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Minoan Art

Author: Sophia

what's covered
Minoan art has several unique characteristics, and the Minoan civilization was influenced by many things, including myths and legends. In this lesson, you will learn about characteristics and examples of Minoan sculpture, pottery, and fresco painting. This lesson covers:

Table of Contents

big idea
Minoan civilization was a major cultural and military power in the Aegean region in its day, centered on the island of Crete.

1. Time Period and Location: Minoan Art

The artwork examined in this lesson falls between 1900 BC and 1375 BC. Just southeast of Greece, surrounded by the Aegean Sea, is the island of Crete. This civilization had strong ties to ancient Greece.

Within this region is a geological, or tectonic plate, fault line, which lies at the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea right by Crete. It makes a divide between the Eurasian Plate above and African plate below. As these plates move, they create a lot of geological disturbances and earthquakes, as well as volcanic activity.

The timeline below highlights the time period covered in this lesson.

File:1631-Screen_Shot_2016-10-17_at_6.25.13_AM.png

did you know
A volcanic eruption ten times as large as the Mount Saint Helen’s eruption on the present-day island of Santorini likely contributed to the eventual demise of Minoan civilization.


2. King Minos and the Minotaur

The fabled Minotaur and the myth associated with it is an important Greek myth with strong connections to the Minoan civilization. The bull is an important animal figure in Greek mythology, and it seems to be of particular importance to the people of Crete. It is an image that comes up repeatedly in Cretan artwork.

According to the myth, the Minotaur was a creature held captive in a labyrinth, or maze, by King Minos. With the head and tail of a bull and the body of a man, the Minotaur was a horrible creature that enjoyed eating people. He was actually the love child of the king’s wife and a sacred bull. Eventually he was slain by the mythical hero Theseus, who became the eventual king of the city-state of Athens.

Sometime between 1900 and 1903, an archaeologist named Arthur Evans grew interested in searching for the lost kingdom due to the legend of King Minos and the Minotaur. Upon discovering likely ruins, he labeled the civilization Minoan after the mythical king. It was Evans who discovered the ancient site of Knossos in northern Crete.

terms to know
Minotaur
A mythological half-man, half-bull that lived on Crete
Labyrinth
A maze, or series of intricate and confusing passageways, so-called because of the labrys (double-headed axe) symbols found on walls of structures of Crete
Minoan
Relating to the Bronze Age civilization that existed on the island of Crete, named after the mythological King Minos


3. Knossos

Remember, Crete was an area of many geological disturbances. Because of the earthquakes, the palace complex was severely damaged over time. Rooms and passageways are thought to have shifted considerably. The maze-like quality of the complex, as well the term labyrinth, is how Minoan palaces came to be associated with mazes. This palace complex was made of stone, constructed using the post-and-lintel technique.

did you know
The Greeks refer to the complex as a labyrinth due to its frequent use of the decorative double-axe motif, called a labrys.

The ruins of Knossos, shown below, did not always look this way, of course.

Palace of Knossos1700-1400 BCCrete, Greece
Palace of Knossos
1700-1400 BC
Crete, Greece


4. Themes in Minoan Art

The Minoan civilization became a powerful force within the Aegean and gradually annexed more and more of the surrounding territory, particularly the Cycladic Islands (the Cyclades). A theme of nature began to surface in Minoan art, which became more dynamic than Egyptian art. A sense of liveliness or energy is a characteristic seen throughout Minoan works of art.

IN CONTEXT

As you view the following works of art, notice the recurring theme of nature and the liveliness and energy projected by these artists.

First, take a look at this image:

Goddess with Snakes1700-1550 BCTin-glazed pottery (faience)
Goddess with Snakes
1700-1550 BC
Tin-glazed pottery (faience)


This is a sculpture of a goddess holding snakes, aptly named the “Goddess with Snakes.” It is thought that it is likely an image of man, or woman in this case, demonstrating dominance over nature. The snakes represent fertility and agriculture.

Continuing on, here is another work of art, a ceramic work called the “Octopus Flask”:

Octopus Flask1500-1450 BCCeramic
Octopus Flask
1500-1450 BC
Ceramic


Notice the dynamic rendering of the octopus, with its squirmy legs and a rather detailed suction cups. This is a prime example of the liveliness and energy depicted in Minoan art. The iconography relates the Minoans’ connection with the sea, on which they depended for their livelihood.


5. Minoan Art and Fresco

Continuing the nature theme, the example below was taken from a home on Thera, one of the Cycladic Islands. It is the “Saffron Gatherers” fresco, which is a type of painting using water-based paints on fresh plaster. It depicts the collection of saffron crocus flowers by a young girl. Saffron was, and really remains, an expensive spice that probably was one of the principal spices that Crete traded among the other Aegean civilizations.

Young Girl Gathering Saffron Crocus Flowers1500 BCBuon (wet) Fresco
Young Girl Gathering Saffron Crocus Flowers
1500 BC
Buon (wet) Fresco

This work of art is also a great example of buon fresco, or wet fresco. The pigments are applied as the plaster is still drying, which allows the image to set inside the plaster and become a permanent part of the wall. Minoans created both wet and dry frescoes, also known as fresco secco.

This next work of art, a fresco of a springtime landscape, is another example from Thera.

Fresco of Springtime LandscapeBefore 1630 BCBuon (wet) Fresco
Fresco of Springtime Landscape
Before 1630 BC
Buon (wet) Fresco

This fresco is important in that it is the first example of a landscape-only image in ancient art.

Finally, possibly the most recognized image of a fresco from the Palace of Knossos, the work of art below depicts what is thought to be a ritualistic scene:

Bull Leaping (from palace at Knossos)1550-1450 BCBuon (wet) Fresco
Bull Leaping (from palace at Knossos)
1550-1450 BC
Buon (wet) Fresco

Another work of art, it perhaps depicts a scene of sacrifice, and it shows the importance of the bull in Minoan culture. It may depict three athletes, or it could be three different poses of one athlete jumping over the bull, beginning, middle, and end. This is a much more dynamic image than what we’ve seen in Egyptian art.

terms to know
Fresco Painting
Painting in water-based paints on fresh plaster
Buon Fresco
A type of fresco in which the plaster is still wet and the paint bonds with the plaster
Fresco Secco
Dry fresco, so called because it involves painting on the wall after the plaster has already dried

summary
Minoan civilization and art was influenced by many things, including myths and legends. In this lesson, you explored the time period and location of Minoan art and learned about King Minos and the Minotaur.

You also learned about the Knossos, one of the Minoan palaces that came to be associated with mazes.

Finally, themes in Minoan art and Minoan art and the fresco were covered. A theme of nature began to show up in Minoan art, and works of art became more dynamic, with their sense of liveliness or energy, than Egyptian art.

Source: THIS TUTORIAL WAS AUTHORED BY IAN MCCONNELL FOR SOPHIA LEARNING. Please see our Terms of Use.

Terms to Know
Buon Fresco

A type of fresco in which the plaster is still wet and the paint bonds with the plaster.

Fresco Painting

Painting in water-based paints on fresh plaster.

Fresco Secco

Dry fresco, so called because it involves painting on the wall after the plaster has already dried.

Labyrinth

A maze, or series of intricate and confusing passageways, so-called because of the labrys (double-headed axe) symbols found on walls of structures of Crete.

Minoan

Relating to the Bronze Age civilization that existed on the island of Crete, named after the mythological king Minos.

Minotaur

A mythological half-man, half-bull that lived at Crete.