Syllabus
1. Introduction to Aegean art
2. Minoan frescoes
3. Mycenaean frescoes
4. Aegean engraved vessels and rhyta
5. Aegean seals and sealings
6. Aegean ivory
7. Aegean faience and glass
8. Aegean idols and figurines
9. Decoration of Aegean pottery
10. The Charging bull of Knossos and the Lion Gate of Mycenae
11. Foreign influence and Aegean art in abroad
12. Iconographic methods - Case study: Symbols of Aegean art
13. Chronological overview of Aegean art and iconography
Annotation
Minoan Crete and Mycenaean Greece belong to cultures with the most sophisticated art of the Bronze Age. As such it is the oldest highly evolved art in Europe. In its complexity it is comparable to art of ancient Egypt or the
Near East. The aim of this course is to provide a thorough overview of the Bronze Age Aegean art and iconography. The first part of the course focusses on particularities of specific artistic media like frescoes, ivory, faience, and glyptic. The second part is dedicated to the context in which the pieces of art were discovered, but also to the discussion of foreign influences and to the application of some basic iconographic methods. Lessons will be presented with emphasis on diachronic changes in iconography which might be either specific to certain material or common to all the discussed media. In the end students should deepen their knowledge of the overall development of Aegean art. The course is suitable for archaeologists, art historians, as well as for anyone with interest in ancient cultures.