Minoan and Greek Pottery
The Vase as Theme
This essay is meant to address the different treatment of two works of art from different cultures which deal with the same theme. By comparing differing treatments of the same artistic theme, it is possible to get a glimpse into the mind of the artists whose differences are thus highlighted. For example, if one were to compare the famous Minoan Octopus Stirrup Jar (Heraklion Museum, Crete) with the Metropolitan Museum's Mycenean Terracotta stirrup jar with octopus (ca. 1200-1100), one would see dramatic differences in the level of anatomical accuracy vs. stylization, anamorphization vs. abstraction, and a preference for a utilitarian joie de vivre over an elite sense of design. In such a comparison, the subject of the art would be considered the theme. Yet what if one were not to consider the subject of the art as its theme, but rather consider the medium of the art as its theme? This purpose of this essay is not to compare two octopi pieces -- instead it focuses on the Minoan Octopus Jar and its distant relative, an attic urn known as the Red-Figure Neck-Amphora Attributed to the Hector Painter. In comparing the way that the Minoan Artist and the Hector Painter treated the subject of the vase, one can see dramatically different...
It has two handlers, referred to as stirrups, which jut from either side of the small raised spout where the apple's stem would be, and reconnect quickly to the jug's body. A second spout proceeds from the vase slightly below the first, though rising to the same height. These two spouts assumably make pouring easier and reduce the likelihood of spillage. The jar itself is a creamy off-white with rusty-brown painted figures. Both colors are rich and variegated, perhaps partly through aging.
The vase's main figure is that of a tremendous octopus, whose tentacles wrap almost all the way around the vase. The octopus does not appear to be grasping the vase, however, but rather to be floating within it, albeit seen with a slightly unreal perspective. The tentacles are sinuous and seem to be in frenzied motion. One can make out the individual suckers on the tentacle, as they are done with some accuracy. However, the shape of the octopus remains somewhat cartoonish. No space on the vase is…
These walls and other constructions were made of very huge stones that gave the Mycenaean architecture the name of cyclopean architecture. Another feature of Mycenaean architecture is the megaron, a rectangular hall entered via 2 column porch and having a hearth at its centre. It is said that megaron was the inspiration for classical greek temple. Another unique contribution of Mycenaean architechture is the use of 'corbel vaulting' a
Hellenic Tombs One of the ways in which the art, history and architecture of ancient cultures can be understood and investigated is through what is left behind to be examined. Some of the most permanent artifacts that are available for examination are ancient tombs which have stood the test to time. From these tombs one can not only understand and form opinions of the architecture and historical context of the time,
In addition, a theorized creation period is given, as well as the current location of the statue. However, very little other detail is given for this important piece. Kortum, R. Warrior Vase. No date. East Tennessee State University. October 16, 2006 http://faculty.etsu.edu/kortumr/05mycenae/htmdescriptionpages/12vase.htm. The author, a professor at East Tennessee State, gives a brief description of the krater (mixing bowl) pottery from the 12th century BC and now housed in the National
Romans 2 Greeks CULTURES ECONOMICS GEOGRAPHICAL TERRAIN GOVERNMENT TRADE PRACTICES RELIGIOUS BELIEFS PHILOSOPHY It was seen in history that a number of beliefs and the practices Romans adopted were from Greeks. In a nut shell the roman had adopted many of the things from Greeks related to their philosophies, culture, etc. (Ancient history Tran, 2010) Art and ARCHITECTURE Romans have adopted the art from Greeks. Roman art has a variety of work. Painting, sculpturing and architecture were the famous forms of
Mycenaean Greece's relationship to Crete during the two centuries between 1600 and 1400 B.C. is complex, as both civilizations competed for control of the Mediterranean Sea. "To judge from the known tablets, there appear to have been a number of distinct kingdoms within Mycenaean Greece, all of which seem to have been independent" (Stanley 277). Following the destruction of Knossos in or about 1400 B.C., supremacy was given to
Orient West Minoan and Romantic movements Describe the earlier historical art period, characteristics of the style, and social conditions that may have contributed to the advent of this style. Within the history of the Ancients, the story of Classical Greek art and architecture is prefaced by the earliest epoch of the seafaring Cretan civilization, Minos. The Palace of King Minosis is a magical structure reflective of this early world of classical lyricism. It