Minoan and Mycenaean Art

World of Art

by Reynold Higgins

"An excellent short introduction."― The Classical Review The magnificent works of ancient Crete, Mycenae, and the Cycladic Islands are awe-inspiring in their richness and variety. Frescoes, jewelry, sculpture, gold funeral masks, ivories, and countless other beautiful artifacts--all the significant works of art and architecture that are our legacy from those great civilizations in the third and second millennia BC are described and illustrated in Dr. Higgins's distinguished survey. This fully revised and updated edition includes greater coverage of the breathtaking frescoes from Akrotiri on the island of Thera. Other recent findings are also illustrated and described in detail, such as the unique ivory figure from Palaikastro, objects from the palace of Mallia, and the intriguing discovery of Minoan frescoes in Egypt. 241 illustrations, 54 in color

Genres: Art, History, Nonfiction, Greece, Art History, Archaeology, Ancient

216 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1967

Reviews

[GBL · Rating 4 out of 5]

This text in the Thames and Hudson world of art series focuses on the Bronze Age art of Greece, exploring the art of Crete (Minoan), Mycenae and the Cycladic Islands.

The author, Reynolds Higgins is keen to see the art in its own context, not as a precursor to the art of Classic Greece. Higgins reviews all aspects of art produced, including architecture, jewellery, seals and especially the pottery of the various cultures.

The book has excellent and extensive illustrations of what Higgins discusses and the book serves as an excellent introduction to this period of art history.

[Jonathan Marulanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

In typical fashion with these books. Sooooo much information is quickly thrown at you in the span of a page about several objects that it’s hard to really learn anything new unless you already are familiar with all the works.

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very dated but full of interesting artifacts.

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

greatly benefited by seeing lots of the artefacts in person

[D.R. Oestreicher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mycenaean (Greek) civilization inherited the Aegean Sea after the collapse of the peaceful Minoan island paradise following the enormous volcanic explosion on Thera. In spite of all the Greek accomplishments in philosophy and mathematics, their logical world view was...

"never really sympathetic to the more exuberant and less disciplined Cretan spirit ... their joie de vivre and love of natural subjects."

Minoan and Mycenaean Art by Reynold Higgins (in all its many editions) surveys the bronze age (roughly the second and third millennium BCE) in the Aegean Sea (Crete, The Cyclades, mainland Greece). The edition I read is generously illustrated with 241 illustrations with 54 in full color on glossy paper.

If this is your area of interest, this book is an excellent choice. (note: classical Greece is approximately the 4 and 5th centuries BCE, much later).

How does the Minoan civilization differ from all others? http://1book42day.blogspot.com/2017/0...

[Mesoscope · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad. The text is lightweight and this book will serve best as a companion to more serious histories (e.g. the outstanding "Cambridge Companion to the Bronze Age Aegean"). Mostly valuable for its somewhat representative but small collection of images of Cycladic, Minoan, and Mycenaean art from the period. Given the price this is a good introduction, albeit brief. The picture quality is fair at best, with most images appearing in black and white, most of the color images appearing somewhat grainy, and many of the reproductions being fairly small. Still, for its cost it's a serviceable place to start, and it's impossible to understand Bronze Age Greece without experiencing its expressive and elegant art one way or another.

[Lauren Albert · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is dry--keep that in mind. Higgins gives a lot of examples and discusses briefly their relationship to each other. The book has many images and that is its strong point. In a field where you can't know much, and what you know is biased by what has been found and what has not, it is understandable that there isn't that much you can say about the culture or the history of the period. Hence the dryness.

[Mesoscope · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good, concise overview of Bronze Age art from the Greek mainland, Crete, and the Cyclades. Excellent explanatory material. Many illustrations of interesting artifacts are of limited quality and sometimes not as clear as one would like - the book was first published in the late 1960s and looks it. Nonetheless, a useful overview of the major trends in art in the regions covered.

[Theodore · Rating 3 out of 5]

On of my earliest memories of art is from this period; my father had a Cycladic head in the bay window. The artwork is wonderful, almost cute and I love the octopus and nataulus motives. The text is very approachable.

[Whitney · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a good introduction to Bronze Age art and artifacts. It has great visuals and helps one understand the evolution different motives, forms and patterns through out that period of time.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good tour book when in Crete and the Mycenae.