Mosaics have brought art and color to the walls and floors of Europe for thousands of years. Very little has changed in the creation of mosaics since they first arrived in Europe from Mesopotamia around 4, or 5, years ago. The Roman Empire carried the art form from Greece across the whole of Europe, where it found its way onto walls, ceilings and walkways, depicting everything from simple patterns to stories of daily life and heroic myths.
A surviving how-to manual by the Roman architect Vitruvius explains how particularly complex designs were made off-site in panels known as emblemata, using trays which were then turned directly into position before the border designs were laid around them.
A vivid example of the technique is this story of the fight between two famous gladiators, which was found in the ruins of baths on the Caelian Hill in Rome. The birth of Islam in the 7th century AD brought a new meaning to mosaic art in Europe, particularly in Spain.
This was used for the historic European wall and ceiling mosaics, following underdrawings of the main outlines on the wall below, which are often revealed again when the mosaic falls away. The direct method suits small projects that are transportable. Another advantage of the direct method is that the resulting mosaic is progressively visible, allowing for any adjustments to tile colour or placement. The disadvantage of the direct method is that the artist must work directly at the chosen surface, which is often not practical for long periods of time, especially for large-scale projects.
Also, it is difficult to control the evenness of the finished surface. This is of particular importance when creating a functional surface such as a floor or a table top.
The mosaic can then be constructed with the design visible on the surface and transported to its final location. Large work can be done in this way, with the mosaic being cut up for shipping and then reassembled for installation. It enables the artist to work in comfort in a studio rather than at the site of installation. The indirect method of applying tesserae is often used for very large projects, projects with repetitive elements or for areas needing site specific shapes.
Tiles are applied face-down to a backing paper using an adhesive, and later transferred onto walls, floors or craft projects. This method is most useful for extremely large projects as it gives the maker time to rework areas, allows the cementing of the tiles to the backing panel to be carried out quickly in one operation and helps ensure that the front surfaces of the mosaic tiles and mosaic pieces are flat and in the same plane on the front, even when using tiles and pieces of differing thicknesses.
Mosaic murals, benches and tabletops are some of the items usually made using the indirect method, as it results in a smoother and more even surface. Este sitio web utiliza cookies para que usted tenga la mejor experiencia de usuario. This website uses cookies. If you continue you accept their use.
Mosaics made in Northern Gaul or Roman Britain, for instance, were noticeably more primitive than Italian and Greek examples.
See also Roman Art. During the era of early Christian art c. See also Russian Medieval Painting. It was also during the Early Christian period, that artists first produced gold and silver glass tesserae, by applying metallic foil to the backs of glass pieces.
This type of "mirror glass" led to an even greater intensity of light. With the fall of Rome, Byzantium Constantinople became the centre of Christianity, and attracted huge numbers of Roman and Greek craftsmen, including mosaicists. Indeed, during this period, mosaic achieved new heights of creativity and technique, becoming an important feature of Byzantine architecture.
New glass tesserae smalti were manufactured from thick sheets of coloured glass. The smalti were left ungrouted, so extra light was refracted within the glass. Also, in the 6th century, Byzantine mosaicists developed a method of setting glass tesserae into the adhesive mortar at a sharp angle, in order to reflect even greater light.
These enhancements led to the creation of the great shimmering mosaics of the Byzantine period. The finest Byzantine mosaics were mostly Biblical art created for churches and mosques in Constantinople, such as the Hagia Sophia, and for buildings throughout the Byzantine Empire.
See also: Christian Art, Byzantine Period. Notable examples include those created at Daphni near Athens 11th century ; in the cathedral of Ravenna and in its churches of S. Apollinaire Nuovo and S. For other forms of medieval decoration, see: Stained Glass art. Meantime, from the 8th century onwards, Islamic artists began incorporating mosaics into the decorative schemes of their mosques. Mosaic was an ideal form of decoration for Islamic art , which banned figurative imagery from its religious buildings, focusing instead on abstract or geometric designs.
Employing stone, glass and ceramic tesserae, these Moorish mosaics can be seen at the Great Mosque at Cordoba and the Alhambra Palace in Granada. Mosaics continued to be a feature of Romanesque art and Gothic architecture , albeit in a lesser manner. With the advent of Renaissance art c. Mosaic art enjoyed a come-back in the second half of the 19th century when many public buildings were decorated with mosaic-patterns and pictures, usually made from mass-produced ceramic or glass tesserae.
The Gothic Revival in architecture was an important influence as were developments in the Venetian glass industry. Mosaic production was also stimulated by the Art Nouveau movement: see for example, the exceptional ceramic mosaics of Antoni Gaudi and Josep Maria Jujol in the Guell Park, Barcelona. An interesting modern-day mosaic is the half-size mosaic of the Bayeux Tapestry which was created in by Michael Linton.
It is currently on public display in Geraldine, New Zealand. All rights reserved. Creative Attributes of Mosaic Art Mosaic as an art form is closest to painting: both represent a two-dimensional image. Stone Floors Throughout classical antiquity , mosaic remained first and foremost a technique used for decorating pavements or floors where durability was a paramount priority.
Roman Mosaics Greek craftsmen were recruited in large numbers by Rome after Greece declined, although the Romans employed mosaic mainly for the floors of domestic buildings.
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