Profile of the House of the Ladies -
House of the Ladies in Akrotiri is one of the most problematic houses because its structure at the north end had been destroyed. It used to be a three-story building with at least ten rooms on each level with a central light well. The House of the Ladies was named after the fresco with the Ladies and the Papyruses.
The Papyrus fresco from Room 1:
Location: Room 1 of the House of the Ladies
Name: The Papyrus
Subject: The Papyrus flowers are shown in groups of three and cover three walls.
Techniques: Low saturation and depressing colours are used to create sense of importance and it being of a historical background.
Style/Iconography: The papyrus is a scared symbol in the Theran society as it was usually handed up to the Gods for different purpose such as Jewellery that was made out of a papyrus plant.
Style: This fresco painting is in an Egyptian style as the papyrus plants were not indigenous to Thera. Beneath the plants may be a river, a common association in both Minoan and Egyptian art.
Expert Opinion: According to Mark Cartwright, the Papyrus fresco is not accurate in its depiction, and perhaps deliberately so.
What it teaches about Theran life:
This Papyrus fresco teaches people about the important of plants in the Theran time. Papyrus was used for making paper, food (as some parts of the papyrus are edible) and the highly buoyant stems of the plant can be used to make boats. This was probably why the people of Thera painted the papyrus plant because it had multiple uses that were beneficial to the society. Furthermore, this picture also shows Thera's relationship with Egypt. As papyrus is mainly found in Egypt and therefore, this plant could have possibly been traded as goods.
Name: The Papyrus
Subject: The Papyrus flowers are shown in groups of three and cover three walls.
Techniques: Low saturation and depressing colours are used to create sense of importance and it being of a historical background.
Style/Iconography: The papyrus is a scared symbol in the Theran society as it was usually handed up to the Gods for different purpose such as Jewellery that was made out of a papyrus plant.
Style: This fresco painting is in an Egyptian style as the papyrus plants were not indigenous to Thera. Beneath the plants may be a river, a common association in both Minoan and Egyptian art.
Expert Opinion: According to Mark Cartwright, the Papyrus fresco is not accurate in its depiction, and perhaps deliberately so.
What it teaches about Theran life:
This Papyrus fresco teaches people about the important of plants in the Theran time. Papyrus was used for making paper, food (as some parts of the papyrus are edible) and the highly buoyant stems of the plant can be used to make boats. This was probably why the people of Thera painted the papyrus plant because it had multiple uses that were beneficial to the society. Furthermore, this picture also shows Thera's relationship with Egypt. As papyrus is mainly found in Egypt and therefore, this plant could have possibly been traded as goods.
The Ladies fresco from Room 1:
Location: Room 2 (connected to Room 1) of the House of the Ladies
Name: The Ladies Subject: Two separate pieces, each depicting a woman positioned in Room 2 and also positioned in the other half of the room in which there was the Papyrus fresco. Techniques: High contrast is used on the second lady to suggest it being a newer figure. Style/Iconography: The women are wearing coloured Minoan robes with kilts and jackets which leaves the breasts exposed in typical Minoan fashion. The women each wear earrings and a necklace and they both have long hair and wear makeup. All of these details suggest that these were women of high status involved in some sort of religious activity or festival. Expert Opinion: According to Mark Cartwright, above the women there is a representation of a starry sky, also that there is a third woman, next to the stooping figure who may be helping her dress but only fragments of an arm and dress survive. What it teaches about Theran Life: The Ladies fresco teaches people about women in the Minoan culture. The elaborate dresses, jewellery and hairstyles show that this lady in the picture is an adult according to the hair theory. It also represents the beauty of women in the Minoan culture as they seem to have make up on. |