6. Timeline of the Roman Empire Coin of Julius Caesar (the dictator), showing Aeneas, making his escape from Troy. Coin from the Westfälisches Römermuseum, Haltern
Look at the expression on this horse’s face! A mosaic is a picture or decorative pattern made by setting small fragments of marble, Glass or ceramic materials into cement or plaster. These fragments are known as tesserae and are Usually irregular in shape. Though usually applied to a smooth wall or floor, their uneven surfaces create the reflective glitter so characteristic of Byzantine mosaics. The earliest known mosaic is Sumerian, with terracotta tesserae; the Egyptians, Monoans, Greeks and Romans used glass. Originally mosaic was mostly used on floors and pavements, but mural mosaics, both internal and external, became more common with the rise of Christianity, and became the principal feature of Byzantine art.
Earliest mosaics were made 4-5000 years ago in Sumeria. The Greeks were creating, or as they would say, ‘painting’ mosaics before the Romans - then with the spread of the Roman Empire, mosaics were created in many more places - like Africa, England, Spain, France… Tessare stone, tile ceramic, porcelain, even gold and silver…glass, terra-cotta, marble Mosaic: column from Sumeria. Glass, porcelain, gold! Mosaics are made of materials that are not easily worn out - and many were created as a floor, which were often covered by ruins, protected for centuries and revealed during excavations. Mosaics tell stories much like a painting - thanks to mosaics we know what certain people looked like, what they did during the day, how they hunted, played, fought in wars, interacted with each other. We can also see what kind of wildlife and domesticated animals there were in that day.
Roman Empire at it’s height - spread mosaic art all over the region -
Roman Empire - timeline . . . . .
Roman Empire - timeline . . . . .
Roman Fish detail
Emperor Constantine, 11th Century CE, Istanbul, Turkey -
Vatican Museum, Second Century, Rome
Very modern-style yet ancient mosaic pattern in Ravenna, Italy
Alexander from The Battle of Issus, Pompeii (detail) second century, BCE 8 x 15 feet!
….a modern example - also present in many roman mosaics
Costanza
“The loading of the ostriches” - look at the expressions of the ostriches as they’re loaded onto a ship anchored at a Mediterranean port- they’re trying to escape captivity… They’re being loaded onto the large sail boat by two young servants.
The fox hunt - the hunter is just releasing the hound from his leash so he can finish the chase - notice the angle of the animals and how the foxes are lookng back to see where the hound is…
Villa del Casale in Piazza Armerina - stags caught in the net - “ Piccola Caccia” To the right is a couple of horsemen who are driving the stags toward the net. Notice the contrast of the light and shade in these stags - muscles, even the ribcages of the animals showing.
St. Basilica of St. Vitale, Ravenna Dating back to the 6th century…
These are both part of larger mosaics in St. Vitale in Ravenna - Byzantine
Ruled in Constantinople
Ravenna - Heron and Tortise - detail
The kithara was the premier musical instrument of ancient Rome and was played both in popular music and in serious forms of music. Larger and heavier than a lyre, the kithara was a loud, sweet and piercing instrument with precision tuning ability. It was said some players could make it cry. From kithara comes our word guitar and though the guitar more directly evolved from the lute, the same mystique surrounds the guitar idols of today as it did for the virtuoso kithara players, the citharista, and popular singers of ancient Rome. Like other instruments, it came originally from Greece and Greek images portray the most elaborately constructed kitharas.
Many of the instruments and music is taken from Greek culture….
Niki de Saint Phalle, France - 1930 - 2002
Niki de Saint Phalle, France - 1930 - 2002 Queen Calafia’s Magic Circle - Escondido CA
Rooftop of Casa Batllo in Barcelona, Spain
JaYing Wang and her students from the Children’s Art Studio Towne Centre, Alameda
JaYing Wang - Bayfarm School
05.32 Mosaic of a Lion in a Roundel, by an unknown Roman Artist found in Tunis, Tunisia, from the 1st century-2nd century A.D. Mosaic 21 5/16 x 21 5/16in. (54.1 x 54.1cm). From the Museum Collection Fund, Brooklyn Museum.
Sources: Salvatore and Giulia Aglioti, Rome Italy JaYing Wang, mosaic project images http://www.thejoyofshards.co.uk The Institute of Mosaic Art, Oakland, CA Ravenna: Capital of Mosaic by Salabaroli Publications Mosaic Techniques and Traditions by Sonia King The Voices of Silence, by Andre Malraux Mosaics of Piazza Armerina: The hunting by Gino Vinicio Gentili
