The Middle East

When the civilization of Egypt developed and prospered, there was another civilization developing its own civilization about 500 miles to the north and east of Egypt. This was the first of a long sequence of Middle Eastern civilizations that had a big influence to the future of art.

Mesopotamia

If you are wondering, where was the beginning of human civilization? The evidence would suggest Egypt, although there were equally strong cases for the Mesopotamia, located in the plain between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in modern day Iraq. Both Egypt and Mesopotamia required agriculture in fertile river valleys for their survival. Around 3000 B.C., both civilizations created rich and highly sophisticated cultures. However, that was the only resemblance between these great ancient [... continue reading]

Egypt

The ancient Greek historian Herodotus depicts the land of the pharaohs as “Egypt is the gift of the Nile”. The Nile is the major route for transportation, communication for Egypt and it is the longest river in the world. More significantly, the Nile left rich deposits of alluvial soil along its banks each spring, giving the Egyptians fertile land to plant their corps.

Egypt, was protected from her enemies by thousands of miles of desert, developed in secure isolation. There was a sense of durability and order in this land of hot sun, and this sense is display in the art of the ancient Egyptians.

The Egyptian nation begins about 5000 years ago when King Menes (also called Narmer) began the first of Egypt’s 31 dynasties (ruling families). King Menes did this by uniting its [... continue reading]

Western Art

Western art is the name we give to the long continuous tradition that began with ancient civilizations around the Mediterranean Sea. In the 5000 years since the birth of civilization in Egypt and Sumeria, many nations and peoples have produced works of art that still influence our ideas today.

The spirit of innovation passed from the Egyptians and Sumerians to the ancient Greeks and later to the powerful Romans. From them, the disciplines of painting, sculpture, and architecture passed to the new countries of Europe and eventually to the New World as well. At every step, new tribes and peoples made their own contribution. The art of the West is wonderfully various, yet at the same time it is the product of a single long and distinguished tradition. [... continue reading]