Ancient Aegean Art

Ancient Aegean Art
Instructor: Mrs. Christine Ege
Introduction to Art – DAD Department
25th March 2015

The Aegean Before the Greeks
• The beginning of the Greek civilizations
• 3000 BCE – 1100 BCE
• Covered small islands in the eastern
Mediterranean
• These islands are called the Cyclades
• Bronze Age culture of ancient Greece
• Foundation of the Greek city states
• The two main civilizations of the Aegean
were:
• Crete (the Minoans)
• Mycenae
• Archaeologists are constantly learning new
things about ancient Aegean arts and
culture
• Unlike the later Greek civilizations, we do
not know a lot about early Aegean
civilizations

Figurine of a Woman
Greece, Syros (Cyclades), (ca. 2500 – 2300 BCE)
Marble
1 foot 6 inches high
National Archaeological Museum, Athens, Greece
Cycladic Figurines
• Throughout the Cycladic Islands small figurines
have been found
• Earlier forms (6000 BCE) were molded out of clay
• Later forms (3000 BCE) were carved out of marble
• All forms are highly abstracted, and vary in size
from only a few inches to almost 5 feet tall
• Almost all of the sculptures have been found in
graves and are depictions of women
• All Cycladic figurines are stylized and hold many of
the same positions
• They would have been painted
• Are believed to be guardian figurines

Male Lyre Player
Greece, Keros (Cyclades), (ca. 2700 – 2500 BCE)
Marble
9 inches high
The Male Lyre Player
• The most important Cycladic Figurine
• One of the only male Cycladic Figurines
• Discovered on the island of Keros
• Shows a male figure sitting on a chair. He has a
lyre on his lap which he seems to be playing
• Traces of paint have been found on the statue
showing that color was an important part of this
representations
• Many archaeologists believe that the figurine
would have been placed in the grave in order to
play music to the deceased in the afterlife
• Was placed in the tomb of a woman, so we know
that the player was not meant to represent the
deceased person

Reconstruction of the Palace of Knossos
Greece, Crete, (ca. 1700 – 1400 BCE)
The Palace of Knossos
• Created on the island of Crete
• One of the most important
civilizations of the Cycladic period
• The people are called the Minoans
• They ruled over the island of Crete
(and the surrounding islands)
• The most splendid form of Minoan
architecture comes from the palace
of Knossos
• Home of the legendary King Minos
and was home to the legendary
Minotaur
• The English word labyrinth comes
form the architectural plan of the
Palace of Knossos
• Consists of three stories with
winding hallways, stair cases,
courtyards, gardens, and
sophisticated plumbing systems

Minoan Columns
Greece, Crete (Knossos), (ca. 1700 – 1400 BCE)
The Minoan Column
• One of the most impressive features
of the Palace of Knossos is that of the
columns
• Found throughout the palace
• Were made of wood from the islands
forest interior
• The capitals and shafts of these
columns are distinctive to the Minoan
civilization and are found nowhere
else in the Greek isles
• They are wider at the top and taper
down to the bottom
• This makes for very difficult
construction, but a very unique effect
• They were highly decorated
• Painted with read, blue and black

Minoan Woman or Goddess (La Parisienne)
Fragment of a Fresco
10 inches high
Archaeological Museum, Herakleion, Crete
Minoan Wall Paintings
• Minoans were not only known for their monumental
architecture
• They were very good at painting
• Many of these paintings can be found on the walls
of the Palace of Knossos
• Often depict the most important parts of Minoan life
• Bull-leaping, processions, festivals, and religious
ceremonies
• Unlike with the wall paintings of the Ancient
Egyptians, these paintings were meant for the
Minoan royal family to enjoy in their life
• These paintings tend to have more detail than that
of the Ancient Egyptians, yet they still use a similar
style and the same profile

Girl Gathering Saffron Crocus Flowers
Greece, Thera, (ca. 1630 BCE)
Detail of Wall Painting
Thera Foundation, Petros M. Nomikos, Greece
Ancient Aegean Women
• It is through these wall paintings that we
have formulated ideas of what women in
ancient Greece looked like
• This main style of depiction of women is
carried through from the art of the Ancient
Aegean civilizations, to Ancient Greece, and
even into Ancient Rome
• The women are shown in profile
• They have detailed faces, with attention being
paid to hair, make up, and jewelry
• They are often brightly colored and are
shown interacting with nature
• We are not sure if these depictions of women
were meant to be close to what women really
looked like at the time, or if they were highly
stylized to what people though women should
look like

Bull-leaping
Greece, Crete (Palace of Knossos), (ca. 1450 –
1400 BCE)
Fresco
2 feet 8 inches high including border
Bull – Leaping
• The most famous of all Minoan wall
paintings
• It depicts the Minoan ceremony of
bull-leaping
• Only part of the original fresco has
been uncovered
• The dark patches in the image to
the right come from the original
fresco
• The light patches are a
reconstruction
• What defines Minoan painting
versus others was their use of motif,
and their line style
• They created thin lines, which they
filled in with bright colors
• They created motifs from the
natural world and placed them in all
their paintings

Landscape with Swallows (Spring Fresco)
Greece, Thera (Cyclades), (ca. 1650 BCE)
Fresco
7 feet 6 inches high
The Natural World in
Aegean Art
• One of the main motifs found
throughout Aegean art is that of the
natural world
• Found in wall paintings, mosaics,
and pottery
• Motifs include:
• Birds, Animals, Flowers, and Marine
Life
• The artists of the Aegean were
taking this important parts of their
everyday lives (the things they saw
on a daily basis) and using that as
inspiration for royal art
• There seems to be a larger presence
of images related to the sea and
marine life
• This is more than likely due to the
importance of the sea, and sea
faring trade to the peoples of the
Minoan civilization

Kamares-ware jar
Greece, Crete (Phaistos), (ca. 1800 – 1700 BCE)
Minoan Pottery
• Outside of their architecture and paintings, the
Minoans are known for their skill in pottery
• Potters used the same styles of decoration that the
painters did
• Motifs are shown in both realistic and abstracted
forms
• See images of fish on the jar (to the right) versus
the images of waves found on the bottom of the jar
(to the right)
• The contrast found in the colors used on Minoan
pottery will be used later by the Greeks
• The natural creamy color of the clay used to form
the pot was used as the background, dark brown,
and ocher colors were then used to outline and fill
in the forms

Marine Style Octopus Jar
Greece, Crete (Palaikastro), (ca. 1500 BCE)
11 inches high
The Importance of the Sea
• Most Minoan pottery uses marine motifs
• The most common forms are of marine
animals, and waves
• Marine animals are seen in their realistic
forms
• See the octopus painted on the jar to the
right
• Other forms (such as waves, and
seaweed) are painted in an abstract form
• See the seaweed surrounding the octopus
on the jar to the right
• Some archaeologist believe that Minoan
pottery was used mainly in trade, and
therefore using marine themes shows us that
sea trade was very important to the Minoans

Harvesters Vase
Greece, Crete (Triada), (ca. 1500 BCE)
Steatite, originally with gold leaf
5 inches at the largest diameter
The Harvesters Vase
• This is a form of vase called a rhyton
• Rhytons were used to hold liquids that
would then be poured during religious
ceremonies
• The Harvesters Rhyton is the most
famous of all Cretan Rhytons
• The top half of the rhyton is covered in
an elaborate engraving
• The engraving shows 27 male figures
crammed together to celebrate
bringing in the harvest
• It is assumed that this rhyton was
used at celebrations relating to the
yearly harvest
• The joyous nature of the images shows
us that this rhyton was used in a
celebration that was important to the
daily lives of the Minoans

Young God (?)
Greece, Crete (Palaikastro), (ca. 1500 – 1475
BCE)
Ivory, Gold, Serpentine, and Rock Crystal
1 foot 7 ½ inches high
Archaeological Museum, Siteia, Greece
Unique Forms of Sculpture
• One of the most interesting artifacts found on Crete / in
the Aegean
• Chryselephantine (gold and ivory mixed together)
• Believed to be a cult image
• The gold and ivory would have been imported from Egypt
• This shows us that this icon was an important part of
religious practices for the people of Crete
• Because the icon was found in its own alter we can
assume that it was meant to be a god not a human
• We can also assume from the braided hairstyle (common
in depictions of Cretan boys) that the god was a young
one

Snake Goddess
Greece, Crete (Knossos), (ca. 1600 BCE)
Faience
1 foot 1 ½ inches high
Archaeological Museum, Herakleion, Greece
The Snake Goddess
• Compared to the works of Mesopotamia, Egypt, and later
in Greece, Minoan statues are relatively small
• Some archaeologist believe that the people of Crete made
larger sculptures out of wood, but they have not been
found because of fires
• Faience statues were common in Crete
• The most amazing of these is that of the Snake Goddess
• She holds and snake in each hand and controls a leopard
which sits on her head
• This goddess is believed to be the main female deity of
the Ancient Cretans
• Although the form of the statue is reminiscent of
sculptures created in Egypt and Mesopotamia, her
costume is uniquely Cretan

Bull’s-Head Rhyton
Steatite with shell, rock crystal, and red jasper
30.5 cm high
Archaeological Museum, Iraklion, Crete
The Bull’s Head
• Bulls were a common motif in the Minoan
civilization
• Carved from one block of steatite
• Shell was used to form the eyes and the ring
around the nostrils
• The horns (which have been resorted) were
originally made of wood and then covered in gold
leaf
• A form of animal portraiture
• Was filled with liquid (from a hole in the neck)
this liquid would spill out of holes in the mouth
to make it seem like the bull was frothing at the
mouth

Pendant of Gold Bees
Greece, Crete, (ca. 1700 – 1550 BCE)
Gold
4.6 cm
Archaeological Museum, Iraklion, Crete
Gold Work
• The Minoans were also knows for their
ability in metallurgy (mainly in gold)
• Were proficient in the use of:
• Lost-wax technique (using wax and then
melting it away to create large metal
forms)
• Filigree (wire decoration)
• Granulation (balls of gold)
• Gilding (adding gold leaf)
• Most of the gold work which has been
discovered from the Minoan Civilization is
found in the form of jewelry
• Jewelry has been found in the graves of all
Minoan royals and was obviously
important to both men and women

Citadel at Mycenae
Greece, Mycenae, (ca. 1600 – 1200 BCE)
Mycenae
• After the fall of the Minoans other
Aegean city states began taking control
of the eastern Mediterranean
• One of the main city states to gain
control was that of Mycenae
• Although it is not clear when exactly
Mycenaean culture began, the art that
was produced during its reign was
distinctive and influential on the later
art of Greece and Rome
• Mycenae is known for its immense
wealth
• Homer called Mycenae “rich in gold”
• Mycenaean art is known for its
monumental architecture, and
metallurgy

Citadel at Mycenae
Greece, Mycenae, (ca. 1600 – 1200
BCE)

Aerial View of the Citadel at Tiryns
Greece, Tiryns, (ca. 1400 – 1200 BCE)
The Ancient City of Tiryns
• The citadel of Tiryns is located
about 10 kilometers from the
main citadel of Mycenae
• This citadel is believed to be home
of the mythical race of Cyclopes
(one-eyed giants)
• The Mycenaean's were master
citadel builders, and were
therefore able to protect their
cities
• It is in these citadels that the
architects of Mycenae came up
with unique solutions to the
problems of building large
structures with stones
• Many of the techniques architects
and builders use today come from
concepts created in Mycenae

Corbeled Gallery at the Citadel of Tiryns
Greece, Tiryns, (ca. 1400 – 1200 BCE)
Archways
• One of the unique forms of
architecture that was developed by
the Mycenaean's, was that of the
corbeled archway
• They developed this from the
original form of the post and lintel
system
• The development of the corbeled
arch was a major step forward in
the history of architecture
• By changing the form the
Mycenaean's were playing with
gravity and pushing their designs to
be something unique
• The corbeled arch was originally
only used in the creation of tombs
• Circle forms were only used to
create tombs, therefore creating a
strong correlation between circular
motifs and death

The Different Types of
Archways
Post and Lintel
• The oldest form of arch way
• Consists of 2 posts
• A lintel is placed on top of the 2
posts
Corbeled Arch
• New form of arch way used in
the Ancient Aegean and Greece.
• Consists of 2 posts
• Instead of using a lintel, smaller
stones were placed on top of
one another to create a
triangular archway
Arch
• Developed in later stages of
Ancient Greece and Rome
• Uses the weight of the stones to
hole it upright

Lion Gate
Limestone
Relief Panel 9 feet 6 inches high
The Lions Gate
• The most amazing form of corbelled
arch found in Mycenae is that of the
Lions Gate in the Citadel of Mycenae
• The arch itself uses the post and lintel
form with a giant triangular stone
placed above the lintel to create the
corbelled archway
• In between the post and lintel system
and that of the corbelled arch
• The triangular stone engraving at the
top of the lintel is highly detailed and
very interesting
• There are two lions flanking a Minoan
column
• What this shows us is the connection of
the Mycenaean kings to the other
civilizations in the region
• It shows us the power and might of the
kings, and how they felt about their
presence in the region

Treasury of Atreus
Treasury of Atreus
• Is a tholos tomb (beehive tomb)
• This is basically a giant corbelled
arch that is created for 360
degrees to created a corbelled
room
• These tombs are common in the
area of Mycenae (9 in total)
• The earthen mound surrounding it
was built up, NOT BUILT IN TO
• Stones would have been placed in
a circle and then successive stones
would be placed slightly in and in
until the desired shape was created
• As you build up earth must be
placed on the outside of the
structure in order to hold the
structure together

Treasury of Atreus

Funerary Mask
Greece, Mycenae (Grave Circle A), (ca. 1600 –
1500 BCE)
Beaten Gold
1 foot high
Funerary Mask
• The first time we see death masks
being used in the Ancient Aegean
• Made using the repoussé technique
(hammering the shape into a single
piece of metal)
• The first time in Ancient Greece that
we see people trying to make the
human face life size and close to its
actual representation
• The facial features show us that the
man who wore this death mask was
probably elderly when he passed away
• Believed to be the death mask of the
mythical Mycenaean King Agamemnon

Vapheio Cup
Greece, Sparta, (ca. 1650 –
1450 BCE)
Gold
10.8 cm high
Archaeological Museum, Iraklion,
Crete

Inlaid Dagger Blade with Lion
Hunt
Greece, Mycenae (Grave Circle
A), (ca. 1600 – 1500 BCE)
Bronze inlaid with gold, silver,
and niello
9 inches long
National Archaeological
Museum, Athens, Greece
Gold Work
• As you can tell from the death mask of Agamemnon the Mycenaean's were experts in gold work
• Shows four hunters attacking a lion who has attached a fifth hunter
• Two remaining lions run away (off to the end of the dagger blade)
• From the amount of work put into this blade, we can tell that the blade was probably not used
as a functional object, but rather as a ritual one
• It is unclear weather the work was created by a Minoan or a Mycenaean
• What we can tell though is that the subject matter is based in Mycenaean culture

Warriors Vase
Greece, Mycenae, (ca. 1200 BCE)
National Archaeological Museum, Athens
Warriors Vase
• The Mycenaean's were not known for
their painted wares (pottery)
• There are very few examples of pottery
from Mycenae
• The abstraction found in the forms on
the Warrior Vase is similar to that of
Minoan vases
• This shows us that although
Mycenaean pottery was not common
that they did find the techniques used
by the Minoans of a high quality
• They would have seen these motifs
during the time that they traded with
the Minoans
• The theme of going off to war is one
that is common throughout the cities of
Ancient Greece, but oddly enough not
with the Minoans
• So the Mycenaean’s were taking the
style of the Minoans and mixing it with
a theme that they found important

Female Head
Painted Plaster
6 ½ feet high
Archaeological Museum, Athens, Greece
Female Head
• Painted plaster sculptures are unique in the
art of Mycenae
• It follows in the techniques and motifs of the
Minoans
• The face is clearly female in its style, but its
use is unknown
• Some feel that it might have been a depiction
of a goddess or of a sphinx like sculpture
• The highly stylized facial features give the
figure a menacing feeling even though it is
not clear if that is what the sculpture was
meant to represent

The Flotilla Fresco
Greece, Akrotiri, (ca. 1650
BCE)
National Archaeological
Museum, Athens
The Flotilla Fresco
• One of the most impressive (and only) examples of Mycenaean wall paintings
• It is a continuous painting that covered the top part of a room in a house in Akrotiri
• Shows a celebration of the Minoans
• You can see the importance of the waterways to the peoples of the time
• The peoples are connected in many ways to the water
• The people are depicted in a very traditional Minoan style

Ancient Aegean Art

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