In this paper, I have opted for question one. The artworks which will be compared and contrasted in this paper are the head of Akkadian ruler and the Seated Gudea. These artworks depict the culture of leadership because they were used to symbolize power and authority (Edzard, 1997). The two types of artworks were highly respected by the people of that time because all authority began from them.
In the early Mesopotamia, gods were thought to be the rulers of people while earthly leaders only acted on their behalf. As time went by, a certain ruler known as Sargon of Akkad came into power. Sargon of Akkad declared himself a king in his own right and claimed that he worked under no local god (Rattini, 2019). As a result of this, a royal portrait was carved to represent Sargon. The head of Akkadian ruler was highly regarded by the people because it acted as a substitute of the king in case of his absence.
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The Seated Gudea was characterized by a series of diorite statues commissioned by Gudea who devoted his energies to rebuilding the great temples of Lagash and installing statues of himself in them . He had his name inscribed on the statues (Edzard, 1997). G udea is portrayed in the seated position of a ruler before his subjects, his hands folded in a traditional gesture of greeting and prayer.
Both the Head of Akkadian ruler and the Seated Gudea were used to symbolize rulers in Mesopotamia. The Head of Akkadian ruler artwork only portrayed the head while the Seated Gudea portrayed the whole person. Both artworks were high regarded and respected by the people because even in the absentia of the kings, their presence would still be felt through these portrays.
In conclusion, the Akkadians, Neo-Sumerian and Babylonian depended on culture as a sign of leadership and authority.
References
Edzard, D. (1997). Statue of Gudea,ca. 2090 B.C. 3(1): 57-58
Rattini, K. (2019). Meet The World’s First Emperor: King Sargon Of Akkad—Who Legend Says Was Destined To Rule—Established The World’s First Empire More Than 4,000 Years Ago In Mesopotamia. (Online). Retrieved from https://www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/people/reference/king-sargon-akkad/
