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INSPIRATION
THROUGH FRESCOES FROM THE
MINOAN AND MYCENAEAN CIVILIZATIONS
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The
Minoan and Mycenaean civilizations are considered to be the two
greatest civilizations in the Greek Bronze Age. The Minoan
civilization, named after the legendary King Minos, was based on the
island of Crete, and was the earlier of the two civilizations. The
Mycenaean civilization, which was based on the mainland of Greece,
was named after the primary settlement of Mycenae. Both
civilizations possessed a feature unshared by other civilizations,
which was an architectural complex of great proportions called a
"palace." The palace housed the rulers that presided over
the city or settlement. It was on the walls of these palaces where
numerous frescoes were created. |
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| The
earlier of the two civilizations, the Minoan, was at the height of
existence between 2200 and 1450 BC (end of the Early Bronze Age).
Its richest and finest period was around 1725 BC, after the old
palace period ended with the destruction of most of the existing
palaces by a powerful earthquake. The more notable Minoan palace was
at Knossos. The palace offers a rich source of frescoes throughout
its walls. |
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| Many
of the wall paintings discovered in the Aegean region were produced
between 1550 and 1450 BC. The Mycenaean civilization began around
1450 BC. Mycenaean artists adopted many styles from the Minoan
civilization. The style of the findings were consistent throughout
the region, with the only difference possibly being the less
spontaneous and grander expression of Mycenaean artists than that of
their Minoan counterparts. |
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subjects of the frescoes generally fell under two categories: nature
scenes and palace life. Nature scenes consisted of landscapes,
animals, birds and marine life, and were painted with an
impressionistic style. Palace subjects included religious festivals
and processions, and court ceremonies. |
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| More
recently, archeologists have discovered a lost existence on Thera.
The excavations at Akrotiri on Thera, now modern Santorini, provides
much knowledge about this rich settlement. Thera was made up of
wealthy houses c.1500 BC. Soon after these homes were built, they
were destroyed by lava in a huge volcanic eruption. Much of the
settlement has been recovered by the Greek Archaeological Service.
Here, among the debris, excavators uncovered extraordinary frescoes. |
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| Artists
from the area created wall paintings with a style that set them
apart from the Cretan artists. Though they possessed an execution
similar to the artists of Crete, the Theran artists expressed their
stylings through coarse application and depiction of life on the
island. Theran artists used brilliant colors in their work, as
evidenced in an elaborate scene from the room of the blue monkeys.
Other subjects of frescoes found included fishermen, boxing
children, crowd scenes, antelopes, and landscapes as they appeared
prior to the island's devastating volcanic eruption. |
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following timetable outlines a brief historical background of the
Minoan and Mycenaean civilizations: |
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Pre-Palace
Period:
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Early-Middle
Minoan / Early Bronze Age
c.3100-1925 BC
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Old-Palace
Period:
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Middle
Minoan / Early-Middle Bronze Age
c.1925-1725 BC
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New-Palace
Period:
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Middle-Late
Minoan /
Middle-Late Bronze Age
c.1725-1380 BC
Birth of Mycenaean civilization
c.1450 BC
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Post-Palace
Period:
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Late
Minoan and Middle-Late
Mycenaean / Late Bronze Age
c.1380-1000 BC
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c.1000
BC:
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The
end of Minoan and Mycenaean Civilizations
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INSPIRATION
THROUGH GREEK POTTERY
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Pottery
is the most common find in almost all archeological digs. As a
result, painted vases are possibly the greatest source for providing
chronological evidence of civilizations and of information relating
to ancient depictions of life, taste and myth. |
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Early-Middle
Minoan pottery (c.3100-1725 BC) was highly regarded for its bright
decorative designs. Three styles were introduced during this period;
Floral, Pattern and Marine. The Floral Style subject matter included
lilies, palm-trees, tulips, and reeds. Pattern Style designs used
curvilinear abstract and geometric patterns consisting of thick
horizontal, vertical and diagonal lines and spirals joined by
tangents. Marine Style utilized sea-life such as fish, dolphins,
octopuses, seaweed, and corals. The New Palace Period (Middle-Late
Minoan; c.1725-1380 BC) introduced a toned-down style of vase
painting. Referred to as the Palace Style, the designs were mainly
black and white. An artist occasionally used colors of yellow or
red, but only sparingly. The style of Late Minoan pottery
(c.1380-1000 BC) continues with little recognition as the
marketability of the Mycenaean civilization's pottery flourishes. |
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| Mycenaean
pottery (c.1450-1000 BC) was heavily influenced by Cretan works. In
its early development, we see the use of the aforementioned Palace
Style, though the decoration used by the Mycenaean artists is more
controlled and monumental in style than that of the Minoan potters.
The Mycenaean artists confined decoration to specific areas on the
pottery, and a single pattern would form its main design. This was
quite a contrast to the free-flowing and almost eccentric use of
designs by the Minoan artists prior to the New-Palace Period. |
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| As
the Palace Style evolved we see the incorporation of the Pattern
Style. However, the Pattern Style decoration here becomes more and
more simplified as the period progresses, to the point that the
design becomes no more than a squiggle. Another style was introduced
during this period, called the Pictorial Style. Here artists clearly
copied fresco art onto pottery. In many cases, the artists added
chariots to the scenes being depicted. It is with this style that
human figures are introduced to vase painting. |
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| Much
of the unearthed vase paintings in post-Minoan/Mycenaean Greece
depict narrative scenes, especially during the Archaic and Early
Classical periods. The subject matter of the paintings often match
the use of the pottery. Wine cups, for instance, may depict
aggressive characters to coincide with the result of the
aggressiveness found in an over-imbiber. |
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following timetable outlines the periods following the end of the
Minoan and Mycenaean civilizations: |
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Geometric Period:
Orientalizing Period:
Archaic Period:
Classical Period: |
10th
- 8th century BC
8th - 7th century BC
6th century BC
5th - 4th century (323 BC) |
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| The
Geometric Period begins about 900 BC, after the end of the Dark
Ages, which came on the heels of the virtual extinction of the
Mycenaean civilization. This period got its name due to the
geometric decorations used as art on the vases. Figures modeled
after the human form started to resurface in vase painting during
the Orientalizing Period, c.750 BC. Also, at around this time the
first narrative portrayals surfaced on vases in Attica, which was
located in central Greece and was dominated by Athens after
previously being heavily populated by the Mycenaeans. Further, Attic
vases depicted human figures as a main theme from the 8th through
the 4th centuries BC. |
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great mercantile city of Corinth was the leader in pottery
manufacturing during the 7th century BC. The artists developed a
technique called black-figure painting. This method required the
artist to paint a figure on an unfired vase. Then details were
carved into the clay. After the vase was fired in the kiln, the
final result showed the black figure (where painted) and the remains
of the light color of the clay (where carved). The unpainted and uncarved portion of the pottery remained the earthy red color of the
clay itself. |
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of the style used by the Corinthian artists was ornamental, with
Oriental motifs and animal friezes, due to the influence of Eastern
art introduced through the development of trade with the East back
in the late 8th century BC. Artists from Attica adopted the
Corinthian black-figure technique. Because of the popularity of
narrative scenes in lieu of ornamental animal friezes, and with the
continued demand for black-figure vase-painting, Attica became the
new leader in exporting pottery by the middle of the 6th century BC
(the Archaic Period). Later in this century, c.530 BC, Attic
vase-painters carried their marketability to new heights with their
introduction of a technique called red-figure. This method was
basically the reverse of the black-figure technique. The background
was painted black while the figures remained untouched and were the
red color of the clay, with the exception of light color produced by
the carved details. |
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Archaic Period is considered the greatest period of creativity
relative to the depiction of mythology in Greek art. The first sight
of mythical scenes began to surface in Attic vases at this time, and
mythical themes are carried over through the 5th century BC. These
themes involved a gamut of topics, from common life events such as
courtship, love, marriage, death and burials, to wild feasting,
drinking and sex orgies, all portrayed through mythical stories and
individuals detailed in narrative scenes. |
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| The
5th century BC, which has been viewed by most experts in the
archaeological field as the pinnacle of Greek and Roman
civilizations, is known as the Classical Period. Scholars consider
this period the apex of Greek art. The artists in the first half of
this century brought an array of styles to their work. We see work
still practiced from the prior century (Archaic Period), tamer
styles of the current century and new ideas in methods and styles by
yet other inventive artists. Towards the late 5th century, we start
to see escapism in the artists' style, probably due to the
subsequent decline of Athens. |
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By
the time of the death of Alexander in 323 BC, the production of
Attic vases, with their highly informational narrative scenes, came
to a close. That year also marked the end of the Classical Period.
INSPIRATION
THROUGH RELIEFS, FRIEZES, AND STATUES
As
with frescoes and pottery, artists of ancient Greece were able to
express themselves through sculptural reliefs, friezes, and
statues.
In
the sixth century sculptors began to develop skills in reproducing
the human body through stone. As with frescoes, the artists'
objective was to provide a depiction of life as it was at that time.
Throughout the century the artists' skill and style advanced
greatly. By the end of the Archaic Period the work evolved
considerably in its realistic representation; quite a contrast to
the rigid figures with abnormal proportions and unnatural
characteristics exhibited in the beginning of the century.
The
art of the fifth century, or Classical Period, consisted of three
distinct stages: the first half of the century, the second half of
the century, and the last quarter of the century.
The
art of the first half of the century was known as the Severe style.
During this period, leftover Archaic forms lingered among the
emergence of Early Classical style. The style brought a
simplification of forms and treatment of drapery, together with
subjects caught in motion or expressing emotion. During this period,
there were apparent contrasts between what may be considered ideal
and real. Many works possessed old-fashioned composition mixed with
advance depictions of characters in a scene alongside monumental
figures.
The
second half of the century, specifically in the period of Periklean
supremacy (460-429 B.C. ), brought the emergence of a dynamic style.
During this High Classical style, the human form was idealized. The
majority of work produced exhibited men and women as creatures of
optimum perfection. Old age and undesirable features were absent.
Known as the Phidian style, statues produced at this time began to
look alike; perfect straight noses, blank glances, shapely mouths,
and beautiful muscular bodies give the work a feeling of
superficiality and unattainable excellence of appearance. Lacking
was the sense of naturalism and emotion provided earlier by the
Severe style.
Many
prolific sculptors gained notoriety during the transitional
Classical/Hellenistic art periods. One such sculptor was Lysippos.
He introduced true three-dimensionality to sculpture. He
accomplished this with his use of open forms which allows the viewer
aspects of the piece from more than one vantage point. Lysippos was
recognized more as a Hellenistic Period artist than that of the
Classical Period.
After
his death in 323 B.C. , Alexander the Great's expansive empire was
divided up into many different kingdoms by his generals. As a
result, there was a great diversity of the people and emergence of
individuality with regards to ideas, relationships, and tastes. The
great art centers that were once in mainland Greece now spread to
the surrounding islands. There is no date or marker to identify the
end of the Classical Period art style and the beginning of the
Hellenistic Period art style. The transition was gradual; towards
the end of the Classical Period, the style spilled over to the end
of the fourth century. Artists' work began to vary. The style
started to relax. Attention to detail, particularly with drapery,
became elaborate and intricate. Clinging drapery, or wet-drapery
style, became most evident at this time. Artists' representations
became more individual and realism overpowered idealism. Emotional
states of mind became the focus of style. Naturalism continued to
increase. New art was demanded by the people. The wealthy classes
carried their hunger for art as decoration to new heights. Rich art
collectors began to make a powerful impact in the art world. The new
cities were unquenchable in their desire for abundant numbers and
styles of new sculpture, thus allowing vast opportunities to artists.
Natural subjects and attraction to realism were in high demand.
As
the Hellenistic age progressed, numerous monuments were erected. The
most celebrated monument of the Hellenistic age was the Pergamon
Altar, created by Greek artists for King Eumenes II. Erected c. 180
B.C. , the altar stood as a memorial to the victories of Attalos and
was dedicated to Zeus and Athena. A high podium enclosed the altar.
The immense monumental frieze that decorated the podium depicted the
battle between gods and giants. Examples of many Hellenistic
characteristics were seen in this piece, with tremendous action and
drama unfolding among magnificent details. The tragic and tortuous
expressions on the giants' faces offered an emotional complexity
unsurpassed by any prior work. Further, notwithstanding the gruesome
battle scene, the bodies of individual subjects possessed
exceptional beauty.
Heading
into the Late Hellenistic Period, Classical art of the fifth and
fourth century began to influence artists' work. The reason for this
was twofold; 1) Romans at this time felt that Classical art of the
fifth and fourth century produced the greatest Greek sculpture work,
and 2) earlier period pieces were favored along with modern tastes.
Artists created pieces with a high intensity of technical skill.
Much of the realism was surrendered in order to make a statement in
a scene. The style became dramatic in a theatrical sense. Eroticism
became a marketable commodity and was evident in new works. Towards
the end of the Hellenistic age sculptors began to incorporate
elements of Archaic style into their work. This style use was seen
in pieces as late as the second half of the first century A.D., past
the end of the Hellenistic age and into the early Roman Period.
  
  
  
    
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