Reproduction of the "Great S-spiral frieze" fresco

Emile Gilliéron

ca. 1400–1200 BCE · watercolor on paper · Greek and Roman Art

Excavated 1884 west of the Great Forecourt of the Tiryns palace. Ornamental spiral friezes have a long history in Minoan art. The version seen here with alternating up-and-down spirals and fan-shaped papyrus lotus blossoms became the favored ornate band frieze used to decorate most of the Mycenaean palaces. It has been suggested that the wide distribution of such a complicated pattern supports the idea of a traveling guild of fresco painters operating on the Mycenaean mainland. E. Gillieron, pere was hired in 1910-1912 by the Germans excavating at Tiryns to assist with the reconstruction of the many fresco fragments found at the site. The original is in the National Archaeological Museum, Athens.

Artist

Emile Gilliéron

Date

ca. 1400–1200 BCE

Medium

watercolor on paper

Culture

Mycenaean

Department

Greek and Roman Art

Credit line

Dodge Fund, 1912