History of Roman Mosaics
Roman mosaics are colorful, beautiful and highly detailed. These works of art were found in places of worship, government offices and even residential homes. They depicted everything from rulers to gods to mundane tasks that everyday citizens engaged in. Creating these works of art was a painstaking process that required skill and extreme patience.
Origins of Mosaics
According to thejoyofshards.co.uk, mosaics originated thousands of years ago as a way to create decoration and texture in the background of images. The Greeks were one of the first civilizations to create complex images of people and daily life using chipped pieces of ceramic and glass. However, evidence of Egyptian mosaic art has surfaced in tombs and pyramids.
Ciottoli Technique
An early form of mosaic technique used before the 4th century B.C. was ciottoli. This literally means pebbles. Small colored rocks of slightly different hues were used to create figures and artwork. Due to the subtle shift in the pebble color, artists could create shading and depth in their artwork. This was the first technique used by Romans to create mosaic art.
Square Mosaics
Around the 1st century B.C. the Romans began cutting small squares of ceramic to create tiled mosaics. These ceramics where glazed and cut by hand. This technique allowed a level of sophistication that was previously impossible to reach. Tiles could be cut as small as 1 millimeter square, allowing Roman artisans to create details on the faces of figures, folds in clothing and individual strands of hair.
Materials Used
Romans used a large variety of colored materials to create mosaics. Glass and ceramic were the most common as these could be made by hand to fit specifications. Artists also used exotic elements like pearl, silver and even gold to create luxurious and stunning works of art.
Influence
The use of mosaics spread throughout Europe in part due to the influence of the Roman Empire. Mosaic artwork can be found on the British Isles, France and Spain. These mosaics lacked the complexity and quality of the Roman mosaics. This could be in part because of the absence of a cultural history surrounding mosaic art as well as a lack of material and training.
