The famous La Parisienne fresco fragment is part of the larger Campstool Fresco series found in the western part of the Knossos complex, in what might have been an area for common dining or ritual feasting.

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I've posted about the Ladies In Blue fresco before, back when I did a watercolor reproduction of the trio.

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My latest painting is a reproduction of Emile Gillieron Sr.'s watercolor rendering of the Double-S and Papyrus Frond fresco found during the 1910-12 archaeological excavations at Tiryns.

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Before reading Woven Threads and working on the Saffron Goddess from the last post, I hadn't known that the Minoans used murex purple in their frescoes.  Yet having also learned that murex shells could yield quite a bit more purple dye than previously assumed, I was pleased to find traces of it in the blouse of the Saffron Goddess and elsewhere ( Read more... )

This week, I attempted some artwork to relieve the space between painting pieces of miniature furniture.  The subject I chose was the Saffron Goddess from Xeste 3 in Akrotiri.  From previous posts, you know I've developed an interest in the elaborately patterned textiles the Minoans and Therans produced, but it wasn't just the decoration I wanted ( Read more... )

I am currently reading Woven Threads: Patterned Textiles of the Aegean Bronze Age, by Maria Shaw and Anne Chapin.  It's a scholarly, more budget-friendly alternative to Bernice Jones' Ariadne's Threads, but lest you think it's a lesser book, it isn't.  The emphasis here is on pictorial depictions of Aegean patterned textiles, many from fresco ( Read more... )

Some of the most iconic images from Knossos, such as the Priest-King of the Lilies and the Blue Ladies, continue to mislead lovers of Minoica and distort our modern views of the ancient Minoans.  Sir Arthur Evans, having convinced himself that the Minoans were a peace-loving, matriarchal society of idealists and artists--and having subconsciously ( Read more... )

As she turned to go, Dusani appeared to remember something. “Oh, Lady Shammat wants us to be her guests for the Festival of the Vines.” Rusa’s immediate reaction was to refuse. “Now, I know what you’re going to say, Rusa, but she sent an amphora of her best vintage to apologize for the other night’s damage ( Read more... )

raettawy shared with me this insightful article on the unusual floor patterns at the Palace of Nestor, Pylos, and on Mycenaean floors in general ( Read more... )

From the looks of it, the same school of artists was responsible for both the bull leaping seals found at Agia Triada and the famous Knossos Toreador Fresco.  It is not impossible to imagine such a school thriving in the northeast industrial/artist workshops of Knossos around 1450 B.C.

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