This beautifully illustrated comparative study of the art of Egypt, Mesopotamia and the Aegean (whose best-known examples are probably Egyptian tomb paintings, the city of Ur, and the Minoan palaces of Crete) will be of great value to travellers as well as students of art and history. The ancient civilizations of Egypt, Mesopotamia and the Aegean saw the flowering of styles of art which were to have a deep influence on subsequent developments in the West. Especially in the case of Egypt there were innumerable contacts with Europe throughout antiquity, and since the Renaissance and the start of systematic Egyptology the West has made frequent efforts to grasp at and understand the essence of ancient Egypt. The same is true with regard to Mesopotamia, from which strong influences still leave traces in the West. While it is by no means certain that Creto-Minoan Art is the earliest manifestation of the European genius, there can be no doubt that the fundamental characteristics of the area went on to influence classical antiquity — or rather, to be revived in it. This volume looks at these three quite separate traditions of artistic form, not only comparing them with each other and examining their further influence elsewhere, but also showing the social and religious background to their particular characteristics.

Walther Wolff was professor of Egyptology, University of Miinster, West Germany.