Babylon was a city located in Southern Mesopotamia. The cultural region surrounding the city is termed as Babylonia. Babylonia was the key region in Mesopotamia for two periods known as the Old Babylonian Empire and the Neo-Babylonian Empire. Some of the best-known Mesopotamian artworks, including the Stele of Hammurabi and the Burney Relief, were produced during these periods. Babylonian art is famous for its use of stylized forms, intricate details, and vibrant colors. Here is an overview of Babylonian art including its types, history and characteristics.
Table of Contents
The Key Questions
Babylonian art is defined as the art produced in the region of Babylonia in Ancient Mesopotamia. The most prominent city of the region, Babylon, lay on the river Euphrates in present day Iraq. The art produced in Mesopotamia when it was under Babylonian control may be categorized as Babylonian art.
Babylonia first rose to prominence in 18th century BCE under the famous ruler Hammurabi, who brought almost all of Mesopotamia under Babylonian rule. This period in Mesopotamia lasted from 1894 BCE to 1595 BCE and is known as the Old Babylonian period. The region again gained importance from 626 BCE to 539 BCE and this period is known as the Neo-Babylonian period.
S1 – Mesopotamia Art Types
S2 – Characteristics
The established genres of art in previous periods continued to prosper during Babylonian periods. These include standing steles and votive images. However, these artworks were now accompanied by lengthier texts as evident in the famous Codex Hammurabi. The emphasis on the piety of the king continued in the art of the period like in other Mesopotamian art.
Babylonian art is famous for its use of stylized forms, intricate details, and vibrant colors. Forms of Old Babylonian art, including large-scale public monuments and mass-produced terracotta figurines, continued to be produced in Mesopotamia for many centuries. However, the themes and styling changed with time.
The technique of glazed-brick relief sculpture was developed into a monumental form during the Neo-Babylonian era. This was used to decorate the walls of the city. These walls were to acquire legendary fame in times to come.
S3 – Sculpture
The primary mediums of Babylonian sculpture were clay and stone. Figures often had exaggerated features and stylized eyes which were huge. Realistic three-dimensional statues were another feature of Babylonian art. Large stone sculptures were placed on significant sites, like temples. These were believed to be protectors of the property.
Just before the Old Babylonian period, at the end of 3rd millennia BCE, new processes were used which allowed for mass production of clay and terracotta artworks. This may be considered as the rise in art of the general populace. Thus, art was now not limited to the elite and became a part of the day-to-day life of the people and their households.
This great change was partly due to the fact that clay was abundant and inexpensive. The first use of clay for artworks is attested as early as the Akkadian era. Clay enabled the invention of reproducible images and mass-produced artifacts. This technology was used for centuries, well into the Hellenistic era.
A wide variety of images and scenes were produced in clay. These provide us with one of the richest sources of ancient iconographies. Perhaps the most common image that was produced was that of the nude female figure. Usually, it was depicted in frontal position with hands clasped at the waist. Art historians believe that these representations were related to fertility, sexuality and reproduction.
Other common motive in clay figurines were anthropomorphic figures in three-dimensional forms. Textual references indicate that clay figurines were often related to religious beliefs and magical rituals. Some might have had a performative functions. They would be animated with incantations and act as replacements of individuals for various duties.
S4 – Cylinder Seals
In contrast to other periods, more hard stones were used in Babylonian seals. The technical expertise of Neo-Babylonian seal cutters in carving small designs on hard stones is unparalleled in Mesopotamian art. Lively depictions of winged creatures and heroes in creative compositions continued to be used like in preceding periods in Mesopotamia.
A distinct subject in Babylonian seals is the hero holding a sickle sword and battling beasts, griffins or a lion-demon. Such scenes of contest were widely used in the succeeding Persian era. Stamp seals gained in popularity in the late Babylonian period. These were often made from stone like chalcedony. Common imagery in Babylonian seals was a worshiper standing before an altar while carrying divine symbols.
Main Sources
S2:
Bahrani, Zainab. (2017). “Mesopotamia – Ancient Art and Architecture”. Thames & Hudson. pp 173, 178, 198.
S3:
Brown, Jolina. (May 25, 2023). “Babylonian Art – Exploring the Art of Ancient Mesopotamia”. Learning History.
Bahrani, Zainab. (2017). “Mesopotamia – Ancient Art and Architecture”. Thames & Hudson. pp178, 194, 197.
S4:
Seymour, Michael. (Jun 1, 2016). “Babylon”. The MET.
Bahrani, Zainab. (2017). “Mesopotamia – Ancient Art and Architecture”. Thames & Hudson. pp 287-289.