As art observers we try to really understand the art we are looking at. What does it represent? What is the meaning of it? Does it serve a purpose? To answer these questions we need to look at the iconographic elements as well as the formal conventions of each of the pieces.

Early on in the history of art it is virtually impossible to know the true meanings of certain pieces because there was no such thing as written records at that time. All we can do is gather up enough information of what we do know to be true to make the most valid assumptions as to the meanings of the work as we possibly can. However, once we are introduced to the Mesopotamian civilization things start to become much clearer. The reason behind this is that the Mesopotamians had invented a type of writing called "cuneiform" which was made by pressing a wedged stick into a soft surface to make symbols that represented different things. The Egyptians also had a type of writing called "hieroglyphics." This is a series of p

The "Votive figure of Gudea" represents the typical aspects found in Mesopotamian art. This statue, like Egyptian style statues, was cut close to the block. However, in the case of the Mesopotamians, the stone in which these statues were made was quite expensive so they used as much of the stone as they could, putting none to waste. Most sculpture of the time looked cylindrical. This was due to the fact that it was cut so close to the block. The purpose of this statue was to stand in the place of its owner and pray for them while they were busy doing other things. The statue would usually stand in the ziggurat in the temple of the god in which they wanted to pray for. The eyes of the statue were very large because they believed that the eyes were the mirrors of the soul. Along with the formal aspects of these statues came the iconographical aspects as well. Gudea has his hands clasped, which indicates that he is in some sort of prayer. Another meaning behind clasping the hands is social rank. The different ways that the hands are clasped is a sign of the persons standing in society. In this piece of work Gudea is wearing a broad brimmed hat. We can tell that he is an important person because royalty in Mesopotamia wore brimmed hats. Hairstyles also depicted the stature of a person. Priests had bald heads while others donned long extravagant hairstyles. Another commonality of almost every freestanding piece in this time is that it had some type of cuneiform written on it. In this particular piece, Gudea is trying to show his people that he is interested in a well-organized community. Finally the water flowing from the jar that Gudea is holding represents the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. These rivers flowing from the same point connected the two most important sources of life for the Mesopotamians.

The Egyptians used a different technique in making their relief art. It is called "sunken relief." Instead of carving the background out, the Egyptians decided to cut the image into the stone. Not only was this a faster technique, it was also easier to see in different lighting and from different angles. A good example of this is the "Trial Piece of Akhenaten." In this piece, the Egyptian interpretation of humans is beginning to change. The humans are being depicted more like lions. This is because lions were admired, sacred, and a symbol of power. To show this, the artist makes Akhenaten's nose long, cheeks hollow, chin hanging, lips thick and eyes, feline shaped.

These formal values and iconographic elements of Egyptian and Mesopotamian art have immensely helped us learn about the art and culture of our past. The mainstream of Egyptian art differs from the Amarna period art because

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