Frescoes from Akrotiri, Thera (Santorini) in the Cycladic Islands

[stlukesguild]

I have long been fond of ancient Greek painting... or what remains of it... especially that of the Minoans. If we assumed that ancient Greek painting would have been similar to ancient Greek sculpture we might have expected it to display the classical naturalism or realism akin to Renaissance painting. But most of what remains... whether in the form of the paintings on the ceramics:

... or the frescoes that have survived...

... are much more stylized... almost "modern". They seem to have far more in common with Matisse and Picasso than with Raphael... or even Praxiteles:

I just came upon a series of ancient Greek frescoes that I hadn't seen before. These were found in the House of Xeste, from Akrotiri, on the Cycladic island Thera (Santorini). There is a nice short video on these works:

Here are some of the paintings:

Personally, I find these paintings absolutely exquisite. The decorative elements, stylizations, and elegant use of line are absolutely delicious.

 

[snoball]

They are all great but I wonder if all were made from the same model. All drawings and paintings from this era have the same prominent, straight nose and the straight-on eye.

 

[stlukesguild]

Egyptian painting employs a similar stylization of the composite figure seen in profile with a frontal eye. It has been argued that this was owed to the fact that it was more difficult to draw a frontal view... especially of the feet... while the frontal eye is easier to render than the eye seen in profile.

 

[snoball]

Makes sense but still sounds like excuses.

 

[Hermes2020]

I like these ancient paintings very much and find their colour combinations of blue and ochre inspiring. Regarding this one:

I always thought it was from Knossos on Crete.

 

[Artyczar]

I think in every era there might have been an idealistic kind of beauty. You see this in different countries and times, like in Europe, the more rounded, hourglass figured women, to the 60-present American "Twiggys." Maybe there was a shape of the face in these ancient paintings where that was the case? Just guessing.

 

[stlukesguild]

I always thought it was from Knossos on Crete.

Yes, that is one from Knossos that I was already familiar with. I was just pointing out how the Greek paintings I already knew by the Minoans or on the ceramic pieces were so different from the naturalism of the ancient Greek sculpture.

 

[stlukesguild]

I just came upon this image on one of my social media feeds of Minoan ceramics from the same period: