Space, Gods and Man in the Art of the Ancient World

Section Leader - Irina Valer'evna Diubanova, Senior Researcher, StateHermitage

Nearly three millennia separate us from the Ancient World. Of course during this time the face of the Earth has changed a lot, and people also have changed. But it seems that whatever age man lives in, he is always disturbed by the very same questions: How did the Universe appear? What is Outer Space like? Which forces guide it? Why did we people come into this world? Why do we live and die, and what does it mean? Is it true that our souls are immortal? What is Beauty and Harmony?

Ever since ancient times these questions were called eternal. Are there answers to these questions? Every age, every civilization, every religion has tried to reach the Truth and given its version of an answer to these questions. And as he thinks over the secrets of Being each man finally comes up with his own answers.All of these reflections help man to know himself.

Art in ancient times was first of all a world view. Works of art were called upon to help man make sense of our huge and complex world. Study of ancient art gives food for thought to our contemporaries as well.

The State Hermitage possesses a very rich collection of antiquities. Thanks to this in the activities of our section of the Student Club, we are able to talk about the most interesting, striking and mysterious civilizations: Ancient Egypt and MesopÞtamia, Greece and Rome, Scythia and the Etruscans, among others. The subjects of our discussions are highly varied. For example, ancient man's notions about Outer Space; the features and functions of the gods; the role of gods of wisdom and goddesses of love in the existence of the world; the temple as an image of the Universe; the issue of relations to those in positions of authority such as the Egyptian pharaohs and the Roman emperors; notions of Eternity and Immortality of the soul such as the ancient mysteries. We are also interested in great archeological discoveries: the tomb of Tutankhamen; the excavations in Troy, on Crete, in Pompei, etc. We are curious to follow the course of political events during the turning points in history and to deal with the lives of such striking personalities as Alexander of Macedon, Caesar, Akhenaton, and Cleopatra among others. While walking through the halls of the Hermitage and looking, for example, at Greek vases or Sumerian clay tablets, we can talk about the everyday life of man in ancient times and the exhibited items tell us about the celebrations that were held in ancient cities and temples. Works of the fine arts remind us of celebrated literary masterpieces such as the Mesopotamian 'Poem of Gilgamesh' and the Egyptian 'Tale of the Shipwreck', or works by the Greek tragedians and poems of the great Homer.

And in all this endless diversity of subjects and mysteries of the Ancient World, we try to find a grain of wisdom. This will, as we hope, help us to find answers to the eternal questions.

A course visit to an exhibition

At a temporary exhibition