025. Lamassu from the Citadel of Sargon II
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1. IDENTIFICATION: (Artist, title, date, size, country 2. FORM: (use of design elements/ principles: 3. MATERIALS AND TECHNIQUE: (art making of origin, period/style) color, shape, value, texture, line, space; balance, processes) contrast, emphasis, movement, etc.) 025. Lamassu from the citadel of Sargon II, Dur Imposing, tall and facing forward and dutifully, Alabaster Sharrukin (modern Khorsabad, Iraq) fairly symmetrical and balanced High-Relief sculpture (with portions in the round) Neo-Assyrian ca. 720-705 BCE 4. CONTENT: (subject & genre: iconography, 5. ORIGINAL CONTEXT/ SITE/ INTENDED symbolism, the story) FUNCTION OF THE WORK: (Overlap to #6) Composite beast (with ‘5 legs’, so it can be seen fully At the entrance of the royal throne room in the at any angle) citadel of Sargon II Headdress marks it as a deity Quality not uniformly high because so many were Symbolizes power and the king’s right to rule created 6. INTENDED PURPOSE & MOTIVATION (why was it 7. INNOVATION/ CHANGE(S): 8. THEME(S): made?); PATRON/AUDIENCE (who was it made for?); Narrative component, piece was a guardian of Power, human & animal, supernatural, deity IMAGE OF WORK ARTIST’S DECISION MAKING: sorts Sargon II had it made for his citadel COMPARE TO ANOTHER WORK: They served to guard and protect him as well as Like the Great Sphinx of Egypt, both of these symbolize his power CONVENTION/ TRADITION(S): pieces are composite beasts and serve to show Same technique of sculpture with rock, importance power. However, they were made with different of divine right and power styles and this piece was not funerary. It expressed the power of the current ruler, not after his death. .