It may take a century to see whether her reconstruction is free of the aesthetic biases of the early 21st century

Jason Farago’ s December 22, 2017 New York Times review of the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World’s exhibit, “Restoring the Minoans: Elizabeth Price and Sir Arthur Evans” gives one the opportunity to think about the role that aesthetic or cultural biases have played in restoration. Evans excavated on Crete in the early years of the 20th century. His reconstructions of Minoan frescoes and architectural details, recorded in watercolors by artists he employed, display an Art Nouveau aesthetic. Price has used video and digital media to reconstruct Evans’ reconstruction of Minoan civilization. It may take a century to see whether her reconstruction is free of the aesthetic biases of the early 21st century.