This is a list of
Minoan
The Minoan civilization was a Bronze Age culture which was centered on the island of Crete. Known for its monumental architecture and Minoan art, energetic art, it is often regarded as the first civilization in Europe. The ruins of the Minoan pa ...
,
Mycenaean, and related
fresco
Fresco ( or frescoes) is a technique of mural painting executed upon freshly laid ("wet") lime plaster. Water is used as the vehicle for the dry-powder pigment to merge with the plaster, and with the setting of the plaster, the painting become ...
s and quasi-frescos (not completed before the plaster dried) found at
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age () was a historical period characterised principally by the use of bronze tools and the development of complex urban societies, as well as the adoption of writing in some areas. The Bronze Age is the middle principal period of ...
archaeological sites on islands and in and around the shores of the
Aegean Sea
The Aegean Sea is an elongated embayment of the Mediterranean Sea between Europe and Asia. It is located between the Balkans and Anatolia, and covers an area of some . In the north, the Aegean is connected to the Marmara Sea, which in turn con ...
and other relevant places in the
Eastern Mediterranean
The Eastern Mediterranean is a loosely delimited region comprising the easternmost portion of the Mediterranean Sea, and well as the adjoining land—often defined as the countries around the Levantine Sea. It includes the southern half of Turkey ...
region. In cases where one civilization encroaches on another or a mixture of civilizations is present, both names are used. Though culturally rather different, the
Wall Paintings of Thera are regarded as part of
Minoan art
Minoan art is the art produced by the Bronze Age Aegean civilization, 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 grou ...
; all types form part of the wider grouping of
Aegean art.
These frescos were primarily
mural
A mural is any piece of Graphic arts, graphic artwork that is painted or applied directly to a wall, ceiling or other permanent substrate. Mural techniques include fresco, mosaic, graffiti and marouflage.
Word mural in art
The word ''mural'' ...
s, few of which survived on their walls. Rather, the majority of frescos were reconstructed from flakes of fallen plaster and stucco, especially in those from
Knossos
Knossos (; , ; Linear B: ''Ko-no-so'') is a Bronze Age archaeological site in Crete. The site was a major centre of the Minoan civilization and is known for its association with the Greek myth of Theseus and the minotaur. It is located on th ...
and other sites in
Crete
Crete ( ; , Modern Greek, Modern: , Ancient Greek, Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the List of islands by area, 88th largest island in the world and the List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area, fifth la ...
. Fortunately those from
Akrotiri have survived in more complete form. They are often not the originals, but are either facsimiles of originals, or reconstructions including the original fragments, often as little as 5% of the total area, with the rest added in modern times. Careful examination of the photos usually shows which areas are original. Often considerable artistic license has been exercised in the reconstruction. More than one reconstruction may exist, and more than one name has been assigned. The medium in all cases is plaster for interior walls, and stucco for exterior walls. Often exterior frescos were in relief. Frescos can never be dated more precisely than the period in which they were painted. No names of painters have survived from the Bronze Age. Due to the necessity for extensive restoration, individual styles are typically not discernible, except those of the restorers; however, some scholars have assigned a school or painter name to a name fresco. These are not generally accepted.
List
Further reading
*
*
External links
* {{cite web, title=Cretan Fresco Dates , year=2006 , author=pmnae , publisher=The Thera Foundation , url=http://www.therafoundation.org/articles/art/cretanfrescodates , url-status=dead , archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110914222544/http://www.therafoundation.org/articles/art/cretanfrescodates , archivedate=2011-09-14
Aegean frescos
Minoan frescos
Mycenaean Greece