La Parisienne (fresco)
La Parisienne, also known as the Minoan Lady, is a fragment of a wall painting from the Camp Stool Fresco in Knossos, Crete. It dates to the Final Palatial Period, about 1450–1350/1300 BC, and is now housed in the Heraklion Archaeological Museum.
The figure wears a sacral knot at the back of her neck, suggesting she may be a priestess or goddess. The fresco was likely painted on the Sanctuary Hall wall in the palace’s piano nobile (main living area).
Minoan beauty objects, used to highlight features, are evident here: black around the eyes and red on the lips, with a pale face. Edmond Pottier named her La Parisienne because she reminded him of a Parisian woman. Such beauty items were common in Minoan palaces and other sites across the Aegean Bronze Age, including Knossos, Zakros, and Pylos.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 01:32 (CET).