Lydian and Lycian arts in the context of Achaemenid Anatolia: a comparative approach

The paper proposes a comparative examination of Lydian and Lycian sculpture and wall painting, based on style and iconography. Lydian and Lycian cultures shared a number of common features, however each one had its own identity. Both Lydian and Lycian figurative representations came about through an eclectic creative process, mixing local, Anatolian, Greek and Persian or Near Eastern elements. In both cases, it was a constantly-evolving process. Thanks to a selection of guenine examples dated from the sixth to the fourth century B.C., the author demonstrates that these elements could be mixed in different ways in Lydia and in Lycia. A diversity did exist and the Achaemenid rule didn’t prevent this creative process.