Week 5 Blog

What is it and who made it ???

I love a great challenge! I was determined to find out what these two works of art are and who made them. When I saw this picture I knew right away that it was made by Mycenaean potters.  After further research I found that this piece is called the Terracotta Chariot Krater.  It looks similar to the “Warrior Krater” found in the text book, in figure 4-20 on page 99.  The scene depicted on both sides of the Chariot Krater follows the tradition of Mycenaean chariot representations from the beginning of the fourteenth century B.C.  Two tall, armless figures wearing long, spotted robes stand in a chariot drawn by a pair of horses. Specks of paint on the box of the chariot indicate that it might have been covered with an ox hide.  Stylized flowers, stems and abstract motifs decorate the background of the scene. To the right of the chariot, a female figure wearing a long robe stands with both arms raised and fingers spread out in what looks to be a meaningful gesture.  Similar to the Warrior Krater, the woman’s emotions are shown on the Chariot Krater with the gesture of her arms raised to her head, indicating mourning.  Her breasts are represented as two spirals, and the features of her face resemble those of the figures in the chariot. Most likely she is waving goodbye to the departing warriors.  This is a familiar scene on earlier chariot kraters.  The horses follow the convention of Mycenaean vase painting.  I found it interesting that when two horses are meant to be represented, the painter, in an attempt to show perspective, depicts only one body, with two tails, two pairs of hind legs and forelegs, as well as two heads. 

As a result of extensive trade relations between the Argolid, a region in the Peloponnesos, and the eastern Mediterranean, large numbers of Mycenaean vases overwhelmed the Cypriot market at the beginning of the fourteenth century B.C.  The krater was a popular form in the vast collection of Mycenaean vases, found almost exclusively in tombs on Cyprus.  In fourteenth and thirteenth century B.C. as many as half of the objects in tombs on Cyprus, consisted of Mycenaean pottery.  Pictorial vases, like this one, were probably connected with funerary practices and, in some regions, may have served as vessels that held the remains of the deceased.

This gorgeous Minoan piece is called “The Fisherman”. The Minoans' all important relationship with the sea is demonstrated in much of their art, including this fresco. This vividly naturalistic silhouette of a fisherman is from the 16th century BCE.  This piece was found in a house in Akrotire, on the island of Thera, which was destroyed by a volcano. This wall painting depicts a naked young fisherman carrying the day’s catch, which appear to be small tunas or mackerels.  Nudity is very rare in Minoan art. Another feature which is unique is the fisherman’s head, which appears to be shaved except for a few locks of hair which are painted blue. Some think the fisherman was a juvenile, since only young people are shown with shaved heads.  Some believe that the style that is represented within this piece is religious and that the fresco may in fact depict an offering to the gods.  This wall painting was found close to a corner of a room near a table of offerings.  In fact, the fisherman is facing the corner of the room where the table of offerings was found.  I absolutely love how naturalistic and vibrant this piece is.  It is quite different from stereotypical Egyptian art. The smooth lines, vibrant colors, and sense of nature make Minoan art very pleasing to the eye. Minoan artists broke away from the two-dimensional figures of Egyptian art and created three-dimensional figures. The extraordinary beauty and fluidity of the frescos makes the figures quite charismatic. The easy nature loving lifestyle that comes across in their art is consistent with a feel of opulence and sophistication unknown anywhere else in the western world at the time. 

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