On the one hand…

We talked about possible mistakes in our fresco. When we take a closer look at the right arm and hand of the central woman (from the spectator’s view it is the left arm), the woman's right hand is holding her own necklace in a somewhat strange and almost impossible position, with the palm facing outward and the necklace between her thumb and pinky finger. These inaccuracies are not simply mistakes made by the restorer or the ancient artist, but actual features of Minoan and Mycenaean artwork taken over by generations of artists. They tell us something about their working method.Immerwahr, S.A. (2005). "Left or Right? A Study of Hands and Feet.", British School at Athens Studies 13: 173-174.

If we were to hold our own necklace, we would probably hold it differently (try it). Perhaps the artist switched the right and left hand of the woman, or perhaps it was falsely restored by Gillieron into this position. But even when attached to a left arm, this hand would look inaccurate, with the thumb on the wrong side. Comparing this fresco with other drawings (Fig. 10), it becomes clear that this is a common element of Minoan and Mycenaean artwork. Perhaps there is an explanation for it.

These inaccuracies can give us some information on the working method of the artist. If the artist used living models, you would expect more accuracy. It is therefore likely that the Minoan artist worked differently. It looks like he used his own body as a model, which gives a mirrored image. This could therefore explain the difficult position of the right hand with the hand palm facing outwards and the thumb to the right. However, it does not explain why the woman is holding her necklace between her thumb and pinky finger.Immerwahr, S.A. (2005). "Left or Right? A Study of Hands and Feet.", British School at Athens Studies 13: 174.

These ‘mistakes’ are therefore part of Minoan artworks and were copied by generations of artists. Even more interesting is the fact that for these artists and their audience it was apparently not that important to improve their techniques and paintings.