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Art History

The representation of deities (gods/goddesses) has grown to change a lot throughout the many periods we have learned about.   From the Sumerians, to the Egyptians, to the Greeks, deities are shown as either animals, humans with animals heads, with flames coming from their shoulders, or just depicted in human form for artwork.   During these different times, cultures and societies worshiped different gods and goddesses and had many different belief systems.   However through the centuries they all show these deities in their artworks one way or another.  
The Sumerians and the people that came after them in the ancient Near East worshiped many gods and goddesses, however most were nature deities. When shown in artwork the deities are shown wearing horn crowns.   In the painting Investiture of Zimri-Lim, the goddess Ishtar is shown granting the power to rule to a new king.   The king is shown approaching Ishtar granting his right arm showing respect.   In another piece of artwork Hammurabi also raises his right arm to the sun god Shamash.   Shamash is shown with flames coming out of his shoulders.   In both these pieces of artwork the basic point is to show the gods granting royal authorities to the kings showing their power.   I think these pieces of artwork are done to show the power of the deities to be greater then that of the kings.  
The Egyptian worldview was a lot different from that of any other period.   Egyptians believed in many deities and depicted them in their artwork as animals or having the head of an animal Horus who was an Egyptian god, son of Osiris is represented as a falcon or a falcon- headed man because a falcon is the noblest bird in the sky.   Horus is shown in various artworks such as the Palette of King Narmer, the statue of Khafre sitting down, and also on the Temple of Horus.   Anther goddess, Hathor is also shown on the Palette of King Narmer with cow's horns, and is other times shown with a cows head.   Also Thoth, another lunar deity, also...