Minoan+Art

Minoan Art

Since wood and textiles have vanished through decomposition, surviving examples of Minoan art are Minoan pottery, the palace architecture of Knossos with its frescos such the "Bull Leaping", as well as landscapes and stone carvings. In the Early Minoan period ceramics were characterised by linear patterns of spirals, triangles, curved lines, crosses, and fishbone motifs. In the Middle Minoan period naturalistic designs such as fish, squid, birds, and lilies were common. In the Late Minoan period, flowers and animals were still the most characteristic, but the variability had increased. The 'palace style' of the region around Knossos is characterised by a strong geometric simplification of naturalistic shapes and monochromatic paintings. Very noteworthy are the similarities between Late Minoan and Mycenaean art. Frescoes were the main form of art during these time of the Minoan culture. The majority of frescos depicted landscapes or scenes of nature.