Tigris and the Euphrates Rivers, presently occupied by Iraq, Turkley and Syria (Delahunt 2006). The region was occupied in ancient times by many groups, including the Sumerians, Akkadians, Assyrians, Amorites, Kassites, Persians, Greeks, and Chaldeans. They passed their powers on to the Arabs, who now occupy current-day Mesopotamia. There is little rainfall in this region and access to the two rivers has been difficult. People in the region have built dams and grew food in the rich soil. They built
canals in order to distribute scanty water, an activity, which united them. They also invented the plough to raise their cattle and sheep."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Delahunt, Michael. Mesopotamian Art. Artlex, 2006. http://www.artlex.com/Artlex/m?mesapotamia.htm
• Gombrich, Ernst Hans. The Story of Art. The Artchive, 2006. http://www.artchive.com/artchive/E/egyptian.html

More papers on Mesopotamian and Egyptian Art:

• Comparison Essay # 87258 : "Art Analysis"
• Essay # 57540 : "Conventions of Mesopotamian Art"
• Term Paper # 138726 : "Egyptian Art Exhibit"

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