Aegean art
A maritime Bronze Age: lively frescoes of Minoan Crete and the Cyclopean walls of Mycenae
How to recognise it
- Frescoes of dolphins, lilies and bull-leaping
- Red-and-black columns tapering downward
- Labyrinthine palace around a central court
- Mortarless walls of huge blocks
- Gold masks and cups from shaft graves
Why it emerged
The Minoans grew rich on sea trade and built palaces without walls, so their art is full of nature and festivals. The Mycenaean warrior kings who followed poured wealth into citadels, tombs and arms.
Examples
Palace of Knossosc. 1950 BC–1350 BCHundreds of rooms round a court — the likely source of the Labyrinth myth
Bull-Leaping Frescoc. 1450 BCAcrobats vault over a charging bull — rare Bronze Age image of sport
Mask of Agamemnonc. 1550 BCGold funeral mask that Schliemann in 1876 pinned on Homer's hero
Lion Gatec. 1250 BCThe only large Bronze Age Greek sculpture still standing where it was placed
Treasury of Atreusc. 1250 BCA beehive tholos tomb: the world's largest dome until Rome's PantheonMore in this style
- c. 1600 BC Minoan snake goddess figurines
Meanwhile elsewhere
- Megaliths Europe
- Mesopotamian art Middle East
- Ancient Egyptian art Africa
- Shang and Zhou bronzes Asia
- Olmec art Americas