Live Sketches? Convention vs Realism in Assyrian Art

The production of images in ancient Assyria has always been linked with the intents of the Assyrian king (the patron) and the ideological needs of the Assyrian kingship. On one hand, this pattern is clear and, to a certain extent, it seems impossible to deny: the Assyrian king, being almost the exclusive protagonist of artistic production, is also the one who dictates content which could be executed and finally displayed only after his approval. At the same time, the ideological structure of the Assyrian empire is reflected in images: images corroborate and support it with the presentation of the success and perfection of the Assyrian State – just as an example, images of war always show the Assyrian army winning, against any enemy, on any occasion and situation.