MALVERN HILLS DECORATIVE AND FINE ARTS SOCIETY

MINOTAURS AND LABYRINTHS: MYTH AND MINOAN ART

In this lecture Louise Schofield explores some of the myths and legends that surround the island of Crete – birthplace of both the god Zeus and the bull-headed monster the Minotaur - and looks at how they are illustrated in ancient Greek and Roman art. She follows the discovery of the long-lost palace culture of the Minoans and, focussing on the story of the Minotaur who was said to have lived in a labyrinth below the palace of Knossos, she looks at palaces, temples, frescoes, jewellery and sculptures to see whether Minoan art and archaeology hold any clues as to the origins of these extraordinary stories.

LOUISE SCHOFIELD

Louise Schofield was for 13 years Curator of Greek Bronze Age and Geometric Antiquities at the British Museum, and was responsible for the Mycenaean collection. She has also worked on international archaeological projects, principally in Turkey, Albania and Greece, and now spends some time living in a tent in a small village in Ethiopia, running an archaeological, conservation and development project. She has lectured for a number of universities and institutions, including Florida State University, Christie′s Education, and Swan Hellenic Cruises, and recently published The Mycenaeans (The British Museum and the Getty Museum).