Mesopotamian And Egyptian Art Comparison Essay

The Sumerians and the Egyptians both had great civilizations that flourished around the same time as well as the expansion of their artwork. If we were to compare their work, it may be difficult to tell them apart. But if we were to look deeper into the meanings and techniques used we can certainly start to see some distinct similarities and differences forming. The Egyptians were known for creating large monuments such as the Great Spinx and the Temple of Ramses II. These massive sculptural structures were created in preparation for the afterlife. The Egyptians had the ability to import large stones for these great structures, and they also were able to organize a massive labor force for building. In contrast, art from the Mesopotamian regions tended to be smaller and less grand than the Egyptians’ because of the constant attacks towards the Mesopotamians. Like the Egyptians their sculptural figures appeared to be stiff and ridged, however the
It allowed to portray a telling of story with artwork. They used pictures and symbols to represent people and actions. The Mesopotamians on the other hand developed the written communication called cuneiform. Cuneiform was made up of wedge shaped symbols carved onto clay tablets. In both cultures’ art was seen on the walls of monuments showing scenes from everyday life. The art was also a form to show reverence to the gods and goddesses, kings and queens.
Both cultures emphasized the perfection of the human figure in proportion. Each part of the body was depicted at the most representative angel; feet and heads were depicted in profile, but eyes and torsos were shown in frontal view. In both Egyptian and Mesopotamian art there were many examples of evenly spaced figures in procession with repetitive and almost identical poses. Creatures with a mixture of both human and animal body parts was a common subject matter in both