Mosaics

Examples of Mosaics in the following topics:

• Mosaics in the Early Byzantine Empire

  • Mosaics were not a Byzantine invention.
  • Further, technological advances (lighter-weight tesserae and a new cement recipe) made wall mosaics easier than they had been in the preceding centuries, when floor mosaics were favored.
  • Mosaics cover the walls of the vault, the lunettes and the bell tower.
  • The inside contains two famous mosaic lunettes, and the rest of the interior is filled with mosaics of Christian symbols.
  • Hunting and grazing scenes from a floor mosaic.

• The Chora Church in Constantinople

  • The Chora Church is decorated with iconic murals and mosaics from the fourteenth century that represent the Late Byzantine artistic styles.
  • Mosaics extensively decorate the narthices of the Chora Church.
  • The mosaic depicts a stern-faced Christ against a gold backdrop holding the gospels in one hand while gesturing with the other.
  • An inscription in the mosaic reads, "Jesus Christ, Land of the Living."
  • Like the mosaics, the scenes are painted in the upper levels of the building.

• Ravenna

  • The church is most famous for its wealth of Byzantine mosaics, the largest and best preserved outside of Constantinople.
  • A series of mosaics in the lunettes above the triforia depict sacrifices from the Old Testament.
  • At the foot of the apse's side walls are two famous mosaic panels, executed in 547 .
  • The gold background of the mosaic shows that Justinian and his entourage are inside the church.
  • The mosaic of Emperor Justinian and his entourage of bishops and officials of state.

• Carolingian Painting in the Early European Middle Ages

  • Various forms of Carolingian artwork consist of frescoes and mosaics that reached a pinnacle of production under the reign of Charlemagne.
  • Mosaics were created by assembling small pieces of colored glass, stone, pigments, and other materials.
  • The mosaics were created in Charlemagne's Palatine Chapel at Aachen, whose interior remains adorned with arch-to-dome mosaics.
  • The most famous mosaic in Charlemagne's chapel showed an enthroned Christ, worshiped by the Evangelist's symbols and the 24 elders of the Apocalypse.
  • The surviving mosaics begin above eye level at the piers or arches and span upward into the dome.

• Early Jewish Art

  • Early Jewish artforms included frescoes, illuminated manuscripts and elaborate floor mosaics.
  • Byzantine synagogues also frequently featured elaborate mosaic floor tiles.
  • The mosaic reflects an interesting fusion of Jewish and pagan beliefs.
  • Along the sides of the mosaic are strips depicting the binding of Isaac and other Biblical scenes.
  • The four women in the corners of the mosaic represent the four seasons.

• Paintings, Macedonian Court Art, and the Alexander Mosaic

  • The Alexander Mosaic is a Roman floor mosaic from 100 BCE that was excavated from the House of the Faun in Pompeii.
  • The mosaic is remarkable.
  • The careful shading within the mosaic tesserae models the characters to give the figures mass and volume.
  • Alexander Mosaic, Battle of Issus.
  • Mosaic.

• Architecture and Mosaics in the Middle Byzantine Empire

  • Architecture and mosaic decoration thrived during the Middle Byzantine period following Iconoclasm's stifling of the arts.
  • The mosaic is located in the apse over the main alter and depicts the Theotokos, or the Mother of God.
  • The churches were decorated in mosaics, frescoes, and marble revetment.
  • Instead, the background is covered in brilliant gold mosaics.
  • Mark's Basilica from the clerestory-level walkway shows its richly decorated mosaics and marble polychrome panels.

• Late Byzantine Art

  • A renewed interest in landscape and earthly settings arose in mosaics, frescoes, and psalters.
  • At first buildings were rendered slightly skewed, but eventually artists refined the combination of material (mosaic and painting) with architecture and perspective .
  • This transition is seen in the Chora Church, which was initially decorated in mosaic, with the final wing decorated with wall paintings.
  • Mosaics of single scenes and figures were replaced in favor of frescoed narrative cycles and biblical stories.
  • Mosaic in Caphernaum from cycle of the Life of Christ.

• Painting in the Greek High Classical Period

  • The Alexander Mosaic is a Roman floor mosaic from approximately 100 BCE that was excavated from the House of the Faun in Pompeii.
  • The mosaic depicts the Battle of Issus that occurred between the troops of Alexander the Great and King Darius III of Persia.
  • The mosaic is remarkable.
  • The shading and play of light in the mosaic, reflects the use of light and shadow in the original painting to create a realistic three-dimensional space.
  • The careful shading within the mosaic tesserae models the characters to give the figures mass and volume.

• Architecture of the Early Christian Church

  • The church is most famous for its wealth of Byzantine mosaics, the largest and best preserved outside of Constantinople.
  • A series of mosaics in the lunettes above the triforia depict sacrifices from the Old Testament.
  • On the side walls, the corners, next to the mullioned windows, have mosaics of the Four Evangelists, under their symbols (angel, lion, ox and eagle), who are dressed in white.
  • The cross-ribbed vault in the presbytery is richly ornamented with mosaic festoons of leaves, fruit, and flowers, converging on a crown encircling the Lamb of God.
  • The cross-ribbed vault in the presbytery is richly ornamented with mosaic festoons of leaves, fruit and flowers, converging on a crown encircling the Lamb of God.