Читать книгу Art History For Dummies - Jesse Bryant Wilder - Страница 94

After the Persians and their allies sacked the Assyrian capital Nineveh, Babylon reemerged as the center of Mesopotamian culture. Nabopolassar, a Babylonian general who had sided with the Persians, became the first king of New Babylon. Although the kingdom lasted for only 70 years, its beauty and culture have become legendary, especially as they flowered under the reign of Nabopolassar’s famous son, Nebuchadnezzar.

The kings of New Babylon returned to the Sumerian model of being “shepherds of the people.” Although Nebuchadnezzar attacked Judah, the New Babylonians were much less warlike than the Assyrians. New Babylonian art reflected this quieter and gentler period; it was much less aggressive and less active than Assyrian art.

Nebuchadnezzar rebuilt Babylon into the most beautiful city on earth with these artistic marvels:

 The Hanging Gardens of Babylon: Nebuchadnezzar is best known for these magnificent gardens, a present he supposedly gave his wife. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon are one of the original Wonders of the World, but the Hanging Gardens didn’t hang. They were terraced, rooftop gardens, irrigated by water pumped from the Euphrates. To visitors, it must’ve seemed as though an oasis had blossomed on the rooftops of Babylon.

 The Ishtar Gate: As a gorgeous entrance to the city of Babylon, this gate is one of Nebuchadnezzar’s greatest architectural achievements. The animals in the Ishtar Gate look like ornaments. On the front, against a background of glazed blue bricks, stand decorative horses, blue-horned bulls, and dragons made of gold-colored, turquoise, and blue bricks. The top of the gate is crenellated (notched) like a medieval castle. But instead of squares (like in a medieval castle), the crenellations rise like mini-ziggurats.

What’s the difference between the Ishtar Gate and Assyrian art? In the Ishtar Gate, all the animals strike the same pose; there is no movement. But the Ishtar Gate wasn’t intended to tell a story. It was meant to be beautiful and imposing, a reflection of Nebuchadnezzar’s cultivated tastes. The stiffness of the animals adds to this impression. Action would take away from the solemn majesty of the goddess’s gate.