Frescoes - Homeric World

What were these frescoes influenced by ?

they were influenced by earlier frescoes from Crete in the Minoan Age.

Why was Mycenaean frescoes admired ?

The frescoes were admired for :

• Their use of colour

• their attention to detail

Grand buildings had frescoes of important individuals and detailed scenes.

Simple homes also had painted walls.

How to make one

1. A thick layer of lime plaster would be put on a stone wall

2. a finer layer of plaster would then be added.

3. Both natural and manufactured products would be painted on the walls before they dried.

Strings would have been added to help with composition and painting of the Frescoes.

Black

made from carbon

Blue

• manufactured from copper compound

• Since this wasn’t natural, it would have been quite expensive.

Red

• from a mineral called haematite

White

• adding more lime plaster on top

Or

• by cutting through to the plaster on the bottom.

Yellow

• From mineral stone called Ochre

Green

• From mixing blue and yellow

Or

• grinding a mineral ore called malachite

What colours were used for humans

Men : red skin colour

Women : white skin colour, since they didn’t go outside much

What colours were used for animals most commonly ?

• Yellow was used for lions

• Blue for monkeys

Who else were they inspired by ?

• Mycenaean frescoes could have definitely been inspired by frescoes from Akrotiri

Akrotiri - site was destroyed at the start of the Mycenaean Age.

What is commonly seen on frescoes ?

• scenes of nature - different types of flowers and animals

• several religious scenes in frescoes :

  • women carrying objects -

  • flowers

  • jewellery boxes

• Images of war with individuals holding figure of 8 shields

Ship procession fresco ( Akrotiri)

Date : 16th century BC

Location : Akrotiri, Santorini

Material : Plaster and paint

Details :

• 8 large ships and 3 boats

• Ships decorated with many flowers.

• The town is very detailed and expansive

• individual clothing is very detailed

• Some believe to be a procession - smart clothes + flowers

• Some believe to show war - helmets hanging on the ships

Significance :

• evidence of clothing

• evidence of hunting

• evidence of wealth - two storey housing

• evidence of war

Fresco of woman collecting saffron ( Akrotiri )

Date : 16th century BC

Location : Akrotiri, Santorini

Material : plaster + paint

Details :

• contains many colours - woman is detailed

• detailed bracelets on her wrists

• brown outfit has pattern on it

• delicate facial features and slight smile - create a sense of energy + emotion.

significance :

• evidence of clothing

• evidence of jewellery

• evidence of wealth

• evidence of farming

Fresco of goddess / priestess holding plants/flowers ( Mycenae )

Date : 13th century BC

Location : Mycenae

details :

• we believe it’s a goddess/priestess because of her hat

Material : plaster + paint

Significance :

• Evidence of clothing

• Evidence of religion

Fresco of Fisherman with his catch ( Akrotiri )

Date : 16th century BC

Location : Akrotiri

Material : plaster + paint

Significance :

• shaved head painted blue, then dark strands of hair - sign of youth

• fish caught are plentiful - suggests what food they had

Fresco of women offering various objects ( box, jug, flower, fruit )

Date : 13th Century BC

Location : Thebes, Greece

Material : plaster + paint

Significance :

• evidence of clothing

• evidence of religion - offering, sacrifice ?

• artistic skill - multitude of colours

Fresco of Mycenaean Lady holding a necklace

Date : 13th century BC

Location : House of the Chief Priest, Mycenae

Material : plaster and paint

Details :

• patterned cuts and strands at the front - evidence of women’s hair, appearance

• Many colours used : Black, red, white, yellow

• Short sleeved blouse with red + white stripes on the shoulders and around chest - accentuates her body shape ( typical of Mycenaean female depictions )

• Pendant necklace with red and beads, necklace ( red + yellow beads ) - Amber stones !

Significance :

• evidence of artistic skill

• evidence of jewellery

• evidence of clothing

• evidence of beauty

Typical images and patterns

Animals commonly depicted :

• Octopi

• Cuttlefish

• Horses

• Bulls

• Lions

• Dogs
  Deers

• boars

Repeated patterns :

• Swirls

• Spirals

• wavy lines

Mythical creatures depicted :

• Sphinx

• Griffins

Limitations of frescoes

• The Mycenaeans did not use perspective

  • sometimes people or objects appeared disproportionately large or small.

• The Mycenaeans made no attempt to give images a 3D feel

  • faces are shown with their eyes forward even though their head is facing sideways.