Sunday, September 30, 2007

Mycenaean vs. Minoan artwork










Mycenaean and Minoan artwork have several things in common. Although they are not exactly alike, they are similar. Both cultures have artwork that depict goddesses. The Minoan culture has the "Snake Goddess", and the Mycenaean culture has the fresco known as "Goddess". Both the "Goddess" fresco and the "Snake Goddess" sculpture show the curvilinear form of the goddess' body, giving it a very naturalistic feel. The deity of the "Snake Goddess" is represented through her domination over ger subjects (the snakes and cat), while the deity of the "Goddess" fresco is demonstrated through her elaborate jewelry.




A major difference between Mycenaean and Minoan artwork are their treatments of the human figure and the world they live in. Most of the art found from the Minoan culture depicts humans and their world in a more realistic way, while Mycenaean cultures depict humans in a much more stylized way. An example of the realistic treatment of the human body in Minoan art is represented not only in the "Snake Goddess" sculpture, but also in the "Toreador Fresco".This particular fresco shows the human body in realistic, athletic poses. The repetition of the figure demonstrates a movement or action, which allows the artist to accurately depict time and space. An example of the stylized treatment of the human body in Mycenaean culture is the "Goddess" fresco. The fresco has a stylized treatment of her hair and ear, making them very curvy. Her frontal eye is also very stylistic, present in many Egyptian artworks. Another example of this stylized treament is the "Mask of Agamemnon". This piece of artwork also depicts the ear and hair in a stylized fashion. But, Mycenaean artwork is not solely stylized; there is a very realistic depiction of facial features in the "Mask of Agamemnon".