Chapter 4: AEGEAN ART

CH4 Vocabulary• Aegean• Crete• Peloponnesian• Helladic• Hellenistic• Cyclades (Cycladic)• Minoan• Sir Arthur Evans• Dressed stone• Coursed ashlar• Rhyton• Casemate

• Buon fresco• Fresco secco—• Repoussé• Terracotta• Citadel• Capstone• Relieving arch• Tholos• Heinrich Schliemann• Agamemnon• Megaron• Mycenaean great hall

Aegean Map

Ithaca!

Aegean Art

• Cycladic: c. 2800-1550 BCE

• Minoan: c. 2000-1400 BCE

• Mycenaean: c. 1500-1100 BCE

Marble Cycladic Figure. 2500 BCE

• Buried their dead with marble idols.

• Mother goddess of fertility

• Recalls the angular, abstract qualities of Paleolithic and Neolithic.

• Stiff, flat, angular, and wedge-shaped

Minoan Art aspects

• c. 2000-1400 BCE

• Island of Crete

• Playful

• Rhythmic motion

• Nature plays major role

• Color

Palace of Minos. Knossos, Crete.1500 BCE

COLUMN Great Court Palace

of King Minos.

Columns – Tapered, Wood

STAIRWELLPalace of King Minos.

Wooden columns with base and capital

DOLPHIN FRIEZE IN THE QUEEN'S

MEGARONPalace of King

Minos. Knossos, Crete.

c. 1500 BCE

• Megaron: Central audience hall

Queen’s Megaron

BATHROOM IN THE QUEEN'S APARTMENT

Palace of King Minos.

Note: stylized water becomes motif that decorates walls

Drains and Channels for Running Water

STORAGE JARS

Stored in basement for trade and to meet needs of royalty in palace

SNAKE GODDESS

c. 1650 BCE

-FAIENCE: Type of glazed earthenware

-Compare with Inanna-Ishtar (Lilith figure)

SNAKE GODDESS

c. 1650 BCE

FAIENCE

RHYTON BULL 1550-1500 BCE

•Superbly naturalistic

•Steatite, rock crystal, and gilt wood.

What is a Rhyton????

BULL-JUMPING FRESCOFrom the east wing Palace of King Minos.

Knossos, Crete. c. 1500 BCE

Landscape. Thera (Akrotiri). 1600-1500 BCEFresco: Paint on wet plaster

• What’s left is buon fresco… why?

“Flotilla” Fresco

Akrotiri

1650 BCE

“Flotilla” Fresco

Akrotiri

1650 BCE

Young girls gathering Saffron Crocus flowers

Akrotiri

1700-1450 BCE

Modern cretan saffron

Cost @ 5000 U.S. dollars per LBS.

Saffron Picker

detail

SNAKE GODDESS

c. 1650 BCE

FAIENCE

Note Note similarities in similarities in dress and dress and open topopen top

Symbols of Symbols of power and power and wealth = wealth = snakes, lion, snakes, lion, saffronsaffron

Ceremonial?Ceremonial?

Minoan VaseThera

1500 BCE.

Jumping Dolphin = common motif in Crete

Beaked Jug1800 BCE

Crete

Natural shell like motif

Octopus Vase1500 BCE

Crete

HARVESTER VASE. 1500 BCE. Crete

Mycenaean Art

• Also known as Late Helladic Period

• Height of culture lasted from 1400 to 1100 BCE

• Often associated w/ Homerian legend

• Mycenaean art similar to Minoan

• More war-like heavily fortified citadels

Palace of Minos. Knossos, Crete.1500 BCE

9/16/10 Warm-Up• You are a highly trained archeologist, historian/art historian!!!• After examining the ruins of these two structures you concluded the following

– The structure on the right was constructed almost purely for defense and with the intention of frightening enemies

– The structure on the left was its opposite. An extravagant palace with beautiful landscaping and no apparent need for defense.

• In 4-5 sentences defend these 2 statements with historical knowledge and evidence from the images.

Archeology: scientific study of the human past through the things left behind by humans.

Linear B on Clay tablets

Tiryns Citadel. c. 1400-1200 BCE.Mycenae

• 20-ft thick walls

LION GATE

1250 BCECitadel of Mycenae

Corbeling: Technique for

constructing the relieving triangle

Tomb of Atreus. c. 1300 BCE. MycenaeBeehive Tomb

Interior of Tomb of Atreus

Funerary Mask. c. 1600-1500 BCE

• Repoussé: method of beating metal into shape

The Vaphio Cups, 1500 BCE

Lion's Head Rhyton

1550 BCE

Mycenae

MycenaeanMinoan Persian