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The Altamira Cave Paintings, Spain, Ice Age.

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The Altamira Cave Paintings, Spain, Ice Age.

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This depiction of a Bison was found on the cave's ceiling in Altamira Spain. This painting along with all the others found in the cave would be recognized as the world's first discovery of prehistoric artwork.  This relic of the Ice Age is a great way for us to see what the world was like to our early ancestors through their eyes.

1. The 7 most important prehistoric cave paintings in the world. TheCollector. (2022, November 1). https://www.thecollector.com/most-important-cave-paintings-in-the-world/

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Lion with the names of Pharaoh Necho II. Dynasty 26, (610–595 B.C.)

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Lion with the names of Pharaoh Necho II. Dynasty 26, (610–595 B.C.)

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This glazed steatite lion had cartouches of Necho II on its shoulders. This display feature was unexpected In Egypt at the time it was created. The lion with a curled mane and half-open mouth indicated the Syro-Hittite region. The depiction of a lion gives us insight into a specific moment in Egyptian history when Necho's troops were in the Syro-Hittite area, residing in Carchemish and battling at Harran, alongside remnants of the Assyrian forces resisting Nebuchadrezzar’s Neo-Babylonians.

1. Collection insights. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. (2021, February 26). https://www.metmuseum.org/about-the-met/collection-areas/egyptian-art/our-research

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In this Aegean period, mask was discovered covering the face of a corpse in a shaft grave and was one of the five masks discovered during that expedition. since not all corpses discovered were not covered with ornate riches, it is believed that the corpse belonged to someone of some high importance. This mask is made from thinly hammered gold that was then overlaid over a wooden form.

The mask is full of 3D features, such as cut-out ears, facial hair, and eyelids that appear to be both open and closed. It is representative of the gold work from this period.

1. Archaeologies of the Greek Past. Mask of “Agamemnon.” (n.d.). https://www.brown.edu/Departments/Joukowsky_Institute/courses/greekpast/4917.html

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Terracotta statuette of a seated woman. 6th-5th century BCE.

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Terracotta statuette of a seated woman. 6th-5th century BCE.

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This Ancient Greek statue of a woman is made from terracotta. The small size of this statue signifies that this was most likely made as a votive gift to a deity. The rigidness of the seated figures on the thrones while wearing elaborate headdresses signifies they are probable goddesses. Hundreds of these statues were buried in the Acropolis's trenches after the Persians looted and burned Athens in 480 B.C. This statue is believed to represent an early cult statue of Athena.

1. Terracotta statuette of a seated woman: Greek, probably boeotian: Archaic. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. (n.d.). https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/255697#:~:text=These%20rigid%20figures%20seated%20on,early%20cult%20statue%20of%20Athena.

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This piece is made out of Ivory, and it's from the Byzantine period. This was originally a diptych that was hinged to another panel, which unfortunately got lost. This is the central depiction of an energetic emperor, likely Justinian, on horseback. The horse rears its hind legs as the emperor looks forward.  Around him are three more miniature figures that symbolize the emperor's power and dominance. Victory in battle is symbolized by a winged figure of victory on the upper right along with a globe inscribed with a cross.  The ivory used in Byzantine art such as this one influenced Western art in all the artistic periods that followed.

1. Byzantine art and architecture overview. The Art Story. (n.d.). https://www.theartstory.org/movement/byzantine-art/

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Attachments Depicting Busts of Silenoi, Mid 1st century BCE-mid 1st century CE

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Attachments Depicting Busts of Silenoi, Mid 1st century BCE-mid 1st century CE

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This is an early Roman decorative bronze piece. This is one of many in the series of objects that take the form of busts of silenoi or mature satyrs. These were beast-like creatures believed to be the companion of Dionysos, the Greek god of wine. To the Romans, this creature was known as Bacchus, a half-man, half-horse mutant. These pieces were used to decorate couches for the rich to lounge in.

1. Ancient roman art. The Art Institute of Chicago. (n.d.). https://www.artic.edu/highlights/19/ancient-roman-art

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A scene from the Bayeux Tapestry (11th Century)

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A scene from the Bayeux Tapestry (11th Century)

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This is a tapestry from the Romanesque period. This scene from this famous tapestry depicts Odo and the Bishop of Bayeux, holding an oak club while riding on a black horse. This happens while he rallies the Norman forces of Duke William, his half-brother, against the English battle of Hastings in 1066. Careful attention was given to the horses and the detail of the men's helmets and uniforms. The movement of the horses creates the momentum necessary to carry the narrative to the next scene. In the lower portion of the tapestry, we can appreciate a falling horse with its rider pierced with a long spear. This is an important piece that depicts a consequential battle in English history.

"The Bayeux Tapestry was a unique work of the Romanesque period, as it depicted a secular, historical event, but also did so in the medium that allowed for an extended narrative that shaped both the British and French sense of national identity" (theartstory.org).

1. Romanesque art and architecture overview. The Art Story. (n.d.-b). https://www.theartstory.org/movement/romanesque-art/

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This is a stone sculpture from the Gothic era. It depicts a crowned, unarmed man seated on a horse turning to look directly at the viewer. Naturalism is portrayed by depicting the subject with natural proportions and details. Upon closer inspection one can appreciate the horse holding his head up while having the bit in its teeth, as his rear leg flexes as if restless and waiting to move. The man is dressed in the fashionable trend for nobility at the time, with his figure and stance exuding confidence and a sense of calmness as he observes what's around him. Scholars have long since debated the identity of the man on the horse, some think it may have been a king known for his saintly qualities.

“His calm gaze seems to suggest that, despite the realities of shifting ethnic identities and complex national boundaries, medieval Europe could still dream of a world united under the paradigm of a perfect Christian king” (Shirin Fozi).

1. Gothic art and architecture overview. The Art Story. (n.d.-c). https://www.theartstory.org/movement/gothic-art-and-architecture/

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This tapestry from the early Medieval period is the oldest surviving set of tapestries of 328ft. It was commissioned in 1375 for King Charles V and took seven years to complete. The art in the tapestry depicts scenes from the story of the apocalypse from the Book of Revelation by Saint John. The images shown, however, were most likely inspired by traditional apocalypse iconography. In its original form, this tapestry comprised 90 individual panels. The apocalypse theme fits the time because the 100 Years' War ravaged the country; the Black Death also killed hundreds daily in an almost apocalyptic form.

1.  Historicalragbag. (2020, June 8). The apocalypse tapestry. Historical Ragbag. https://historicalragbag.com/2020/06/08/the-apocalypse-tapestry/

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Masaccio: Expulsion from the Garden of Eden (1426-27)

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Masaccio: Expulsion from the Garden of Eden (1426-27)

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This fresco is from the Early Renaissance era. It portrays a naked Adam and Eve thrown out of the Garden of Eden. It shows them walking through an arch in the distance, which has some black lines coming through as a representation of the angry voice of God. An angel dressed in red hovers over them to make sure they get out and stay out. The facial expressions displayed on Adam and Eve show the immense emotion they were going through, grieving the fact that they had to leave paradise and enter a bare unfruitful world. The nudity in this piece shows a classically proportioned, non-sensual form, solidifying the starkness of their situation after being stripped away from God's favor.

1.  Early Renaissance art and architecture. The Art Story. (n.d.-b). https://www.theartstory.org/movement/early-renaissance/