DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.807#0590
M. M. Ill: MINOAN FRESCO: WALL PAINTINGS, ETC. 547
resulted in the reconstruction of the upper part of what was clearly a group of Restored
seated ladies (Fig. 397). They are of natural size, and anticipate in their pose fr™p
and expressive gestures those of the ' Miniature Frescoes ' to be described in Knossos:
■% • Ti • 1 The
a succeeding Section. I heir bosoms are open and they wear blue short-sleeved 1 Ladies
bodices with rich embroidery. Their wrists, necks, and tresses are bejewelled, m Blue '
and the action of one of the hands, shown nearly life size in Fig. 398, which
is seen fingering the beads of a necklace, and of another, apparently about
to grasp the border of her neighbour's dress, sufficiently suggests the
subject of their conversation. The 'Jewel Fresco', illustrated in Fig. 383
above, showing a man's fingers adjusting a lady's necklace, is a variant
of the same theme. The fine outlines of the arms and hands on these frescoes
seen against the white ground again curiously recall the beautiful designs
on white Athenian lekythoi. The ' Ladies in Blue ' convey the impression of
a nobler and less mannered execution than that seen in the case of the
Miniature groups, and, inferentially, may be taken to belong to a somewhat
earlier artistic phase.
These works, which so far as the human form is concerned, must be
regarded as the most exquisite products of the Knossian limner's art, are
shown by the examples executed for the small Early Palace of Phylakopi strati-
to be of the same date as the fish frescoes. Works of this school gr?Phlc
had already made their appearance at Melos at some time anterior to the of date
catastrophe of the building in which they were found, which itself, as the lakop?. 5
vessels found on its original floor-level demonstrate, must have taken place
at the end of M. M. III.
Vases showing L. M. I influence were in fact found in a higher and later
stratum above the floors of the Pillar Crypts on which these frescoes lay.1
We have here an exceptionally precise clue to the date of this whole allied
group of wall-paintings.
An interesting feature both in the border decoration of the dresses in
this group of frescoes, and in the contemporary designs from Phylakopi,
details of the coiffures are conjectural, but they 1 The date of the final catastrophe of the
are here reproduced as giving unity to the com- Pillar Rooms at Phylakopi is ceramically equated
position. Another set of fragments put together with the 'bird-vases' described below (p. 557),
by Mr. Droop show part of the bosom, jacket, and contemporary with the imported exam-
and right forearm of another female figure be- pies found in the Temple Repositories at
longing to a similar group. In contrast to the Knossos (See Mackenzie, Phylakopi, p. 262).
' Ladies in Bluethe prevailing colour of the This would imply that the date of the struc-
dress was here yellow, turned to a deep ruddy tures themselves and of their painted stucco
hue by severe burning. The original decoration decoration goes back to the earlier phase of
in this case was red on the yellow ground. M. M. III.
N n 2
resulted in the reconstruction of the upper part of what was clearly a group of Restored
seated ladies (Fig. 397). They are of natural size, and anticipate in their pose fr™p
and expressive gestures those of the ' Miniature Frescoes ' to be described in Knossos:
■% • Ti • 1 The
a succeeding Section. I heir bosoms are open and they wear blue short-sleeved 1 Ladies
bodices with rich embroidery. Their wrists, necks, and tresses are bejewelled, m Blue '
and the action of one of the hands, shown nearly life size in Fig. 398, which
is seen fingering the beads of a necklace, and of another, apparently about
to grasp the border of her neighbour's dress, sufficiently suggests the
subject of their conversation. The 'Jewel Fresco', illustrated in Fig. 383
above, showing a man's fingers adjusting a lady's necklace, is a variant
of the same theme. The fine outlines of the arms and hands on these frescoes
seen against the white ground again curiously recall the beautiful designs
on white Athenian lekythoi. The ' Ladies in Blue ' convey the impression of
a nobler and less mannered execution than that seen in the case of the
Miniature groups, and, inferentially, may be taken to belong to a somewhat
earlier artistic phase.
These works, which so far as the human form is concerned, must be
regarded as the most exquisite products of the Knossian limner's art, are
shown by the examples executed for the small Early Palace of Phylakopi strati-
to be of the same date as the fish frescoes. Works of this school gr?Phlc
had already made their appearance at Melos at some time anterior to the of date
catastrophe of the building in which they were found, which itself, as the lakop?. 5
vessels found on its original floor-level demonstrate, must have taken place
at the end of M. M. III.
Vases showing L. M. I influence were in fact found in a higher and later
stratum above the floors of the Pillar Crypts on which these frescoes lay.1
We have here an exceptionally precise clue to the date of this whole allied
group of wall-paintings.
An interesting feature both in the border decoration of the dresses in
this group of frescoes, and in the contemporary designs from Phylakopi,
details of the coiffures are conjectural, but they 1 The date of the final catastrophe of the
are here reproduced as giving unity to the com- Pillar Rooms at Phylakopi is ceramically equated
position. Another set of fragments put together with the 'bird-vases' described below (p. 557),
by Mr. Droop show part of the bosom, jacket, and contemporary with the imported exam-
and right forearm of another female figure be- pies found in the Temple Repositories at
longing to a similar group. In contrast to the Knossos (See Mackenzie, Phylakopi, p. 262).
' Ladies in Bluethe prevailing colour of the This would imply that the date of the struc-
dress was here yellow, turned to a deep ruddy tures themselves and of their painted stucco
hue by severe burning. The original decoration decoration goes back to the earlier phase of
in this case was red on the yellow ground. M. M. III.
N n 2