Artworks Damaged/Destroyed by Islamic Totalitarians: Various Works from the Mosul Museum

Location: Mosul Museum, Mosul, Iraq

Here are a variety of works recently damaged or destroyed by the Islamic State in Mosul, Iraq.  I am trying to find "before and after" images of the same works, but this is difficult as many of these works look similar and the Mosul Museum does not appear to have a website.  If you can offer help in this regard, please feel free to do so in the comments.  Additionally, many of these works have been damaged over the centuries, so I can't assume every imperfection was caused by ISIS.

Works Destroyed/Damaged by ISIS:

Artworks Damaged/Destroyed by Islamic Totalitarians: Great and Minor Buddhas of Bamiyan

Nationality: Persian

Born-Died: 1748-1825

Size:

   Minor: 121 feet

   Great: 180 feet 

Creation Date:  

   Minor: 507 AD

   Great: 554 AD

Media: Sandstone, Mud, Straw, Stucco

Location: Bamiyan province, Afghanistan

"Great" Buddha Before:

Artworks Damaged/Destroyed by Islamic Totalitarians: Nergal Gate at Ninevah

Nationality: Mesopotamian

Creation Date: c. 700 BC

Media: Granite

Location: Nineveh, Iraq

This sculpture was named after Nergal, an ancient Mesopotamian deity.  It was intended to be a protective figure.  More information about this type of human/animal sculpture can be found here. 

In February of 2015 ISIS attempted to deface/vandalize/destroy this huge granite sculpture.  This piece was not in great shape before 2015, but you can see that the are behind the figure's head has been removed.

Before:

Unknown Print (of an Unknown Sculpture) by Unknown Artist

Nationality: French?


Another myserious work that I've had in my files for a long time.  I just like the fact that her chariot is pulled by squirrels!

Unknown Digital Image by Unknown Artist

Media: Digital 

I know nothing about this design but I think it's great.  If you know who made this, please tell me and I'll give them the credit they deserve.  The color choices here are great, it's well composed and the arrangements of the shapes in relation to each other are interesting as well.  It would be easy to dismiss this as a "mere cartoon" but this image shows more artistic skill than a lot of works in galleries and museums.  

Unknown Sculpture by Unknown Artist

Media: Stone? (Marble?) 


I know nothing about this amazing sculpture but I have had this photograph in my files for years because I love it so much.

Unknown Egyptian Sculpture of a Woman

Nationality: Egyptian

Media: Ivory (?)

Location: The Louvre, Paris, France

"Qianlong Emperor" by Unknown Artist

Nationality: Chinese
Media: Ink(?)  on paper
Location: The Palace Museum, Beijing, China

Unknown Printmaker's "The Planet of Herschel"

Nationality: FrenchCreation Date: c. 1781-1850
Size: 1.25 x 2.25 inch (3.2 x 5.7 cm)Media: Engraving (?) on paper
Location: My collection

This is an old print that I am proud to own.  It is a depiction of William Herscehl looking through a telescope, presumably discovering the planet which later became known as Uranus.  I think the star with the beams coming out of it is supposed to be the planet.  It's not a great work of art by any stretch of the imagination, but I still like it.  

 

Unknown Roman "Head of a Woman"

Nationality: Roman copy after a Greek sculptor

Creation Date: 200-300 BC
Media: Marble (?)
Location: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, New York, USA

This is a Roman (?) copy of a Hellenistic sculpture. Very strange stylizations here. All photos by me.

Unknown Painting by Unknown Artist

Media: Oil on canvas
Location: The National Gallery, Washington D.C., USA

I took a picture of this quirky portrait when I was in Washington DC a few years ago and unfortunately I didn't take note of the artist. I absolutely love her facial expression. Apologies for the blurriness.

Unknown Sculpture by Unknown Scottish Artist

Nationality: Scottish
Size: 88 in. (224 cm)
Media: Sandstone
Location: Edinburgh, UK

I saw this nice example of architectural decoration while walking around Edinburgh. It's made of the red sandstone that is used all over Edinburgh, and unfortunately that type of stone doesn't seem to hold up too well. Any fine detail work this piece may have had is obviously long gone. The torso is nicely sculpted but the hands are awkward, so maybe it did not have much detail to loose. Although I don't always like this kind of decorative choice, being from a country where representational architectural decorations are rare I though it was interesting to see.

"The Street Girl's End" by an Unknown Printmaker

Nationality: English?
Media: Engraving

Unknown Bust by Unknown Scottish Artist

Nationality: Scottish

Media: stone
Location: The National Portrait Gallery of Scotland, Edinburgh, UK

I took this photo on my first trip to Edinburgh.



I would like to take a moment to point out some minor annoyances I have with the website for the National Galleries of Scotland. Since I lived in Edinburgh for two years I have grappled with this website a great deal and I have never had a chance to communicate these little irritations.

Statuette by Unknown Artist

Media: Bronze
Location: National Gallery of Art (?), Washington, D.C., USA

Nice little sculpture.

Cat Sculpture by Unknown Egyptian Artist

Nationality: Egyptian

Media: Stone
Location: The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, Ohio, USA

Unknown Print by Unknown Artist

Media: Etching Ink on Paper



I saw this nice Ex Libris print for sale on eBay, but other than that I know nothing about it. I can't quite make out the signature unfortunately.

Unknown Roman Sculptor

Nationality: Roman

Media: Stone
Location: The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, Ohio, USA



Photo by me.

Bust by Unknown Roman Sculptor

Nationality: Roman
Creation Date: 1870
Media: Marble?

I don't know anything about this Roman bust but it is one of my favorite depictions of the male figure.

Unknown Roman Artist: Marble head of an athlete