Art

of Empires: Assyrian and Roman Monumental Reliefs

Oriental Institute Education Course

University of Chicago
Spring 2016

SYLLABUS

Instructor: Kiersten Neumann
E-mail: neumann@uchicago.edu
Classroom: 210 Oriental Institute
Course: 6:00pm8:00pm, April 27thJune 1st, 2016

Course Description
This course will explore the role that relief sculpture played as a medium of artistic expression in
architectural programs of the Neo-Assyria empire (c. 910612 BCE) and Roman empire (27 BCE
476 CE). This format was employed by Assyrian kings and Roman emperors alike to visually
highlight aspects of their rule and the empire at large, from battle scenes to religious observances,
imperial building programs, and pivotal historical events. Though temporally divorced, these two
imperial periods are particularly rich in material and, when placed in dialogue with one another,
bring to the fore the special qualities of the relief format.
Students will actively engage with both the Assyrian and Roman material individually and in
dialogue by examining a variety of reliefs, including reliefs from Ashurnasirpal IIs Northwest
Palace, Sargons Palace at Khorsabad, Augustus Ara Pacis, Trajans Column, and the Arch of
Constantine. Lectures, readings, and classes in the Oriental Institute Museum galleries will help
students identify the basic forms, techniques, and styles of monumental reliefs; to conduct visual
and formal analysis of a work of art within its architectural context; and to speak about their visual
experience. They will learn to interpret the art from culturally and historically sensitive
perspectives and explore how this medium functioned in these two very different contexts. The
course will draw primarily upon the archaeological evidence, yet ancient textual sources will also
be brought in to the discussion, for their written content as well as the role they played as material
culture.

Readings and Assignments

The readings and short assignments are to be completed before the class meeting for which they
are listed. For the short assignments, which are based on the preceding weeks readings and
discussion, please write a 12 page response and be prepared to discuss your response in class.

Suggested References and Further Reading
Assyria:
Curtis, John E, and Dominique Collon. Art and Empire: Treasures from Assyria in the British
Museum. London: British Museum Press, 1995. Print.
Department of Ancient Near Eastern Art. Assyria, 1365609 B.C. In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art
History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000.
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/assy/hd_assy.htm (originally published October
2004, last revised April 2010)
Mesopotamia, 1000 B.C.1 A.D. In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The
Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000.
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/ht/?period=04&region=wam (October 2000)
Rome:
Henig, Martin, ed. A Handbook of Roman Art: A Comprehensive Survey of All the Arts of the Roman
World. Ithaca, N.Y.: Cornell University Press, 1983.
Lightfoot, Christopher. The Roman Empire (27 B.C.393 A.D.). In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art
History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000.
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/roem/hd_roem.htm (October 2000)
MacDonald, William Lloyd. The Architecture of the Roman Empire. 2 vols. Rev. ed. New Haven:
Yale University Press, 1982.

WEEKLY SCHEDULE

Week 1: Introduction: Two Empires, One Artistic Medium (4/27/16)

historical overview of the Neo-Assyrian and Roman Empires
overview of common imperial monuments and building projects
introduction to the medium and nomenclature of monumental reliefs
Readings:
Reade, Julian. The Sculptures in their Setting. In Assyrian Sculpture. London: Trustees of
the British Museum, 1998: 1833.
Sobocinski, M. G. and E. W. Thill. Chapter 3.5: Monumental Reliefs. In Friedland, E. A., M.
G. Sobocinski, and E. K. Gazda (eds.), The Oxford Handbook of Roman Sculpture. New
York: Oxford University Press, 2015: 276291.

Week 2: Narrative and Style (5/4/16)

development of narrative relief in Assyria and Rome
variations in style and perspective
Gallery Visit: Khorsabad Court, Assyrian Empire
Readings:
Reade, Julian. 1980. Space, Scale, and Significance in Assyrian Art. Baghdader
Mitteilungen 11: 7174, pls. 18.
Reread subsection Nomenclature, in Week 1 reading: Sobocinski, M.G. and E. W. Thill
Short Assignment:
Reflecting on the similarities and differences between Assyrian and Roman relief
sculpture that you learnt in our first meeting, why do you think both of these cultures
used this same artistic medium?

Week 3: Two Imperial Programs: Ashurnasirpals Throne Room and Augustus Ara Pacis
(pending)
relationship between architecture and imagery
movement and visuality
Readings:
Winter, Irene. The Program of the Palace of Assurnasirpal II at Nimrud: Issues in the
Research and Presentation of Assyrian Art. American Journal of Archaeology 102
(1999): 655715.
Elsner, Jas. Cult and Sculpture: Sacrifice in the Ara Pacis Augustae. JRS 81 (1991):5061.
Short Assignment:
Were narrative reliefs in Assyria and Rome historical? Explain your answer.
Describe the stylistic characteristics of one Assyrian or Roman monumental relief (think
of spacing, scale, perspective, directionality).

Week 4: Military Strength and Imperial Triumph (5/18/16)
A Campaign Narrative: Sennacheribs Lachish Reliefs
An Ancient Comic Strip: Trajans Column
Readings:
Russell, John. Sennacheribs Lachish Narratives. In P. J. Holliday (ed.), Narrative and
Event in Ancient Art. Cambridge University Press, 1993: 5573.
National Geographic Trajans Column: Part 1: Interactive Graphic
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/trajan-column/index.html
National Geographic Trajans Column PDF: Part 2: Story
Short Assignment:
How did both Ashurnasirpals Throne Room and Augustus Ara Pacis use their particular
architectural form to enhance the overall message of their relief program? Think about
the scenes and where they were placed, how people moved around the space and viewed
the imagery, and the larger contextual setting of the monument.

Week 5: Construction Beyond the Capital City (5/25/16)

Assyrian monumental reliefs on the periphery
The Arches of Trajan at Benevento and of Septimius Severus at Lepcis Magna
Readings:
Shafer, Ann. Assyrian Royal Monuments on the Periphery: Ritual and the Making of
Imperial Space. In J. Cheng and M. Feldman (eds.), Ancient Near Eastern Art in
Context: Studies in Honor of Irene J. Winter by Her Students, Leiden: Brill, 2007: 133
159.
Ward Perkins, J. B. The Arch of Septimius Severus at Lepcis Magna. Archaeology 4
(1951): 226231.
Short Assignment:
How did Sennacherib and Trajan utilize monumental reliefs in different ways to tell their
story of military conquest (think of architectural / spatial context, audience, artistic
style)? Which do you think was more effective?

Week 6: The Lasting Legacy of Monumental Relief Sculpture (6/1/16)
An Ancient Legacy: The Spolia of the Arch of Constantine
A Modern Legacy: Displaying Reliefs (Oriental Institute Museum), 3D Reconstructions
of the Arch of Palmyra
Readings:
Kleiner, Fred. The Arch of Constantine: Roman Art in Microcosm. In P. Defosse (ed.),
Hommages Carl Deroux, 2003: 174179.
Department of Ancient Near Eastern Art. Palmyra. In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History.
New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000.
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/palm/hd_palm.htm (October 2000)
Explore the website #NEWPALMYRA: http://www.newpalmyra.org
Voon, Claire. Whats the Value of Recreating the Palmyra Arch with Digital Technology?
Hyperallergic, April 19, 2016.
Short Assignment:
What is unique about monumental reliefs in comparison with other art forms? Think of
its benefits and drawbacks and other defining characteristics. If you had to create your
own monumental, what would it be and why? As reference, refer to the reliefs we have
looked at over the past six weeks.