In more modern times, mosaic art saw somewhat of a revival in the 19th century after a sharp decline in popularity during the Middle Ages-the Byzantine style emerged once again during this time. The great mosque of Cordoba and the Alhambra Palace in Spain are great examples of Islamic mosaic art, as is the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus-which was built in the then-capital between 706 and 715. This type of composition did not centre around figurative religious depictions as its Byzantine counterpart did-instead, it focused on intricate geometric and mathematical patterns. Several well-known examples of these mosaics were created during the age of emperor Justinian I and can be found in Ravenna, Italy, in the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia and the Basilica di San Vitale.ĭuring the 8th century, the Islamic Empire caused yet another shift in styles of the mosaic as a form of art. One of the most notable surviving examples of Byzantine mosaic art is the grandiose depiction of Christ Pantocrator in the Hagia Sophia museum in Constantinople-present-day Istanbul. Made out of coloured glass and sometimes backed by a reflective gold leaf, these small and precious pieces were meticulously assembled in order to allow for clever light reflection and refraction. The use of Smalti-glass tesserae sourced from northern Italy-gave mosaics an entirely new texture, look and feel. Famous examples of mosaics-then known as opus tessellatum in Latin-dating back to this period are the Alexander the Great mosaic, depicting the famous conqueror on his horse Bucephalus during the battle of Issus, and a depiction of a cat with birds and seafood found in the archeological site of the ancient Roman city of Pompeii.Įastern influences of the Byzantine Empire began dictating mosaic styles and designs during the 5th century. They hold accurate records of everyday items such as clothes, food and tools and recall scenes such as gladiator contests, sports and agriculture.Įarly mosaics depicted mainly monochromatic designs, but as the art form developed, artisans began using increasingly smaller pieces to create more elaborate designs in a wider array of colours. Made out of materials such as glass, marble, tiles and pottery, these works of art are as precious as they are telling of what life used to be like many years ago. Subsequently, during the golden age of the Roman Empire, opulent mosaics portrayed gods and religious symbols-this created the mosaic as we know it today. The Axial Period, 200 BC, brought with it the inception of the ‘tesserae’ in the creation of Greek-style mosaics. This technique, now more commonly known as the mosaic, has undergone a great deal of change since that time millions of years ago.ĭuring the Bronze Age (800 BC) it started appearing on pavements in both the Minoan civilization in Crete and the Mycenaean civilization in mainland Greece, but it wasn’t until the Classical and Hellenic periods in 400 BC that the mosaic took a more distinct form-it became widely used by the Greeks to depict detailed and colourful scenes of people, animals and everyday life. It was during the Neolithic Period-around 4,000 BC-that terracotta ‘cones’ were first applied onto objects as a means of decoration. We take a look at how different cultures and ancient civilisations influenced mosaics throughout history. The mosaic as a form of art has been around for millenniums.
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