5000 years of the art of Mesopotamia
Eva Strommenger, Max Hirmer (Photographer), Christina Haglund (Translator)
The art of Western Asia is like a tree which puts forth stronger or weaker branches at different stages of its growth. From time to time these off-shoots also had a decisive influence on their main stem, differing in this from the otherwise related development of Egyptian culture, where the side branches never gained particular importance. This alternation produces a variety which fascinates the spectator as much as it confuses the scholar. The main stem can, however, be traced through all phases of artistic evolution and it never really happens that an off-shoot completely eclipses the centre. The ethnic background of this Near Eastern cradle of culture, on the other hand, is obscure. The Greeks are regarded as the obvious creators of Classical Antiquity, but nothing similar can be said of the Sumerians. Things are here considerably more complicated, largely because of the very remote origins of ancient Western Asiatic culture and their lack of literary documentation. It has, however, one thing in common with Graeco-Roman Antiquity and with the Western world: all three cultures were animated by a sense of mission, an ecumenical spirit which makes them speak and create for the entire world and furthers the spread of their works over vast areas
Print Book, English, [1964]
H.N. Abrams, New York, [1964]