Crete art

Crete is a beautiful island in Greece that is known for its history and
culture. It is one of the most visited islands in Greece.
 Crete art :
The art of the Minoan civilization of Bronze Age Crete, aka as Crete art, used the love of
animals, sea and plant life to decorate pottery, jewelry, stone vessels and sculptures.
Minoan artists delighted in flowing, naturalistic shapes and designs. Minoan art also gives
valuable insight into the religious, communal and funeral practices.
 INFLUENCE
The Minoans’ early art was highly influenced by the contact they had with the Aegean,
Babylonian and Egyptian civilizations. Also in trade, the exchange of pottery and
foodstuffs in return for precious objects such as Cooper Cyprus
and ivory from Egypt.

Minoan art was not only decorative but could also have political
purposes, specially the wall paintings of palaces. Art objects were
largely reserved for the ruling elite.
 Minoan pottery
Minoan pottery went through various stages of development
:

Vasilik : Kamares wars :

flamed decoration two decorative modes
red, orange and black beaches light painting on a dark
background or dark on a light
background

Old palace period :

geometric shapes, shells and
flowers
 Here we have an example of a typical vase made in
Kamares style. We can notice that, it was made on
the model : light painting on a dark background.
 Minoan sculpture
Minoan artists were capable of capturing movement in three dimensions as they
were in other art forms. Clay figurines show the men and women clothing, there are
also bronze figurines typically religious.

This sculpture called "Snake goddess" is the

most famous sculpture of this period, made
around -1600.
 Minoan Jewelry
The majority of pieces were constructed by hand. Minoan jewelers possessed the full
repertoire of metalworking techniques with transformed precious raw material into a
staggering array of objects and designs.

Here we have an example of various necklaces

and other jewelry made in bones, papyrus and
gold.
End

By Alejandra PEGUERO, Maïlys BOUCHER,

Chiara Guerriero and Francesca MELE