Mosaic

A mosaic is a pattern or picture made from tiny pieces of colored stone, glass, or ceramic. These small pieces, called tesserae, are stuck together with plaster or mortar to cover a surface. Mosaics have been used for decoration for thousands of years, often as floor and wall designs.

Mosaics were very popular in the Ancient Roman world and can still be seen in many old buildings today. They started in Mesopotamia around the 3rd millennium BC and became common in Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome. Early Christian churches, like basilicas, had beautiful wall and ceiling mosaics. The art continued in the Byzantine Empire and later influenced artists in places like the Kingdom of Sicily and the Republic of Venice.

Today, mosaics are used in many ways, from large murals to small crafts and even industrial designs. Artists around the world create modern mosaics using many materials, such as shells, beads, gears, coins, and pieces of jewelry. This ancient art form is still a wonderful way to decorate and tell stories with tiny pieces coming together to make something beautiful.

Mosaic materials

Traditional mosaics are made of small square pieces called tesserae. These pieces can be made from stone or glass in different colors. Some of the earliest mosaics used natural pebbles for floor decoration.

Today, mosaic art can use many materials. Artists may use carved stone, bottle caps, or other found objects. This lets them create colorful and creative designs.

History

The earliest known mosaics were found in temples in ancient Mesopotamia, dating back to the third millennium BC. These early mosaics used colored stones, shells, and ivory. Later, around 1500 BC, glazed tiles appeared in places like Susa and Chogha Zanbil. Mosaic patterns became popular during the times of the Sassanid Empire and Roman influence.

Greek and Roman

Greek and Roman mosaics often showed mythological scenes, hunting, or the lives of wealthy people. These mosaics could copy paintings, which were very valued, and were used by the Romans. Roman mosaics were on floors from Britain to Dura-Europos, often made by Greek artists. Two main ways were used: opus vermiculatum, with tiny cubes for fine detail, and opus tessellatum, with larger cubes laid on site. Famous examples are in the Villa Romana del Casale in Sicily, showing scenes like the "Circus Scene."

Zoroastrian Persia

In Persia, mosaic tilework was used during the Sassanid Empire, with one famous example in Shapur I's palace. After the Arab conquest, figurative Persian mosaics were not allowed.

Christian mosaics

When Christianity grew, mosaics were used in churches. Early Christian mosaics, like those in Santa Costanza and Santa Pudenziana in Rome, mixed classic and Christian ideas. Ravenna became a center for mosaic art, with important works in the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia and the Basilica of San Vitale. These mosaics showed religious scenes and were known for their bright colors.

Byzantine mosaics

Byzantine mosaics were very important, with churches like Hagia Sophia in Constantinople having golden mosaics. Important pieces survive from the Great Palace of Constantinople, and Ravenna stayed a key place for making mosaics. After a time when images were not allowed, mosaics became popular again, with notable works in the Macedonian Renaissance and the Komnenian period. The Chora Church in Constantinople has some of the last great Byzantine mosaics.

Rome in the High Middle Ages

Rome made its own mosaic style in the 12th–13th centuries, with works like the flower mosaics in the Basilica di San Clemente and the apse mosaic in Santa Maria in Trastevere. These mosaics were known for looking very real.

Sicily

Sicily's mosaic art was best in the 12th century under the Norman kings, with famous works in the Cappella Palatina, Martorana church, and cathedrals of Cefalù and Monreale. These mosaics mixed Eastern and Western styles.

Venice

Venice, with influence from the East, kept mosaic art alive. St Mark's Basilica has elaborate golden mosaics, with scenes from the Cotton Genesis manuscript. Other important Venetian mosaics are in the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta in Torcello and the Basilical of Santi Maria e Donato in Murano.

Medieval Italy

Monasteries like Grottaferrata were decorated with Italo-Byzantine mosaics. Florence's Baptistery has a big mosaic, and Pisa's cathedral has a mosaic designed by Cimabue.

Western and Central Europe

Beyond the Alps, early examples include the Palatine Chapel in Aachen and the oratory of Germigny-des-Prés. Later, mosaics were used in cathedrals like St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague.

Renaissance and Baroque

During the Renaissance and Baroque times, artists like Raphael made mosaic works. In St Peter's Basilica, mosaics were used instead of paintings for their brightness and lasting quality.

The Christian East

The eastern parts of the Eastern Roman and Byzantine Empires decorated churches with mosaics. The Madaba Map in Jordan is a famous example, showing the Holy Land. Other important mosaics are in churches on Mount Nebo and in the Saint Catherine's Monastery on Mount Sinai.

Orthodox countries

In Kievan Rus, mosaics were used in churches like Saint Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv and St. Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery. The Gelati Monastery in Georgia also has mosaic work.

Jewish mosaics

Jewish synagogues under Roman and Byzantine rule had mosaics, with famous examples in Sepphoris, Beit Alfa, and Hammat Tiberias. These mosaics often showed the zodiac and scenes from the Bible.

Arabic mosaics

Islamic architecture used mosaics to decorate buildings and palaces. The Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem and the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus have elaborate mosaics. Later Islamic mosaics, such as those in Moorish Spain, continued these traditions with flower designs and calligraphy.

Main article: Late Antique and medieval mosaics in Italy

Main article: Byzantine mosaics

See also: Early Byzantine mosaics in the Middle East

Main articles: Islamic art and Umayyad architecture

Modern mosaics

Notable mosaics from the 1800s include those by Edward Burne-Jones at St Pauls within the Walls in Rome. Another famous mosaic is the world's largest one at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis in St. Louis, Missouri. A modern example is the Museum of Natural History station of the New York City Subway.

Today, mosaics are a popular craft and art form. Artists work with stone, ceramics, shells, glass, mirror, beads, and even unusual items like doll parts or photographs. Modern mosaics can be found on many things, such as park benches, flowerpots, guitars, and bicycles. One popular technique is Trencadís, which uses broken pieces of pottery, glass, or jewelry to make a new surface.

In street art, mosaics mix video game styles with old techniques. The French artist Invader is known for his mosaic artworks with 8-bit video game characters.

Main article: Portuguese pavement

Portuguese pavement (Calçada Portuguesa) is a two-tone stone mosaic found in many places. It often shows geometric patterns or pictures. Lisbon is famous for its walkways made this way. Portuguese pavement is a relatively new art form, starting in the mid-1800s. The most common stones used are basalt and limestone.

Terminology

A mosaic is a special kind of art. It is made by putting together many tiny pieces of materials. These materials can be stone, glass, or pottery. Together, they make a picture or pattern. The small pieces are called tesserae. The spaces between the pieces where grout fits are called interstices.

The word "mosaic" comes from old languages. It means something creative or inspired by the Muses. There are many ways to arrange the tesserae. You can put them in straight rows, follow shapes, or make special designs. Some famous ways to make mosaics include Opus regulatum, where all pieces line up in a grid. Another way is Opus vermiculatum, where pieces follow the curves of letters or pictures. Other styles are Opus sectile, where large shapes are made from single pieces, and Micromosaic, which uses very tiny pieces for detailed artwork.

Two techniques

There are two main ways to create mosaics. The direct method means gluing each small square piece, called a tessera, right onto the surface. This is good for small or curved things like vases. You can watch the design grow! But it can be tough to work on for a long time, especially for big projects.

The indirect method is used for larger projects. The tesserae are stuck face-down to paper in a room. When the design is done, the paper gets wet, taken off, and the mosaic is glued onto a wall or floor. This way, it’s easier to fix mistakes and get a smooth finish.

Mathematics

Further information: tessellation and mathematics and art

Tiles arranged on a surface are studied in a part of math called tessellation. The artist M. C. Escher looked at Moorish mosaics, which inspired his work.

Digital imaging

A photomosaic is a fun picture made from many smaller pictures. Each tiny part, called a "pixel", is really another picture. When you look closely, you can see all the little pictures that make up the big one! People use these in many modern photos and digital searches.

A tile mosaic is a special kind of picture made from tiny tiles. These tiles are put together to create a picture on floors or walls, like in a shower room or pool. The tiles can be very small, about the size of a fingertip, and they often show simple messages or designs. New computer tools help people design these tile pictures by matching tiles to a chosen image.

Robotic manufacturing

Because it costs a lot to pay workers in many places, people use machines to help make things. Mosaics are pictures made from small pieces of stone or glass. Now, robots can make these mosaics. These robots use special computer programs to know where to put each piece. This makes mosaics faster and more exact than when people make them by hand. But robot-made mosaics look a little different because each piece goes exactly where the computer says, not where a person decides.