The dolphins of Knossos · Crete

1,800- 1,400 b.C. – Mural painting – Knossos Palace, Crete

The restoration of the frescoes in the Knossos Palace carried out by E. Gillieron and Piet de Jong at the beginning of the last century received harsh criticism for the excessively bright colours employed, but the truth is that the final result is probably not very far from the original aspect of the paintings, created at the heart of Minoan splendour.

This fresco is a fabulous example of early Minoan Painting, very interesting for its precise representation of the natural world without any human presence. Located in the Bath Hall -where such aquatic motifs were very suitable-, the “Fresco of the Dolphins” is -as well as the “Fresco of the Partridges”- an fascinating masterpiece, either for its undeniable decorative value and for its remarkable effect of movement.

Text: G. Fernández, theartwolf.com