![0020MAN-Akrotiri frescoes](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/26/0020MAN-Akrotiri_frescoes.jpg)
The wall paintings of ancient
Thera
Santorini ( el, Σαντορίνη, ), officially Thira (Greek language, Greek: Θήρα ) and classical Greek Thera (English language, English pronunciation ), is an island in the southern Aegean Sea, about 200 km (120 mi) southeast ...
are famous frescoes discovered by
Spyridon Marinatos
Spyridon Nikolaou Marinatos ( el, Σπυρίδων Νικολάου Μαρινάτος; November 4, 1901 – October 1, 1974) was a Greek archaeologist, best known for leading excavations at Akrotiri on Santorini (1967–74), where he died and i ...
at the excavations of
Akrotiri (prehistoric city)
Akrotiri (Greek: Ακρωτήρι, pronounced ) was a Cycladic Bronze Age settlement on the volcanic Greek island of Santorini (Thera).
The settlement was destroyed in the Theran eruption sometime in the 16th century BC and buried in volcanic a ...
on the Greek island of
Santorini
Santorini ( el, Σαντορίνη, ), officially Thira (Greek: Θήρα ) and classical Greek Thera (English pronunciation ), is an island in the southern Aegean Sea, about 200 km (120 mi) southeast from the Greek mainland. It is the ...
(or Thera). They are regarded as part of
Minoan art
Minoan art is the art produced by the Bronze Age Aegean Minoan civilization from about 3000 to 1100 BC, though the most extensive and finest survivals come from approximately 2300 to 1400 BC. It forms part of the wider grouping of Aegean art, ...
, although the culture of Thera was somewhat different from that of
Crete
Crete ( el, Κρήτη, translit=, Modern: , Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the 88th largest island in the world and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, Sardinia, Cyprus, and ...
, and the political relationship between the two islands at the time is unclear. They have the advantage of mostly being excavated in a more complete condition, still on their walls, than
Minoan painting
Minoan art is the art produced by the Bronze Age Aegean Minoan civilization from about 3000 to 1100 BC, though the most extensive and finest survivals come from approximately 2300 to 1400 BC. It forms part of the wider grouping of Aegean art, ...
s from
Knossos
Knossos (also Cnossos, both pronounced ; grc, Κνωσός, Knōsós, ; Linear B: ''Ko-no-so'') is the largest Bronze Age archaeological site on Crete and has been called Europe's oldest city.
Settled as early as the Neolithic period, the na ...
and other Cretan sites.
Most of the frescos are now in the
Prehistoric Museum of Thera
Prehistory, also known as pre-literary history, is the period of human history between the use of the first stone tools by hominins 3.3 million years ago and the beginning of recorded history with the invention of writing systems. The use of ...
on Santorini, or the
National Archaeological Museum of Athens
The National Archaeological Museum ( el, Εθνικό Αρχαιολογικό Μουσείο) in Athens houses some of the most important artifacts from a variety of archaeological locations around Greece from prehistory to late antiquity. It is ...
, which has several of the most complete and famous scenes.
Importance
Excavated from 1967 to 1974, the wall paintings provide a crucial window into Santorini's history, depicting the early Aegean world as a highly developed society. Of all the findings unearthed at Akrotiri, these frescoes constitute the most significant contribution to present-day knowledge of Aegean art and culture. In their technique, style, and thematic content, the paintings are invaluable objects of study for archaeologists, art historians, zoologists, botanists, and chemists. Originally displayed on the walls of ancient Theran houses, the paintings render ancient figures, customs and historical events.
Technique and palette
To prepare the stone walls of the buildings for frescoes, the walls were first covered with a mixture of mud and straw, then thinly coated with lime plaster and lastly layers of fine plaster. The palette of the paintings consists of white (from the lime plaster), red (derived from ferrous earths and haematite), yellow (from yellow ochre), blue (either Egyptian blue, purple, or possibly azurite), and mineral black. The ancient Theran artists made full use of their colors: yellow was used for the golden fur of lions or the skin of youths, and as a stand-in for light green for painted plants such as myrtle. Blue was used as a dark gray to indicate birds, animal pelts, fish scales, and the shaven heads of young figures. Deep blue was also used to suggest the deep green of ivy, papyrus, lily, reeds, and palm trees. White indicated the pale skin of female figures while red was used for the darker, sun-tanned skin of males.
Reproductions
3-D reproductions of the paintings were sponsored by th
Thera Foundationas a commission to Kodak Pathé of France. The Kodak Pathé technique has also been used in the reproductions of the
Lascaux
Lascaux ( , ; french: Grotte de Lascaux , "Lascaux Cave") is a network of caves near the village of Montignac, in the department of Dordogne in southwestern France. Over 600 parietal wall paintings cover the interior walls and ceilings of ...
cave paintings and the Tomb of
Sennefer
The ancient Egyptian noble Sennefer was "Mayor of the City" (i.e. Thebes) and "Overseer of the Granaries and Fields, Gardens and Cattle of Amun" during the reign of Amenhotep II of the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt. Being a favourite of the king ...
.
Exhibitions
Past
• Hildesheim, Germany at Roemer and Pelizaeus museums (1993): "Egyptian-Minoan Relations"
• Vienna, Austria at the Vienna City Museum (1994): "Pharaohs and Foreigners, Dynasties in the Dark"
• Paris, France at Salon International de Musées et de Exposicion SIME (1994)
• Santorini, Greece at the Petros M. Nomikos Conference Center (1997): "First International Symposium on the Wall Paintings of Thira"
• Paris, France (1999 - 2000): "Europe in the Time of Ulysses, Gods and Heroes of the Bronze Age"
Present
The reproductions are currently on display at
Santozeum, a museum in Santorini that doubles as a private residence. The reproductions are featured on the house's inner walls, presented as they were intended to be viewed in antiquity, as interior embellishments for Aegean homes.
Further reading
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References
{{Reflist
External links
Wall Paintings of Thera - The Thera FoundationSantozeum
Ancient Greek painting
Minoan frescos