Beloved Local Favorite: The “Atalanta Lekythos”

-The so-called "Atlanta Lekythos" a ceramic funerary oil jug, c. 500-490 BC, Greek, Attic, attributed to Douris

Even as a freshman in art school... a good number of years ago... only just beginning to seriously explore art and art history, I found this lovely vase to be absolutely exquisite. The elegant linear patterns and delicate figures recall Minoan paintings... 

... and seem a precursor... if not a premonition of Matisse’ and Picasso's "classical" linear works... 

The “Atalanta Lekythos” alludes to the tale of Atalanta and Hippomenes (or Meilanion): Atalanta was the daughter of King Iasus of Argos, and a Boeotian (or Arcadian) princess. King Iasus wanted a son, and so when Atalanta was born, he left her on a mountaintop to die. Some stories say that a she-bear suckled and cared for Atalanta until hunters found and raised her, and she learned to fight and hunt as a bear would. She was later reunited with her father.

-The Barberini Atalanta, Greek Original or Roman Copy

Having grown up in the wilderness, Atalanta became a fierce hunter and was always happy. She took an oath of virginity to the goddess Artemis.

When Artemis was forgotten at a sacrifice by King Oineus, she was angered and sent the Calydonian Boar, a wild boar that ravaged the land, men, and cattle and prevented crops from being sown. Atalanta joined Meleager and many other famous heroes on a hunt for the boar. Many of the men were angry that a woman was joining them, but Meleager, though married, lusted for Atalanta, and so he persuaded them to include her. Several of the men were killed before Atalanta became the first to hit the boar and draw blood. After Meleager finally killed the boar with his spear, he awarded the hide to Atalanta. Meleager’s uncles, Plexippus and Toxeus, were angry and tried to take the skin from her. In revenge, Meleager killed his uncles. Wild with grief, Meleager's mother Althaea threw a charmed log on the fire, which consumed Meleager's life as it burned. It kindled at once, and she watched it as it blazed up brightly. Then it began to turn into ashes, and as the last spark died out, the noble Meleager, who was walking by the side of Atalanta, dropped to the ground dead. When they carried the news to Althea she said not a word, for then she knew what she had done, and her heart was broken. She turned silently away and went to her own room. When the king came home a few minutes later, he found her dead.

- Death of Meleager, Roman, 2nd century AD

Atalanta went back to her old home among the mountains of Arcadia. She was still the swift-footed huntress, and she was never so happy as when in the green woods wandering among the trees or chasing the wild deer. All the world had heard about her, however; and the young heroes in the lands nearest to Arcadia did nothing else but talk about her beauty and her grace and her swiftness of foot and her courage. Of course every one of these young fellows wanted her to become his wife; and she might have been a queen any day if she had only said the word, for the richest king in Greece would have been glad to marry her. But she cared nothing for any of the young men, and she liked the freedom of the green woods better than all the fine things she might have had in a palace. Atalanta's father wanted her to be married, but Atalanta, uninterested in marriage, agreed to marry only if her suitors could outrun her in a footrace. Those who lost would lose their heads. Many suitors turned away... yet many more still died in the attempt... until Hippomenes came along. Hippomenes asked the goddess Aphrodite for help, and she gave him three golden apples in order to slow Atalanta down. The apples were irresistible. When all was ready for the race, Atalanta tried again to persuade Hippomenes not to run, for she also took pity on him. “I’ll be sure to overtake you,” she said. “All right!” said Hippomenes, and away he sped; but he had the three golden apples in his pocket. Atalanta gave him a good start, and then she followed after, as swift as an arrow shot from the bow. Hippomenes was not a very fast runner, and it would not be hard for her to overtake him. She thought that she would let him get almost to the goal, for she really pitied him. He heard her coming close behind him; he heard her quick breath as she gained on him very fast. Then he threw one of the golden apples over his shoulder. If there was anything in the world that Atalanta admired, it was a bright stone or a pretty piece of yellow gold. As the first apple fell to the ground she saw how beautiful it was, and she stopped to pick it up; and while she was doing this, Hippomenes gained a good many paces. But what of that? In a minute she was as close behind him as ever. And yet, she really did pity him.

“I’ll be sure to overtake you,” she said. “All right!” said Hippomenes, and away he sped; but he had the three golden apples in his pocket. Atalanta gave him a good start, and then she followed after, as swift as an arrow shot from the bow. Hippomenes was not a very fast runner, and it would not be hard for her to overtake him. She thought that she would let him get almost to the goal, for she really pitied him. He heard her coming close behind him; he heard her quick breath as she gained on him very fast. Then he threw one of the golden apples over his shoulder. If there was anything in the world that Atalanta admired, it was a bright stone or a pretty piece of yellow gold. As the first apple fell to the ground she saw how beautiful it was, and she stopped to pick it up...

-Guido Reni- Atalanta and Hippomenes, 1612 

... and while she was doing this, Hippomenes gained a good many paces. But what of that? In a minute she was as close behind him as ever. And yet, she really did pity him. Just then Hippomenes threw the second apple over his shoulder. It was handsomer and larger than the first, and Atalanta could not bear the thought of allowing some one else to get it. So she stopped to pick it up from among the long grass, where it had fallen. It took somewhat longer to find it than she had expected, and when she looked up again Hippomenes was a hundred feet ahead of her. But that was no matter. She could easily overtake him. And yet, how she did pity the foolish young man! Hippomenes heard her speeding like the wind behind him. He took the third apple and threw it over to one side of the path where the ground sloped towards the river. Atalanta’s quick eye saw that it was far more beautiful than either of the others. If it were not picked up at once it would roll down into the deep water and be lost, and that would never do. She turned aside from her course and ran after it. It was easy enough to overtake the apple, but while she was doing so Hippomenes gained upon her again. He was almost to the goal. How she strained every muscle now to overtake him! But, after all, she felt that she did not care very much. He was the handsomest young man that she had ever seen, and he had given her three golden apples. It would be a great pity if he should have to die. And so she let him reach the goal first. In this way, Hippomenes won the footrace and came to marry Atalanta.

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In the “Atalanta Lekythos”, Atalanta wears a long, transparent but beautifully bordered robe, the hem of which she daintily lifts with her left hand to facilitate her running. She is chased by three individualized Erotes... winged gods associated with love and sex... each carrying ornate tendrils and one a garland as well. Atalanta glances back over her shoulder toward the well-muscled Eros, who stretches to overtake her. Eros is taunting Atalanta with the alternatives of Love should she decide to lose her race. Perhaps the Erotes allude to the three apples that will spell her "downfall" in her race with Hippomenes.

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I have long associated the Atalanta Lekythos with Keat's Ode to a Grecian Urn... which I was likely first introduced to around the same time in my college World Lit Survey courses: Thou still unravish'd bride of quietness, Thou foster-child of silence and slow time, Sylvan historian, who canst thus express A flowery tale more sweetly than our rhyme: What leaf-fring'd legend haunts about thy shape Of deities or mortals, or of both, In Tempe or the dales of Arcady? What men or gods are these? What maidens loth? What mad pursuit? What struggle to escape? What pipes and timbrels? What wild ecstasy? Heard melodies are sweet, but those unheard Are sweeter; therefore, ye soft pipes, play on; Not to the sensual ear, but, more endear'd, Pipe to the spirit ditties of no tone: Fair youth, beneath the trees, thou canst not leave Thy song, nor ever can those trees be bare; Bold Lover, never, never canst thou kiss, Though winning near the goal yet, do not grieve; She cannot fade, though thou hast not thy bliss, For ever wilt thou love, and she be fair! Ah, happy, happy boughs! that cannot shed Your leaves, nor ever bid the Spring adieu; And, happy melodist, unwearied, For ever piping songs for ever new; More happy love! more happy, happy love! For ever warm and still to be enjoy'd, For ever panting, and for ever young; All breathing human passion far above, That leaves a heart high-sorrowful and cloy'd, A burning forehead, and a parching tongue. Who are these coming to the sacrifice? To what green altar, O mysterious priest, Lead'st thou that heifer lowing at the skies, And all her silken flanks with garlands drest? What little town by river or sea shore, Or mountain-built with peaceful citadel, Is emptied of this folk, this pious morn? And, little town, thy streets for evermore Will silent be; and not a soul to tell Why thou art desolate, can e'er return. O Attic shape! Fair attitude! with brede Of marble men and maidens overwrought, With forest branches and the trodden weed; Thou, silent form, dost tease us out of thought As doth eternity: Cold Pastoral! When old age shall this generation waste, Thou shalt remain, in midst of other woe Than ours, a friend to man, to whom thou say'st, "Beauty is truth, truth beauty,—that is all Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know." Keats' poem and the “Atlanta Lekythos” both seem ever linked in my mind... and ever in the back of my mind as an example of the Latin aphorism , Ars longa, vita brevis. The final two lines of Keats' poem... after all... are in many ways... among the central foundation of my aesthetic views... my embrace of beauty. 

Floral Fireworks: Jan van Huysum

Not long ago I posted a thread exploring the sensual/sensory delights to be found in the details of certain old master paintings illustrating the fashions of the time: silks and satins and lace and taffeta and brocades of golden thread:

https://tmblr.co/ZWG98r2FTraHg

Today... on my Pinterest feed... I stumbled upon a series of details of the floral paintings of the Dutch Baroque painter, Jan van Huysum  (15 April 1682 – 8 February 1749). These floral fireworks are every bit as spectacular as the painted fabrics of my earlier post.

Spectacular! And each of these details might stand on its own as a painting.

Abraham Manievich

Abraham A. Manievich (Abram Manevich) was a Ukrainian and American artist. He was born in Mstsislaw, Belarus in 1881 and studied art at the Kyiv Art School from 1901 to 1905. In 1909-10 he had a solo exhibition at the Kiev City Museum, and the Museum went on to acquire one of his works for their permanent collection. From 1910-1913 he traveled to Italy, Switzeland, and eventually, France, then the center of Modernism in painting.

When Abraham Manievich arrived in Paris in March 1912, he brought with him a group of paintings that became the centrepiece of his solo show at Galerie Durand-Ruel in 1913.  Many of these works had been painted in the preceding years in his native Ukraine and during his travels. The landscape seen through an arabesque of trees is a hallmark of Manievich expressionistic paintings.

The writer, Maxim Gorky was among Manievich' friends and admirers.

Manievich lived in Moscow from 1916 to 1917 before returning to the Ukraine, where he taught at the Ukrainian Academy of Fine Arts.

In 1921, he immigrated to the United States.

Manievich’ American paintings combine elements of the American landscape and cityscape that often recall paintings by Charles Burchfield, Thomas Hart Benton, Raphael Soyer, Grant Wood and even Edward Hopper with a European Modernism suggestive of Van Gogh, Chaim Soutine, and the landscapes of Egon Schiele. 

Manievich died in the Bronx in 1942.

His work is included in the National Art Museum of Ukraine.

Xipe Totec

- Mexico, Nahua culture, c. 900-1200 AD

I recently stumbled upon this fabulous ceramic figure of the Aztec god, Xipe Totec, a life-death-rebirth deity, god of agriculture, vegetation, the east, disease, spring, goldsmiths, silversmiths, liberation and the seasons.

Xipe Totec connected agricultural renewal with warfare. He flayed himself to give food to humanity, symbolic of the way maize seeds lose their outer layer before germination and of snakes shedding their skin. Without his skin, he was depicted as a golden god. Xipe Totec was believed by the Aztecs to be the god that invented war. His insignia included the pointed cap and rattle staff, which was the war attire for the Mexica emperor. He had a temple called Yopico within the Great Temple of Tenochtitlan. Xipe Totec is associated with inflammation, and eye diseases, and possibly plague. -Wikipedia 

- Xipe Totec, Central Veracruz, Mexico c. 1450-1500

I find these first two Xipe Totec figures with their hard masks... like Jason in the Friday the 13th series... to be the most intriguing... but there are any number of other Xipe Totec figures:

-Xipe Totec, Veracruz, Mexico c. 600-900 AD

Xipe Totec,  Mexico, Basin of Mexico c. 1400-1521

The Devil is in the Details

Upon Julia's Clothes

Whenas in silks my Julia goes, Then, then (methinks) how sweetly flows That liquefaction of her clothes.

Next, when I cast mine eyes, and see That brave vibration each way free, O how that glittering taketh me!

-Robert Herrick

-Charles Joseph Frédéric Soulacroix

The poet, Robert Herrick, was certainly not alone in recognizing the fascination... the seduction... to be found in the sensuous details of fashion... lace and tulle and velvet and satin. 

Painters such as Rubens, Titian, Veronese, Velazquez, Rembrandt, Boucher, and Ingres understood that nudity depends on contrast for maximum impact. They recognized that an abundance of fur... often a surrogate for that which could not be represented... or a bracelet clasping a plump arm, would enhance the suggestion of bare flesh. 

-Thomas Gainsborough

-Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres

-Charles Joseph Frédéric Soulacroix

-Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres

-Charles Joseph Frédéric Soulacroix

-Franz Xaver Winterhalter

I’ve always found there to be a sort of irony involved with the tied-in-the-wool Modernists who could swear that the drips and splashes and swooping brushstrokes of an abstract painting were enough to enthrall the eye in and of themselves. And yet, at the same time they failed to appreciate the similar delicious play of texture... of dancing and swirling brushstrokes that might be found in paintings of the old masters... and even in those of many of the “academic” painters they so reviled. 

 -Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez

-Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes

-Thomas Gainsborough

-John Singer Sargent

-Henri Regnault

-John Singer Sargent

-Rembrandt

A Sweet Disorder

A SWEET disorder in the dress Kindles in clothes a wantonness:— A lawn about the shoulders thrown Into a fine distractión,— An erring lace, which here and there       Enthrals the crimson stomacher,— A cuff neglectful, and thereby Ribbands to flow confusedly,— A winning wave, deserving note, In the tempestuous petticoat,—         A careless shoe-string, in whose tie I see a wild civility,— Do more bewitch me, than when art Is too precise in every part.

-Robert Herrick

-Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez

-Charles Joseph Frédéric Soulacroix

-Anton Raphael Mengs

-Gabriel Metsu

-Rembrandt

-Frans van der Mijn

-John Singer Sargent

The Book of Wonders

I have long been a bibliophile... or rather a bibliomaniac. I have followed any number of websites and blogs devoted to the art of the book... yet I have never stumbled upon this marvelous illuminated manuscript until today. 

The so-called “Book of Wonders” is an illuminated manuscript written in Persian... or rather it is actually incomplete parts of 2 works, bound together, the first being an abbreviated section of Haiyat al-Haiyawan حَياة الْحَيوان الكُبرى or Lives of the Animals, by Muhammad Ibn Musa Kamal Ad-din Al-Damiri (1341-1405) and the second  second part of the manuscript consisting of extravagantly illustrated extracts from the ‘Wonders of the Seven Seas’ section of ‘Aja’ib al-makhluqat wa-ghara’ib al-mawjudat (Marvels of Things Created and Miraculous Aspects of Things Existing) by Abu Yahya Zakariya ibn Muhammad ibn Mahmud-al-Qazwini (ca. 1203-1283 CE), known as al-Qazwini. The manuscript resides in the Special Collections of the University of St Andrews, Scottland. I’ll employ the comments from the curator of St, Andrews to describe this book in greater detail:

We have always referred to this manuscript (St Andrews ms32(o)) as the ‘book of wonders’ and indeed wondered what it was all about as it is lavishly and confusingly illustrated, packed with mysterious monsters and people doing strange things, but as it is written in Persian we could never be certain what it was all about. Now I have had the help of an Iranian student, Fatemeh Salimi, to try to make sense of it. While an Islamic art historian could tell a lot more about the images that I can, the illustrations are so fabulous that they are worth reproducing here even if I haven’t got their interpretation quite right.

The manuscript is actually incomplete parts of 2 works, bound together, the first being an abbreviated section of Haiyat al-Haiyawan حَياة الْحَيوان الكُبرى or Lives of the Animals, by Muhammad Ibn Musa Kamal Ad-din Al-Damiri (1341-1405). It is a compilation of works by many authors on the 931 animals mentioned in the Qur’an, including folklore, proverbs, lawfulness of hunting and eating, medical uses and meaning of names, the interpretation of dreams about each animal, and often a quirky miniature painting of one or many of the creatures in question. Some are recognisable, such as the foxes, cats, dogs, rabbits and goats; advice on pigeon keeping (doocot); the circle of elephants depicts the attack on Mecca by Abraha, king of Yemen, around 570, who brought his war elephants intending to destroy the Kaaba. The hoopoe, or huh-hud in Persian, introduced King Solomon to the Queen of Sheba and represents virtue. The snake wrapped around the world was evicted from paradise and can never be trusted.

Others are clearly imaginary or exist only in Muslim tradition, such as al-burāq, the famous mount with human face, horse’s mane, peacock tail and camel’s feet on which Muhammad ascended to heaven; the simurgh, a mythical bird with the head of a dog and lion’s claws; and the jinns with wings or with elephant, cat and rabbit heads.

The second part of the manuscript consists of extravagantly illustrated extracts from the ‘Wonders of the Seven Seas’ section of ‘Aja’ib al-makhluqat wa-ghara’ib al-mawjudat (Marvels of Things Created and Miraculous Aspects of Things Existing) by Abu Yahya Zakariya ibn Muhammad ibn Mahmud-al-Qazwini (ca. 1203-1283 CE), known as al-Qazwini. This cosmography was originally written in Arabic but often translated into Persian and Turkish and numerous manuscripts survive. The complete work deals with the heavenly sphere, combining astrology with astomony; then the earthly sphere and the 4 elements that make it up. Here we have only the section on wonders of the seas and seashores, showing the diverse and exotic inhabitants of many islands throughout the China and Indian seas. Island may also refer to a geographical region or feature rather than actually meaning island. Many of the seas and islands feature mythical giant birds, dragons, and curious hybrid creatures, fish with heads of owls or hedgehogs, a fish-rabbit and various animals with human heads. The animal-headed creatures are probably jinns or demons who lived in remote places such as islands, mountains and sea shores. There are kings, palaces, shrines, ships and beautiful women in the king’s harem on some islands, or available to buy on others. Other islands feature merchants, artisans, and bearded natives. One real named island is Cyprus – others may be real or imaginary.

Both works are compendia of what was known at the time, drawn from Greek, Roman and Islamic scholarship, with little original research by the compilers, but were very popular and helped to transmit the received wisdom of the times to later Islamic and Western academics.

Although the manuscript is in Persian, it was created and illustrated in India, probably in the 18th century – it bears no date or names of the copyist or artist. The style of illustrations and design of the 2 manuscripts are very similar and so probably came from the same artist’s workshop – perhaps the artist died or was not paid for any more work and the manuscripts were sold off as unfinished and incomplete. The texts may have been selected to bring to a Western audience, accounting for their partial nature, but not for their unfinished state. Whatever the reason for the volume being created, its wonderful drawings and paintings repay detailed study.

-Maia Sheridan

St. Andrews’ webpage on The Book of Wonders:

https://standrewsrarebooks.wordpress.com/2013/07/01/52-weeks-of-inspiring-illustrations-week-50-the-book-of-wonders/

Neolithic figurine, over 7,000 years old, unearthed at Turkey’s Çatalhöyük

Achaeologists at Turkey's neolithic site of Çatalhöyük in central Anatolia have unearthed a "unique" complete female figurine, The Ministry of Culture and Tourism said on Tuesday.The statuette, measuring 17 centimeters (6.7 inches) long and weighing one kilogram (2.2 pounds), is considered unique due to its intact form and fine craftsmanship; it dates back to about 5500-8000 BC, a statement said.The figurine, which is made of marmoreal stone and considered to be part of a ritual, was discovered by the international team of archaeologists working on site led by Professor Ian Hodder, anthropologist at Stanford University in the U.S.

One of the world's first urban centers which dates back 9,000 years, Çatalhöyük is included in the 2012 UNESCO World Heritage List.

"Çatalhöyük has been the subject of investigation for more than 50 years. Researchers from around the world have travelled to the site over the past half-century to study its vast landscape of buildings, remarkable ways of life, and its many exquisite works of art and craft.

"Since 1993, the Catalhoyuk Research Project has recruited an international group of specialists to pioneer new archaeological, conservation and curatorial methods on and off site. Simultaneously, it aims to advance our understandings of human life in the past," according to the official website.

Forgotten Artists: Rosso Fiorentino

In 1527 Rome was sacked by 34,000 Imperial troops who had mutinied and forced their commander, Charles III, Duke of Bourbon to lead them towards Rome. The troops were part of the forces under Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor then in conflict with the in League of Cognac, an alliance of France, Milan, Venice, Florence and the Papacy against the Empire. Duke Charles was fatally wounded in the assault, allegedly shot by Benvenuto Cellini. The Duke was wearing his famous white cloak to mark him out to his troops, but it also had the unintended consequence of pointing him out as the leader to his enemies. The death of the last respected command authority among the Imperial army caused any restraint in the soldiers to disappear, and they easily captured the walls of Rome the same day. Philibert of Châlon took command of the armies, but he was not as popular or feared, leaving him with little authority. One of the Swiss Guard's most notable hours occurred at this time. Almost the entire guard was massacred by Imperial troops on the steps of St Peter's Basilica. Of 189 guards on duty only the 42 who accompanied the pope survived, but the bravery of the rearguard ensured that Pope Clement VII escaped to safety. After the brutal execution of some 1,000 defenders of the Papal capital and shrines, the pillage began. Churches and monasteries, as well as the palaces of prelates and cardinals, were looted and destroyed. Even pro-Imperial cardinals had to pay to save their properties from the rampaging soldiers. After three days of ravages, Philibert ordered the sack to cease, but few obeyed. In the meantime, Clement remained a prisoner in Castel Sant'Angelo. Francesco Maria della Rovere and Michele Antonio of Saluzzo arrived with troops on 1 June in Monterosi, north of the city. Their cautious behaviour prevented them from obtaining an easy victory against the now totally undisciplined Imperial troops. The population of Rome dropped from some 55,000 before the attack, to a meagre 10,000. An estimated 6,000 to 12,000 people were murdered. Many Imperial soldiers also died in the following months (they remained in the city until February 1528) from diseases caused by the large number of unburied dead bodies in the city. The pillage only ended when, after eight months, the food ran out, there was no one left to ransom and plague appeared. This event marked the end of the Roman Renaissance. In combination with the equally jarring crises of Copernicus' challenge to the model of the universe, and the Protestant reformation, many artists began to revolt against the Renaissance. They often employed an inversion of the key elements of Renaissance art. An emphasis upon primary colors became and emphasis on secondary and shock colors. Naturalism became artificial distortion. Clarity of form became spatial ambiguity. Symmetry and a central focal point frequently became asymmetry and a central void. It has been suggested that these inversions of Renaissance elements were intended as a rejection of the Renaissance artist's support of the imperial aspirations of the Church and the Pope. One of the finest of the Mannerists... and an artist I rarely hear mentioned here... or elsewhere... was Rosso Fiorentino (Giovanni Battista di Jacopo: 1494/95-1540). The nick-name "Rosso" (red) came about due to the artist's flaming red hair. Rosso's oeuvre is rather small in scale. Among his better known works are the paintings: Moses Defending the Daughters of Jethro:

... and the angel that shows up on endless Christmas cards:

The work generally accepted as Rosso's masterpiece is the Deposition (or Descent from the Cross):

This painting brilliantly illustrates the Mannerist inversion of Renaissance elements. The figures are organized around the edges of the painting leaving a central void... a focal point on Christ's feet. The color harmonies are predominantly red and green (especially Christ's greenish body). The figures are unnaturally elongated... and seem almost hatched out of stone:

All of these elements succeed in creating a powerful expressionistic image that conveys the Angst and Horror of the scene. My favorite, of Rosso's paintings, however, is the Pieta (top of this post). This painting employs an even greater "expressionist" distortion of both the human figure and the space. I'm reminded of the horror vacui or fear of emptiness of Medieval painting and sculpture. Even as cramped as this painting is, all the figures spiral around the void beneath Christ's arm. The red-green harmony is even greater here and suggests the warmth of Titian's paintings.

Forgotten Masters: Pietro da Rimini

I just stumbled upon a feed to the paintings in the Basilica di San Nicola da Tolentino recently attributed to Pietro da Rimini c. 1310-1325. The paintings illustrate events from the life of San (Saint) Nicola da Tolentino. The paintings are absolutely spectacular:

The Garden of Earthly Delights by Jheronimus Bosch:

An Online Interactive Adventure

https://tuinderlusten-jheronimusbosch.ntr.nl/en

Minoan Painting

As one enamored with decorative painting, I cannot help but admire the work of the ancient Minoans. The Minoan civilization was an Aegean Bronze Age civilization that arose on the island of Crete and other Aegean islands such as Santorini and flourished from approximately 2600 to 1400 BC. It was rediscovered at the beginning of the 20th century through the work of British archaeologist Arthur Evans. Will Durant referred to it as "the first link in the European chain."

The Minoans were primarily a mercantile people engaged in overseas trade. As such it should not be surprising that Minoan art often featured the flora and fauna of the oceans upon which they depended.  Natural subjects included flowers such as lilies, irises, crocuses, roses, and also plants such as ivy and reeds, as well as octopus, dolphins, fish, sea shells, choral, etc... Indeed, the Minoans were one of the earliest cultures to paint natural landscapes without any humans present in the scene; such was their admiration of nature.

Of course Minoan art also included imagery of various religious rituals... such as the priestess or goddess charming snakes:

... and the painting of a young prince:

There are also paintings of fantastic mythological creatures... such as a griffin:

... or an octopus stylized almost to the point of pure abstraction:

There are also paintings of sporting events such as boxing and bull-leaping:

The overwhelming impression given by Minoan art is that of sheer joy in fluid, naturalistic  movement and graceful forms represented in an elegant stylized manner. Although the Egyptians did not use true fresco, some of the colour conventions of their architectural painting were adopted by the Minoans such as the red skin tones for male figures.

Later Egyptian paintings, especially those of the Amarna Period (14th century BCE) suggest elements borrowed in return from the Minoans... especially the fluidity of linear movement...

... and the focus upon the natural world of flora and fauna:

There may even have been an influence upon the paintings of the Etruscans:

The joie de vivre, the elegant abstraction of form and fluid movement, the embrace of pattern, and the love of nature found in Minoan painting reminds me of no art so much as that of Henri Matisse:

Considering the marvelous decorative works of the Minoans, Will Durant’s suggestion that they were "the first link in the European chain," does not appear that great of an exaggeration. 

Forgotten Artist: Anne-François-Louis Janmot

-Rays of the Sun

Anne-François-Louis Janmot (21 May 1814 – 1 June 1892) was a French painter and poet. Janmot was born in Lyon of Catholic parents who were deeply religious. He was extremely moved by the death of his brother in 1823 and his sisters in 1829. He became a student at the Royal College of Lyon where he met Frederic Ozanam and other followers of his philosophy professor, Abbe Noirot. In 1831 he was admitted to the École des Beaux-Arts de Lyon and a year later, he won the highest honor, the Golden Laurel. In 1833, he came to Paris to take painting lessons from Victor Orsel and Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres. With other Lyon painters, he entered the Society of St. Vincent de Paul.

-Generation Divine

-First Communion

-Passage of the Soul

After his return to Lyon in 1836, Janmot would attract the attention of critics of the Salon de Paris in conducting large-scale paintings with religious inspiration such as The Resurrection of the son of the widow of Nain (1839) or Christ in Gethsemane (1840). He attracted the interest of Charles Baudelaire with his painting Flower of the Fields that allowed him to access to the Salon of 1846. Theophile Gautier was impressed by his Portrait of Lacordaire (1846).

In December 1855 he married Leonie Saint-Paulet, from a noble family in Carpentras.

-Angel and the Mother

-Spring

-Memories of Heaven

-The Paternal Home 

His most significant work was an epic cycle of 18 paintings and 16 drawings, with verse, called Poem of the Soul, which occupied him for 40 years. The failure of the first paintings from the Poem of the Soul at the Universal Exhibition of 1855 greatly disappointed him.

-The Dark Path

-Nightmare

-The Grain of Wheat

-Virginity

Janmot moved to Paris in 1861 after having been promised a commission for the Church of St. Augustine, but this project was abandoned three years later. In experiencing significant family and financial problems, Janmot accepted a professorship at the Dominican School of Arcueil. At that time, in his home in Bagneux, he made many portraits of the members of his family. After the birth of her seventh child in August 1870, his wife died in Bagneux.

-The Golden Ladder

-On the Mountain

-Evening

-The Flight of the Soul

-The Ideal

-Reality

Faced with family and increasing financial problems, Janmot came to Toulon where he largely lived a retired life. There he completed the second part of the Poem of the Soul which was published by the industrialist, Félix Thiollier. In 1885, Janmot married a former student, Antoinette Currat, and returned to Lyon. At this time, Janmot made a series of large charcoal drawings on the theme of the underworld which can be regarded as a kind of continuation of the Poem of the Soul:

He died in 1892.

Janmot has been seen as a transitional figure between Romanticism and Symbolism, prefiguring the French part of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood; his work was admired by Puvis de Chavannes, Odilon Redon, and Maurice Denis.

Like Jean-Hippolyte Flandrin, another painter from Lyon and student of Ingres, Janmot carried out many commissions for church decorations. In his paintings the immaculate finish of Ingres was combined with a mysticism that has parallels in the work of his contemporaries the Nazarenes (in Germany) and the Pre-Raphaelites (in England).