Essay 1

Since the year of 1947 the sculpture ‘The Head of a Ruler’ has lain idly at the Matropolitan Museum of Art. People of many generations have been visiting the museum for many years and stare at the art pieces. Some may even be considered an expert. But even the experts don’t know the answer to some of the questions and historians have been asking about this piece for years. The artist’s identity being one of the many unanswered questions. However, even if someone did figure out who the artist is they would probably come out of the process with ten more questions than they originally started with.

 

Amongst the fact there are many unanswered questions there are plenty that have been given an answer and some that are in between. The best example of this is the fact that historians have narrowed down the time of creation for ‘the Head of a Ruler’ as approximately being sculpted between the times of 2300- 2000 B.C. It is then concluded that the art piece was the product of the Early Bronze Age. We do know that the piece of art originates from Iran or Mesopotamia. We also know that the sculpture is in fact a head of a King. But not only that, but is proven to be a king that ruled the Akkadian Empire. An empire that was territorial to Mesopotamia and actually is known for their production of inovative art. Thousands of years later this piece is found far from Mesopotamia because in 1919 the sculpture is purchased by Joseph Brummer. The head traveled all the way from Mesopotamia to New York. It was there until 1947 when it found its way to the Metropolitin Museum of Art where it still is today.

 

As it can be expected ‘The Head of a Ruler’ is worn and is actually quite mysterious. As due to the fact that the piece was created thousands of years ago and there was no need back in those times to know who the artist was. This fact will probaly remain unknown to us always. Focusing on the physical features many things can be inferred. We all know the sculpture is of a human because the exaggerations of the piece given by the artist to emphasize these features so people are able to recognize the human face. The artist in particular ezaggerates the heavy lids to define the eyes of humans. However they unexaggerate the nose but unmistakebly points it into an easily uidentified unique human nose. The details in contrast such as the enlarged ears and full lips suggest that the sculpture is not of just a random person or even a human of imagination. But in fact that the piece is of an actual living breathing human from that time all those years ago. Specifically the sculpture is of a high class King. But as the art is quite old the physical attributes are simple and plain. The sculpting in the copper is definite but too straight and almost unrealistic. Because it was made from copper the face is a greenish blue color. At the bottom of the piece there is jagged junk just hanging from the rulers face making the inference that at one time the head was attached to something else. Whether it be a body or a support in a church. But again its just another unanswered question.

 

Overall ‘The Head of a Ruler’ is in fact a king of the Akkadian Empire that ruled in Mesopotamia at the time of around 2000 B.C. also the time of the art pieces creation. Many years later the sculpture found its way to New York. Today it lies in the Metropolitan museum as it has been since 1947. It is there that people look at it and wonder its story since the physical characteristics exaggerate the human attributes but also high light the fact that it is a sculpture of a once alive person as well. Much can be said about the evidence on the piece itself but the copper’s wear and tear automatically classfies it in the time of the 2000s B.C. especially since the artist is unknown. But it also gives off the indication that it also is only part of a whole. As far as we know that other part could be back in Mesopotamia or in many pieces scattered across the world or even it could be destroyed completely.