Egyptian & Early Aegean (Minoan) Art Flashcards
Define Minoan and King Minos.
King Minos - A King of Crete. The son of Zeus and Europa.
Minoan - relating to the ancient civilization of the island of Crete, dating from 3,000 to 1100 BC.
Define labyrinth.
A maze of paths in which it is difficult to find the exit. Labyrinth under Palace of Knossos (capital) thought to be storage halls.
Define Akhenaton and changes to Egyptian belief.
Akhenaton = “one who is effective on behalf of Aton”; formally named Amenhotep IV; ruler of New Kingdom. Moves capitol to Amarna - middle of the desert (relatively undisturbed excavation site). Believed in polytheism -> shunned by peers. Early portraiture shows more naturalistic face and belly pooch. Stele shows wife as same hierarchy of scale and wearing crown = gender equality.
Define fresco.
Buon (true) fresco = the art of painting on a moist, plaster surface with colors ground up in water or a limewater mixture so paint is absorbed by plaster and becomes part of the wall itself. Mural painting on a wall. Directly painted on the wall. (Permanent).
Ex: The Toreador Fresco (painting of a Bull)
Seated scribe, Old Kingdom, Giza, 2575-2450 BCE
Has fat rolls that indicated wealth and nobility. Face is more naturalistic. Could identify sculpture. Painted limestone led to chipping.
Funeral Procession on Tomb of Ramose (governor of Thebes), New Kingdom, Thebes, 1400 BCE
Funeral procession is walking along register/frieze. Twisted perspective. People carrying sandals, chests, chairs to afterlife. Painted on plaster with vegetal pigments. Some other tombs had sunken relief images.
Stele with Akhenaton, Nefertiti, and 3 daughters, New Kingdom, Amarna, 1340 BCE
Sunken relief carving. Akhenaton on left. Nefertiti (wife) portrayed as same hierarchy of scale and also wearing a crown = gender equality. Rays of sun in between couple - ends of rays have onk symbols to represent extention of life. Valued different beauty perspective. Oncs=symbol of life.
Palace of Knossos, Crete (Minoan culture), 1700-1400 BCE
Knossos = capital. Labyrinth under palace thought to be storage halls. Housed minotaur of legend from Queen Pasiphae. Structure had to be rebuilt due to earthquake damages. Not very defensive structure. Inverted columns = wider at top. Many ceremonies held in center courtyard (ex: bull leaping). Had primitive flushable toilets. Had many frescos as decoration - featured many women and bulls (ex: Fresco of the Bull Leapers, 1450-1400 BCE).
Sculptures from Cyclades Islands, Aegean sea
Sculptures were cold-looking. Mostly female figures. Abstract features = not naturalistic. Marble carvings.
Ex: Harpist (no hands), 2400 BCE. Athens, National Archaeological Museum
Ex: Harpist (with hands), 2400 BCE, New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art
What were the conventions of Egyptian royal portraiture? What were the interesting exceptions to the rules?
Mostly utilized idealized representations of people to promote “eternal youth.” Attempt to convey totality of subject’s personality rather than physical features. Reluctance to show individual features because it conflicted with the representation of the perfect person. Very strong religious roots.
Seated Scribe (2575-2450 BCE), Sensusret III, and early portraiture of Akhenaton showed more naturalistic faces = identifiable facial features, wrinkles and drooped eyelids showed aging, belly pooch showed realistic bodies.
How did Egyptians prepare for their comfort and status to continue into the afterlife?
Built ka statues to protect spirits and painted idealized representations of self to preserve eternal youth. Many luxury items buried in tombs to preserve wealth in afterlife. Emperors had elaborate tombs (ie, pyramids).
What was art and architecture life in the Minoan Palace of Knossos (Greek isle of Crete)?
Art was mainly frescoes painted on walls. Featured many women and bulls. Architecture was very open and not very defensive. Large courtyard in the middle hosted many ceremonies.
Define minotaur.
Half bull, half man. Offspring of Queen Pasiphae and bull.
