Mosaics Originally the art of making mosaics came

Mosaics

• Originally the art of making mosaics came to Italy from Greece • Early mosaics were made out of simple black and white tesserae • Tesserae = small pieces of stone • Later mosaics became more complex with multicoloured tesserae (polychrome: now stone, marble or glass) being used to produce scenes replicating paintings with all their intricate shading and highlighting • The technique used to make these mosaics was called opus vermiculatum • Roman mosaic artists rarely signed their work • Mosaics had both practical and aesthetic purposes - Pebbled roads vs. Floor coverings • Mosaics were found in both public and private places • Most mosaics would have been commissioned • Popular themes in mosaics were of mythological nature and everyday life • It was vey popular to match the mosaic with the room - e. g. Dionysus in the dining room • Were made as a decoration, show of wealth or for propaganda purposes • Specialised artists would have been employed to make the mosaic

Emblemata • Prefabricated mosaic that would have been constructed in a workshop and set in a panel • The emblema would be worked on by a master craftsman specialising in mosaics • The emblemata would then be set in a pre-prepared spot in the floor. Often they were the centrepieces of a larger floor, the surrounding floor being paved in opus sectile or opus tessellatum. • They were easily transportable which meant they did not have to be made in Pompeii, but could come from as far away as Greece. • Being moveable also meant they could be taken from house to house • Singular = emblema • Plural= Emblemata A MOSAIC MADE ON SITE AND FOR A PARTICULAR SPACE IS CALLED ‘IN SITU’

An example of Emblemata

Opus Vermiculatum • This technique was used for polychrome (colour) mosaics • The tesserae were very small, often from 1 -4 mm, and irregular in shape • the tesserae were stone, glass or marble • The rows of tesserae wind like worms • Vermiculus means “little worm” It enables a number of techniques: ü Outlines ü The light coloured tesserae show highlighting üDark coloured tesserae show shading üLines provide shape and movement üShow a change in tone and conveys a sense of volume

An example of Opus Vermiculatum

Opus Sectile • This technique was often used for pavements • Harder materials could be used, like slate and limestone

Monochrome Mosaics • These mosaics consisted of tesserae of just black and white stone. • They were particularly common because of the fact that they were much cheaper to produce