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The first piece of artwork visible in the Museum of Fine Arts’ exhibition, “Art and Empire: Treasures from Assyria in the British Museum” is a relief from the Northwest Palace during the reign of Assurbanipal depicting three figures of gods and mythical creatures. Irene Winter reminded us that the piece must be put into the context of its environment, in the sense that, while it is currently hung in a museum, its original placement was along the walls of the throne room in the Northwest Palace at Nimrud. To effectively interpret the artwork, one must remember the program in which the art was made, and identify what set of goals contributes to that program.

One of the most striking features of this relief is its focus on the musculature of the figures, stressing their large biceps, strong abdominal muscles, and bulging calves. All of these features are emphasized by the deep carving, which gives the whole image a sense of three-dimensionality. Irene Winter noted that the highlights and shadows of the figures would have been accentuated by natural light shining from the upper windows in the room or by candlelight. This three-dimensionality, stressing the muscles of the figures, generates a more vivid, powerful image, evoking a stronger emotional response from the viewer.

The palace and its artwork are a visual representation of Assurbanipal’s reign, so the image acts as a functional representation by evoking a sense of strength. This ties into the program maintained by the palace to emphasize the god-ordained power of the king. Further, the muscular images of the gods and mythical creatures convey the idea of the authority of the state, because the gods protect and empower the king. Since they ordain the king, their strength reflects onto the king himself.

This relates to Irene Winter’s idea of the “royal rhetoric” and the interpretation of language. The Assyrian word for “strength” is actually translated into “arm.” Thus, in art, the arm is a symbol of strength, and the depiction of muscularity in general aids this perception of royal power and state power, which are ultimately the cultural messages maintained by the palace program. It is in this way that, as Irene Winter described, “style equals iconography” in Assyrian art. The way in which the image is created is ultimately directly related to the symbolic representation of the state.