This advance allowed for larger windows, many of which were filled with beautiful stained glass, and higher ceilings. A key innovation came in the early Gothic period when architects learned that the downward and outward pressure created by the arches of the barrel vault could be counteracted by the use of flying buttresses-additional bracing material and arches placed on the exterior of the building. Another important element of the Gothic style was the addition of ribbed vaults, a framework of thin stone ribs or arches built under the intersection of the vaulted sections of the ceiling. One characteristic of the Gothic style was the use of pointed arches, which gave an upward, soaring sense to Gothic interiors. Though this style was used for some secular buildings, it was largely applied to the construction of churches. The Gothic style developed in the first half of the twelfth century and remained popular into the sixteenth century. The ziggurats functioned primarily as temples but also served as administrative and economic centers. Perhaps the greatest known works of this era were the ziggurats that were built at the city centers. About fifty years later, however, the cities of Sumer were able to reassert control, and a Neo-Sumerian ruler was established as the King of Ur. Around 2150 bce, Akkadian rule came to an end as the Guti, barbarous mountaineers, invaded and took control. With the Akkadian dynasty, loyalty to the city-state was supplanted by loyalty to the king, and consequently the art of this period tends to reflect an emphasis on the monarchy, with Akkadian rulers depicted in freestanding and relief sculptures. Although the Akkadians spoke a different language from the Sumerians, they assimilated Sumerian culture. Around 2334 bce, the cities of Sumer came under the rule of Sargon of Akkad. Less complex platform structures evolved over time into the stepped pyramids called ziggurats.
Religion was a central aspect of Sumerian life, and the Sumerians built massive temples at the centers of their cities.
In other words, the meaning of a work of art is not fixed it is sometimes open to multiple interpretations taking into consideration factors such as historical context.įrom around 4000 bce, the Sumerians in Mesopotamia created impressive sculptures and buildings. Similarly, the paintings' meaning to a twenty-first-century Protestant, Muslim, or atheist is certainly different from the meaning they had for a practicing Catholic in the sixteenth century, even though the works may be equally admired for their aesthetic value by all of these viewers. The construction of the meaning of a work of art. Differences such as social status, education, physical access to a work of art, religious background, race, and gender have an impact on To give one hypothetical example, Michelangelo's paintings on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel would have certainly been significant in different ways in the eyes of 1) the Pope, who commissioned the work and who had sophisticated theological knowledge and nearly exclusive access to this private space within the Vatican and 2) a worker who was charged with cleaning the floors of the chapel and whose level of literacy was probably quite low.
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