Aegean Art

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• Aegean Art

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AEGEAN ART
Term used to describe the Bronze Age that
occurred in the land in and around the Aegean
Sea. Three basic periods CYCLADIC (Cyclades
Islands) 3000-1600 BCE MINOAN (Crete) 3000-1400
BCE MYCENEAN (Mainland Greece) 1400-1100 BCE
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Prehistoric Aegean
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• The tradition of Greece is often the first
  in which Westerners feel they can recognize
  themselves. Greeks were the first to place
  human beings at the center of the universe.
  However, preceding the Greeks in the Aegean Basin
  were the Minoan and Mycenaean civilizations.

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Cycladic, Minoan and Mycenaean
BASIC INFORMATION

• Early Greek Civilization is known through 3
  sources
• a. Monuments themselves,
• b. Roman copies
• c. Literary sources- (these often conflict)
• Early Greek civilization started out as tribal
  groups - the Dorians, who settled mostly on the
  mainland, and the Ionians who inhabited the
  Aegean islands and Asia Minor
• Early Greeks remained divided into small
  city-states (the polis) but united themselves for
  all-Greek festivals. Rivalry between states
  stimulated the growth of ideas

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• As with Egyptians, the Ageans were organized into
  a complex caste system Nobles, Merchants,
  Artisans, Bureaucrats, and Laborers
• Life for Ageans was unusually peacefulvery few
  weapons found at archeological sites

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Cycladic Art Most examples are from the
NEOLITHIC period and are usually female Cycladic
Islands rich in metal ores and marble (Parian
Marble from Paros considered some of the best in
the world) Very abstracted, geometric figures
found in stone burial chambers
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Title Seated harp playerDate ca. 28002700
B.C. Medium Marble
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• Art at the Same Time Compare and Contrast

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Future influences
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Minoan Art Artwork found on the island of CRETE
called Minoan because of the legend of King
Minos Very rich civilization with many
references to bulls and ocean themes PALACE OF
KNOSSOS Huge palace about 6 acres in size! 1st
excavated by Sir Arthur Evans in 1900
Amphora two handled vase used to carry wine,
oil, olives, etc. Amphi ("on both sides")
phoreus ("carrier")
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Title Octopus jarDate 1500 BCE. Medium Clay
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Stairwell in the residential quarter of the
palace at Knossos (Crete), Greece, ca. 17001400
BCE.
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Figure 4-5 Plan of the palace at Knossos
(Crete), Greece, ca. 17001400 BCE.
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Pictures taken from the Palace of Knossos Note
the repeated bull and marine themes which
indicate the importance of fishing and ritual in
their culture.
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Minoan Fresco
Like their Egyptian contemporaries living 500
miles southeast of them, the Minoans illustrated
figures with legs standing in profile and eyes,
in profiled faces, staring at the viewer. So, the
Minoans were not entirely revolutionary painters.
Minoan artists did, however, figure out how to
show torsos in profile. They drew bodies as
working wholes, not as figures awkwardly twisted
in the middle. More importantly, the outlines of
their figures are rounded and lively. By
comparison, the figures in Egyptian scenes appear
stiff and uncomfortable.The Fisherboy was
excavated from a house preserved beautifully by
volcanic ash.
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Bull-leaping, from the palace at Knossos (Crete),
Greece, ca. 14501400 BCE. Fresco, 2 8 high,
including border. Archaeological Museum,
Herakleion.
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See the influence Prehistoric paintings had?
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Religion

• Most Minoan life revealed through its religious
  practices and art.
• 1. Matriarchal society
• 2. Center of worship was a mother goddess
• 3. Earth goddesses portrayed in various forms.

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Snake Goddess, from the palace at Knossos
(Crete), Greece, ca. 1600 BCE. Faience,
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Mother Goddesses
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Mycenae
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The Mycenaean's placed a pair of 9.5 foot lions
above the arch a symbol of protection against
intruders.
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Lion Gate, Mycenae, Greece, ca. 13001250 BCE.
Limestone, relief panel, 9 6 high.
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Three methods of spanning a passageway (a) post
and lintel, (b) corbeled arch, (c) arch.
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Lion Gate of Mycenae
Guardian-like lions that guarded the entrance to
the Citadel Heads are now gone.
Corbelled Arch
Post Lintel
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Mycenaeans Rich In Gold
Thanks to tombs, graves excavated in Mycenae find
many kings and their families buried with gold,
much like the EgyptiansWoman with jewelry, Men
with weapons and golden cups.
Mask of Agamemnon The mask was created by
hammering gold into a thin leaf over a wooden
form.
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• Repousse a technique whereby metal is hammered
  from the back to make a relief

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Early Figure Sculptures

• The primary forms began to show more details in
  the body and muscle structure. These kinds of
  figures were called
• kouros, freestanding statues of male youth
• kore, freestanding statues of young maidens