Ancient Greek Sculptures

Plastered walls from the Minoan palaces and villas that have survived to our day provide a precious portrait of life in Crete during prehistoric times. The figures and scenes painted in the Minoan frescoes display the familiar Egyptian side view with the frontal eye, as well as the sharp outlines in solid color.

The Egyptian influence when it comes to painting seems to stop there as the Minoan frescoes distinguish themselves from the products of other Mediterranean cultures in many ways. They are characterized by the small waist, the fluidity of line, and the vitality of character bestowed on every painted figure. Minoan stylistic conventions emphasized elasticity, spontaneity, and dynamic motion, while the colors and high-contrast patterns instill an elegant freshness to characters and nature scenes alike.

While the Egyptian painters of the time painted their wall paintings in the "dry-fresco" (fresco secco) technique, the Minoans utilized a "true" or "wet" painting method. Painting on wet plaster allowed the pigments of metal and mineral oxides to bind well to the wall, while it required quick execution. The nature of this technique allowed for a high degree of improvisation and spontaneity and introduced the element of chance into the final art. Since they had to work within the time constrains of the drying plaster, the painters had to be very skillful, and their fluid brush strokes translated into the graceful outlines that characterize minoan painting. For this reason, the true wet method of painting was most appropriate for the fluid moments of life and nature scenes that the Minoans favored, which contrasted sharply with the strict stylization and stereotyping typical of frescoes from other Mediterranean cultures of the same time. The figures of Minoan frescoes are depicted in natural poses of free movement that reflect the rigors of the activity they engage with, an attitude characteristic of a seafaring culture accustomed to freedom of movement, liquidity, and vigor.


Prince with Lillies aka Prince of Knossos (#F72)	Minoan Youth aka Cupbearers (#F55)
19 in. x 11 in. (48 cm x 29 cm)	9 1/2 in. x 12 in. (24 cm x 31 cm)
Price : $149.00	Price : $79.00


Minoan Youth aka Cupbearers (#F56)	Minoan Youth aka Cupbearers (#F57)
9 1/2 in. x 12 in. (24 cm x 31 cm)	9 1/2 in. x 12 in. (24 cm x 31 cm)
Price : $79.00	Price : $79.00


Minoan Priestesses (#F58)	Minoan Priestesses (#F59)
9 1/2 in. x 12 in. (24 cm x 31 cm)	9 1/2 in. x 12 in. (24 cm x 31 cm)
Price : $79.00	Price : $79.00

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