These mosaics have different purposes, different technologies and evoke completely different feelings. In the first case, we are transported to the divine world, in the second we are left admiring the mosaics in the earthly world.

Mosaic. Ravenna. Roman mosaic.

Byzantine mosaic. The most ancient surviving examples of Byzantine mosaics date back to the 3rd-4th centuries, and two heydays occurred in the 6th-7th centuries (Golden Age) and 9th-14th centuries (after iconoclasm - the Macedonian revival, Komnenian conservatism and the Palaiologan renaissance). The most famous Byzantine mosaics are those of Ravenna and images of Hagia Sophia (Constantinople).
Distinctive features:
1. Goal: to move the beholder from the earthly world to the divine (due to technology, shining color, haze, gold).
2. Subjects: monumental canvases based on biblical subjects, grandiose in concept and execution. Christian stories become central theme mosaics, the desire to achieve the maximum impression from the image became the driving force behind improving the technique of laying mosaics and developing new colors and smalt compositions.

3. The material is primarily a mosaic of smalt (various metals (gold, copper, mercury) were added to the raw glass melt in various proportions and they learned how to make several hundred various colors smalt). The colors of smalt turned out to be bright, pure, transparent, radiant, divine. This is a hint of a non-earthly, divine world. sunlight, falling on smalt, comes to life and is painted with its color.

It was the Byzantines who developed the technology for producing smalt.
4. Technology: the elements were laid at different angles to the wall and had an uneven surface, this allowed light (daylight and candles) to be reflected in the colored smalt and give a haze that was noticeable to the body over the mosaic. The mosaics were laid using the direct set method, and each element in the installation was distinguished by its unique surface and its position relative to other elements and the base. A single and seemingly living golden field was created, flickering both in natural light and when illuminated by candles. The unique play of shades of color and reflections of light on a golden background created the effect of movement of the entire picture, a person was transported to the divine world.
5. The shape of the mosaic elements - mainly cubes - it was the compositions of neatly laid out small and more or less identical in size cubes that created the glory of Byzantine mosaics.

6. Functions: visual tasks came to the fore (the main element of artistic decoration of cathedrals, tombs, basilicas).
7. A feature of Byzantine mosaics in temples was the use of an amazing golden background. Gold is divine light.

8. The technique of making the contours of bodies, objects, objects became mandatory for Byzantine masters. The outline was laid out in one row of cubes and elements on the side of the figure or object, and also in one row on the background side. Flat line Such contours gave clarity to images against a flickering background.

XII century Byzantine mosaic in the conch of the apse of the cathedral in Cefalu, Sicily. Christ Pantocrator
Mosaics of Ravenna.
Mausoleum of Galla Placidia.


“Garden of Eden” - mosaic on the ceiling


Cross and starry sky- mosaic in the dome. This mosaic demonstrates the triumph of Christ over death, His absolute power over the created world.

Mosaic “Christ the Good Shepherd”. The depiction of Jesus is not at all canonical.

Deer drinking from a spring. The plot of the mosaic is inspired by the verses of Psalm 41: “As a deer longs for streams of water, so does my soul long for You, O God!” .

Church of San Apolinare.

And this is a procession of martyrs from one of the walls in the Church of San Apolinar in Ravenna.

Ravenna. Mosaic in the apse of San Apollinare

Ravenna. Mosaic in the Church of Sant'Apollinare Nuovo of Saint Apollinaris of Ravenna

Mosaic depicting the city and port in Classe

Barbarically dressed wise men presenting gifts to Christ, fragment

Poem Byzantine mosaics

In the flickering smalt oriental mosaic,

Without the joys of earthly existence

A harsh age has arrived. And God's face

Became a canon, looking from the apse.

The regulations keep life stable,

But the luxury of colors surpasses Rome.

The artist is a worm in front of a wall painting,

No name, even though the temple was created by him.

The gospel soars under the magnificent arch,

The saints stand in shining robes,

Like the guards of faith at the royal places** -

A line of strict guard soldiers.

In Europe the spirit was freer

In the bloom of frescoes of gloomy churches.

05/20/2011 Vladimir Gogolitsin

*Concha is a semi-domed covering of the apse inside the church.

**In early Romanesque Byzantine churches in the main hall

Usually there was a place near the column for the head of state.

ROMAN mosaic

The oldest examples of Roman mosaics found during archaeological excavations, date back to the 4th century BC. And during the heyday of the Roman Empire, mosaics became the most common method of interior decoration, both in palaces and in public baths and private atriums.

Distinctive features:
1. Purpose: to entertain the beholder (beauty) and functionality, durability.

2. Three-dimensional mosaics with three-dimensional shapes.
3. Material: preference is given to marble and natural stones. The color of the stones is matte, muted, not clear, it does not give the glow inherent in Byzantine mosaics.
4. Subjects - everyday, earthly, real (fish, animals, people, birds, wreaths of grape leaves and hunting scenes with detailed images of animals, mythological characters and heroic campaigns, love stories and genre scenes from everyday life, sea voyages and military battles, theatrical masks and dance steps. The choice of subject for a particular mosaic was determined either by the customer (sometimes the mosaic even depicted a portrait of the owner of the house, for example), or by the purpose of the building).
5. Technology: the elements were laid parallel to the wall one after another in a straight line. The surface of the elements was smooth. Earthly feelings.

6. Form: the background elements of Roman mosaics are usually light and quite large; the background is often formed by single-color stones with chaotic placement without a specific order. Elements of pictures and figures are smaller, but often still large for the selected picture. The variety of colors often depends on the capabilities of the craftsman in a particular settlement or, apparently, the financial capabilities of the customers. If the mosaics of large palaces sometimes amaze with their sophistication color range, then small compositions seem limited in the choice of colors.

7. Roman mosaics are characterized by ease of perception and at the same time the impression of luxury and wealth. In contrast to the soulful and monumental images of Byzantine mosaics, which will be created later, Roman mosaics are more ordinary and at the same time elegant, decorative, and festive.

Ancient Roman mosaic on the wall in the Bardo Museum


Museum of Ancient Roman Mosaics in Tunisia

Sources
photo http://medieviste.livejournal.com/623641.html?view=4125721#t4125721
http://humus.livejournal.com/1616137.html?view=24140297#t24140297
http://mirandalina.livejournal.com/264857.html
Internet
Text of the lecture by L. M. Popov, the Internet

Byzantine mosaics represent chic monumental paintings that stand out for their special scope and scale of images. This oldest species the art of composing any image or picture from identical small particles. The central theme of such mosaics was Christian...

Byzantine mosaics represent chic monumental paintings that stand out for their special scope and scale of images. This is the oldest form of art of composing any image or picture from identical small particles. The central theme of such mosaics was a Christian orientation, and the driving force on the path to improving installation technology, creating new shades and textures was the desire to achieve maximum visual effect.

Unlike Roman mosaics, which solved secular problems of decorating and adding functionality to rooms in private villas or public buildings, Byzantine mosaics had slightly different functions. Their main purpose was considered to be to impart artistic value to the decoration of cathedrals, tombs, temples, basilicas, etc. Byzantine masonry is designed for the perception of images from a great distance - the paintings are distinguished by some unevenness, “velvety” shades and textures, which “revitalizes” the created images.

What is Byzantine mosaic made of?

Many centuries ago, an amazing material called smalt was created in Byzantium. According to ancient legends, it was the Byzantines who discovered unique properties glass, which gains unprecedented strength by adding various metals to molten small glass chips. This is how smalt turned out - glass melt with an admixture of gold, copper, mercury in different proportions. Each individual metal provided a certain shade of the mosaic blocks, which, using simple tools, the craftsmen gave into geometric shapes that were easy to lay. This is how Byzantine mosaic turned out - an exclusive type of art made using smalt.

"Highlight" of the Byzantine style

The peculiarity of using such mosaics in churches was the creation of a luxurious golden background, which can be seen in most paintings. Typically, craftsmen used a direct set for styling, which resulted in a single golden field that not only looked great in daylight, but also seemed “alive” in the mysterious reflections of candles. This effect of movement was determined by the play of shades and reflections of light on golden smalt.

An important nuance inherent in Byzantine masonry is the presence of precise contours of each depicted object. To achieve maximum clarity, the contours of the appearance and object were laid out with mosaic cubes in a row on the side of its figure, and in one row on the side of the general background. If you enjoy the beauty and grandeur of such a canvas from a long distance, then the highlighted contours make the characters more impressive, emphasizing their face on a shimmering golden background.

Among other features more late art styling Byzantine mosaic there is a tendency to correctly maintain the proportions of the human body, which is sometimes depicted both in a turn and in a moving state.

Byzantine wall “painting”: history of origin

The oldest surviving examples of mosaics date back to the 3rd-4th centuries, although smalt was found around the 1st-2nd centuries BC. The most famous Byzantine tiles are the mosaics of Ravenna, as well as the image of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople. IN Kievan Rus Remains of smalt production were found near Sofia of Kyiv. According to archaeologists, Russian craftsmen were led by people from Byzantium. Byzantine mosaic has not lost its nobility and energy to this day: it is a creative flight, a reflection of spiritual luxury, an aura of harmony and peace.

Yoshkar-Ola

Introduction........................................................ ........................................................ ................3

1. The concept of “mosaic”................................................ ............................................4

2. History of mosaics.................................................. ...............................................7

3. Roman mosaics.................................................... ...........................................10

4. Byzantine mosaics made of smalt.................................................... ................13

Conclusion................................................. ........................................................ ..........20

List of sources used......................................................... ....................21

Introduction

"Our Days" rediscovered the art of mosaic as an art. Take a ride along the Moscow metro; the technique of execution, the professionalism of the craftsmen, the variety of colors and subjects will amaze your imagination.

For many, mosaic technology has become not a profession, but a lifelong passion. Children can also be interested in this exciting, and most importantly accessible activity. Thermomosaic was created for the joint creativity of children and their parents.

In this essay I want to introduce you to the concept of “mosaic”, its history, even where you can find mosaic art.

1. The concept of “mosaic”

Mosaic is one of the most ancient techniques of decorative and applied art. The ancient Greeks knew it. The word "mosaic" comes from Lat. opus misivum, literally “a work dedicated to the muses.” Mosaic is a kind of painting, but the image here is made up of pieces of small multi-colored tiles made of ceramics, smalt, glass, multi-colored polished stones, etc. The history of mosaics goes deep into the past and goes back more than one millennium. The first mosaics appeared in Ancient Rome, Roman mosaics decorated baths, the floors of villas and bedrooms, and luxurious halls in the houses of the nobility. The era of the Byzantine Empire brought a breath to mosaic fresh air, it was at this time that the spread of mosaics reached its peak.

Early Christian art of Byzantium fell in love with mosaic for its amazing play of light, brightness and constancy of colors. Golden pieces of smalt mysteriously shimmered and played on the arches and walls of temples, perfectly conveying the miraculous divine radiance. Characteristic feature Byzantine mosaic, different from Roman, is a smaller module of stones, more delicate masonry. In Roman mosaics, the masonry is usually quite large; facial features are not subtle, although they are very expressive. Again, Byzantine mosaics are distinguished by completely different techniques in the laying of faces, clothing, and an abundance of golden backgrounds. The majestic, beautiful spirit of Byzantine mosaics is conveyed even in a small fragment - the atmosphere of reverence and silence of the temple...

Florentine mosaics are also famous for their sophistication and sophistication; Florentine mosaic panels were made from polished stones of various shapes.

Today, mosaics are widely used for interior decoration (walls, floors, ceilings, podiums, stairs), building facades, landscape objects (flower beds, fountains, benches, garden paths), swimming pools, sculptures, furniture; for designing decorative elements and creating artistic panels.

Traditional smalt and natural stone, as well as glass mixtures, ceramics, porcelain stoneware, and metal are used as mosaic materials. The classic design of smalt mosaics still remains the most sophisticated design option for decorative panels for the elite. The stone is used mainly to create floor images; metal - to give the interior a certain futuristic hint; porcelain stoneware - for finishing public buildings. Glass and ceramic mosaics are the most popular finishing materials. This feature is dictated, first of all, by their high technical characteristics, and, in addition, accessibility, diversity, strong artistic potential, and the possibility of improvisation.

The clear leaders of modern mosaic materials - glass mixtures and ceramics - help to realize any creative idea of ​​the customer. Glass mosaic, in addition to art covering, is also an applied art medium. Its artistic possibilities are limitless: it allows you to create a decorative image from simple drawing(pattern, carpet, banner, single element of decoration to create an accent in the interior) up to complex composition and works of painting.

Glass mosaic, in addition, is indispensable for cladding high-tech objects: swimming pools, ponds, waterfalls, fountains, bathrooms, kitchens, saunas, fireplaces, building facades. A fusion of functional and aesthetic properties of this material (high ductility, zero water absorption coefficient, heat resistance and frost resistance, strength, unpretentiousness, resistance to chemicals and exposure to sunlight, independence from weather conditions, immunity to the influence of microorganisms and bacteria, diversity color solutions, additional design possibilities) is unique for working with structures of the water element.

2. History of mosaic

The works of the Pergamon artist Soz, whom Pliny speaks of as the most skillful Greek master of mosaic painting, enjoyed great fame in the Hellenistic era. In Pergamon, in the Attalid palace, Soz created a mosaic floor on which the remains of food were depicted randomly scattered after a feast - fish bones, crab claws, vegetables, fruits, shells, etc. A mouse gnawing a nut and birds were also depicted here who were pecking the berries. This comic painting was made in life-size with unprecedented

moreover in mosaic art skill.
Equally famous was another mosaic by Soz,

also decorating the floor - “Doves on the Cup”.

It depicted, according to Pliny’s description,

“a drinking dove, darkening the surface of the water with the shadow of its head; the rest are sitting, preening.” Obviously, this work was very popular at one time, since several free imitations of it were found during excavations in Italy.

Pliny says that Soz used “small cubes painted in different colors” in his mosaics. Here it's probably we're talking about about glass cubes, since their colors are more characteristic than for pebbles. But it has been established with complete certainty that the mosaic floors on the island of Delos, dating back to the 2nd century, were entirely glass. BC e. On these mosaics, the laying of colored cubes, sometimes very small, was so perfect that it made it possible to create an extremely delicate design.

Due to the exploitation of enslaved peoples, the luxury of decorative decoration public buildings, palaces, temples and private houses of the wealthy segments of the population reaches its apogee. The fashion for mosaics as one of the most magnificent and expensive methods of artistic decoration of buildings is spreading to unprecedented limits. More and more often, cases of decorating not only the floors, but also the walls of buildings with mosaics are observed. Every owner of any means strives to have at least a small mosaic picture in his house or to lay out on the floor at the entrance from small pieces the figure of a grinning dog with the inscription: “cave ca-nem” - “beware of the dog.”

Caesar himself orders that mosaic slabs be carried with him on campaigns to line the floor of his tent.

The Romans were not satisfied with the restraint of colors of Greek mosaics and began to use agate, onyx, turquoise, emerald and others in mosaics. gems. However, due to the high cost of such materials, the development of mosaics in this direction was limited, which prompted the predominant use of glass as a material that gives no less decorative effect, but is immeasurably cheaper and widely available.

The transition to glass opened up new possibilities for mosaics and contributed to its even greater spread in the decoration of public buildings and the homes of wealthy citizens.

The mosaic found in Pompeii, in the so-called House of Faun, depicting the last moment of the battle between Alexander the Great and Darius at Issus, is extremely famous. It is considered a copy of a painted original, which is attributed to the Greek artist Philoxenus of Eritrea, a contemporary of Alexander.

The film is striking in its enormous internal tension and depth of characters. characters. Alexander's face, with its burning gaze and sharp angular features, is completely ugly, apparently has a great resemblance to the original and does not at all resemble the numerous idealized portraits of this hero. On the face of King Darius, who sees the death of one of the people close to him, the artist conveyed a complex expression of horror, pity and helplessness.

The mosaic decorated the floor of one of the rooms of the Faun's house and occupied an area of ​​15 square meters. m. To make it, it took about one and a half million cubes from natural rocks. The mosaic uses a limited number of colors: black, white, yellow and red.

Goethe, who repeatedly admired this wonderful work of art, wrote that every time we approach it, “we all return again to simple and pure rapturous amazement.”

3. Roman mosaics

Interesting Roman mosaics dating back to the 1st-2nd centuries are kept in the collection of the State Hermitage. Among them are a superb mosaic of the Dancing Girl, a small painting allegorizing the month of June as a boy holding a basket of fruit, and large mosaic, showing Hylas, the companion of Hercules, on his wanderings.

All these mosaics are made of smalt using a certain number of marble cubes.

Let us also mention a mosaic from the ancient period, recently found in Garni, near Yerevan. It depicts sea deities framed by rich ornaments. The mosaic was, by all indications, assembled by local Armenian craftsmen from multi-colored cubes of natural stone.

Of great interest are the recently discovered mosaics of ancient Antioch, which depict mythological scenes with outstanding skill.

An example of the successful use of mosaics in Roman architecture is the four columns found in Pompeii, richly decorated with ornaments depicting hunting scenes, composed of multi-colored pieces of smalt.

In Pompeii, fountain niches have also been preserved, completely covered with ornamental mosaics.

Greatest development Roman mosaic painting reached in the first half of the 2nd century. under Emperor Hadrian. During his long travels, he carried with him a whole detachment of architects and artists, including mosaicists, who were supposed to decorate the buildings erected on his orders in different cities Roman Empire. Under the leadership of these artists, mosaic workshops were created in a number of cities.

It is quite possible that the famous floor mosaic from Palestine, depicting the Nile Valley in flood, animated by numerous everyday scenes, was created by Roman mosaic artists at the time of Hadrian's return from the upper Nile.

By the end of the 2nd century. The Roman Empire enters a period of deep crisis, which subsequently leads to the death of the entire ancient slave-owning world. The state treasury is gradually depleted, and poverty is growing in the country. However, the rulers of Rome do not want to notice the impending disaster. Countless amounts of money are spent on feasts, performances and public celebrations. The people should not know about anything - everything is completely fine. Everything is designed for external effect: the huge size of the buildings, the exorbitant cost of finishing materials, and the unusually luxurious decoration of the interiors. Mosaic art, as one of the most expensive methods of decorating buildings, is particularly widely used.

The famous baths of Caracalla, built at the beginning of the 3rd century, are richly decorated with mosaics. The floors are paved with cubes of colored marbles, and smalts of the brightest colors and gilding are used in the wall mosaics. The remains of this magnificent decoration have reached us and allow us to distinguish clumsy images of famous Roman athletes. The rough, simplified interpretation of the figures and harsh colors indicate a sharp decline in artistic taste. Everything indicated that one of the darkest pages was opening in the history of the Roman state, saturated with political repression, threatening to relegate the arts to the background and slow down their development for many years.

It seemed that mosaic art could not escape such a sad fate, but this did not happen, since the fate of this art turned out to be connected with the new Christian religion, which was consolidated around the Byzantine throne of the Eastern Roman emperors.

Battle of centaurs with predators. Mosaic of Hadrian's Villa in Tivoli. Berlin. State Museum

Battle of Alexander the Great with Darius III at Issus. Mosaic from the House of the Faun in Pompeii. Naples. National Museum

4. Byzantine mosaics made of smalt.

Early Byzantine period

Mausoleum of Galla Placidia in Ravenna, 5th century.
A characteristic feature of the mosaics of the Galla Mausoleum is the contrast of the two lunettes. The scene with the Good Shepherd is performed in the spirit of an ancient pastoral with deliberately touching images. Scene with the image of St. Lawrence demonstrates the birth of a new artistic language. The composition is clear, distinguished by the simple symmetry of large forms. The image is deliberately brought to the foreground. The beginnings of reverse perspective create the illusion of space “tipping over” onto the viewer.

Baptistery of the Orthodox in Ravenna, 5th century.
The mosaic painting of the dome is very impressive. The figures of the apostles are shown in motion. The size of their stride is emphasized by their widely spaced legs and the arch of their hips. The illusion of space is still present: the surface on which the apostles step looks lighter than mysterious and bottomless blue background main image. Heavy and lush clothes recall the splendor of Roman patrician robes. In the apostolic tunics, only two colors vary - white, personifying light, and gold - heavenly light.

Great Imperial Palace in Constantinople. 5th century
Unlike the religious buildings of the era, the floor of the Great Imperial Palace in Constantinople contains big number images of everyday scenes involving people and animals. The background mosaic layout attracts attention - hundreds of thousands of pieces of a single-color white mosaic form a bizarre pattern, in which the scale of the work and the accuracy of the ancient masters amaze.

Church of San Vitale in Ravenna, 6th century.
The compositions are dominated by ideal balance. Architectural forms, plant motifs, human bodies likened to protozoa geometric shapes, as if drawn on a ruler. The draperies have neither volume nor lively softness. There is no living sensation of substance in anything, not even a remote hint of natural breath. Space finally loses any resemblance to reality.

Basilica of Sant'Apollinare Nuovo in Ravenna, 6th century.
In the depiction of martyrs and martyrs there is a clear trend that can be called the sacralization of style. The image deliberately seeks to renounce any specific life associations. Even the remotest hint of an imaginary space or environment of action disappears - all free space is occupied by an endless golden background. Flowers under the feet of the Magi and Martyrs play a purely symbolic role and further emphasize the unreality of what is depicted.

Basilica of Sant'Apollinare in Classe in Ravenna, 6th century.
The style of the mosaics shows clear signs of Western taste. The forms are abstract and deliberately simplified; linear rhythm dominates the composition. Wide and ethereal spots of silhouettes are painted in an even color, which is the only color that retains expressiveness. External elegance and color sonority compensate for the anemic and amorphous style.

The era of the Komnenos dynasty

6. Church of the Assumption of Our Lady, Daphne, 12th century.
Daphne's mosaics create a feeling of festivity, unclouded calm and universal harmony. Dark tones completely disappear from painting, and gospel images filled with poetic beauty. Even in the scenes of passion there is no hint of passion and pathos of suffering and sacrifice.

Each mosaic in Daphne is an independent composition and at the same time an integral part of a harmonious single ensemble of paintings, organically connected with architecture. It should be noted that in this case, the mosaics do not completely cover all the walls, but leave large surfaces unfilled, which emphasize the colorful richness of the painting.

Slender and correct in proportions, human figures are depicted in complex, sometimes rapid movements and turns, the forms are rendered three-dimensionally, although a clear line of contours plays an important role, giving the image some dryness.

The main purpose of mosaics, according to the Byzantine ruling circles, was to teach believers.

The clarity in the development of the plot and the clarity to the viewer of the mosaics of the Daphne monastery can serve as a model for monumental painting.

7. Cathedral in Cefalu, XII century.
The mosaic compositions of the cathedral combine the Byzantine perfection of artistic execution and the depth of spiritual meaning with an extraordinary, slightly barbaric sense of festive luxury.

Byzantine mosaics. Constantinople. Daphne Palace

Dionysus. Mosaic from the palace of the Macedonian kings in Pella

Deer hunting. Mosaic from the palace of the Macedonian kings in Pella

Conclusion

In my essay, I introduced you to the history of mosaics, revealed the essence of the concept of mosaics, and demonstrated famous monuments mosaic art.

In conclusion, we highlight the main points. The word "mosaic" comes from Lat. opus misivum, literally “a work dedicated to the muses.” The history of mosaics goes deep into the past and goes back more than one millennium. The first mosaics appeared in Ancient Rome; Roman mosaics were used to decorate baths, the floors of villas and bedrooms, and luxurious halls in the houses of the nobility. The era of the Byzantine Empire brought a breath of fresh air to mosaics, and it was during this time that the spread of mosaics reached its peak.

Interesting Roman mosaics dating back to the 1st-2nd centuries are kept in the collection of the State Hermitage. Roman mosaic painting reached its greatest development in the first half of the 2nd century. under Emperor Hadrian.

Examples of Byzantine mosaics include: the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia in Ravenna (5th century), the Baptistery of the Orthodox in Ravenna (5th century), the Basilica of Sant'Apollinare Nuovo in Ravenna (6th century), “Doves on the Cup” by the artist Soz and others.

The transition to glass opened up new possibilities for mosaics and contributed to its even greater spread in the decoration of public buildings and the homes of wealthy citizens. Nowadays mosaic decoration can be found in many places.

List of sources used

1. Vakhrusheva Yu. History of mosaic: [mosaic art]// DECO. – 2008. - No. 1. – 62s.

2. Art of Byzantium / D.T. Rice. –M.: Slovo, 2002. – 254 pp.: color. ill. –( A big library"Words")

3. The art of Byzantium: early and middle periods / G.S. Kolpakova. – St. Petersburg: ABC-classics, 2004. – 527 p. : color ill.- ( New story arts)

4. Melnikov Yu.S. History of mosaic. http://stroy-server.ru/mozaika

5. http://www.smalta.ru/istoriya-smalty/vizantiya/

6. http://www.art-glazkov.ru/article/other/mozaika06.htm

Other features of Byzantine mosaics

In more recent times, researchers have paid attention to the fact that the cubes are stacked tightly against each other, while the clarity of the contours continues to be traced. Also among the features of later examples of Byzantine mosaics are the correct proportions of human bodies. They are often depicted as masters of movement or turning. Often the image is transferred so that the three-dimensionality of the image is visible. This brings the images to life to some extent, but having sharp edges still makes them look rather dry.

What is a Byzantine mosaic? This ancient art composing some image or picture from small identical particles. As a rule, large paintings are made this way and are intended to be viewed from a great distance. In this case, the painting will be distinguished by irregularities that seem to enliven the image, and the surface of the painting will appear velvety from a distance.

Materials for Byzantine mosaics

Since ancient times, Byzantium invented an excellent material for making Byzantine mosaic paintings - smalt. Essentially, this material was glass, into which metal particles were added to give it certain shades. So with the addition of gold, the glass acquired a golden shine. It was this brilliance that prompted many masters to choose gold mosaics for the background of paintings. Copper and mercury were also added to the molten mass of smalt in different proportions. This is how the ancient masters ensured that the mosaic particles acquired the various shades necessary to create the composition.

Origin of Byzantine mosaics

The history of Byzantine mosaics dates back to the third or fourth century AD. It is from this time that some of the most ancient examples of mosaics date back. Interestingly, this art was at its peak in the sixth and seventh centuries, and was then revived and constantly used throughout the period from the ninth to the fourteenth centuries. Mostly examples of this art represent scenes on a biblical theme, which is why many of them are located in various religious buildings.

Features of the Byzantine style

As mentioned above, main feature The Byzantine style served as a golden background, which is inherent in most paintings. Direct dialing is usually used as a typing technique. Another feature of mosaic panels made in the Byzantine style is the presence of clear contours of each object presented in the picture. Typically, to achieve this, mosaic cubes were used for the outline, laid out in a row. If the picture is viewed from a great distance, then such contours will allow you to make acting characters more noticeable against the golden shimmering background.

And yet, cubes became the main mosaic element - it was the compositions of neatly laid out small and more or less identical in size cubes that created the glory of Byzantine mosaics. The most ancient surviving examples of Byzantine mosaics date back to the 3rd-4th centuries, and two heydays occurred in the 6th-7th centuries (Golden Age) and 9th-14th centuries (after iconoclasm - the Macedonian revival, Komnenian conservatism and the Palaiologan renaissance).

The most famous Byzantine mosaics are those of Ravenna and images of Hagia Sophia (Constantinople). If Roman mosaics solved purely functional problems along with aesthetic problems, Byzantine mosaics became the main element of artistic decoration of cathedrals, tombs, basilicas, and visual problems came to the fore.

Roman mythological images, often playful and genre-defining, looking equally good in private atriums and public baths, were replaced by monumental paintings of biblical subjects, grandiose in design and execution. Christian stories became the central theme of the mosaics; the desire to achieve the maximum impression from the image became the driving force behind improving the technique of laying mosaics and developing new colors and smalt compositions.

A feature of Byzantine mosaics in churches was the use of an amazing golden background. The mosaics were laid using the direct set method, and each element in the installation was distinguished by its unique surface and its position relative to other elements and the base. A single and seemingly living golden field was created, flickering both in natural light and when illuminated by candles. The unique play of color shades and light reflections on a golden background created the effect of movement of the entire picture.

The technique of making the contours of bodies, objects, objects became mandatory for Byzantine masters. The outline was laid out in one row of cubes and elements on the side of the figure or object, and also in one row on the background side. The straight line of such contours gave clarity to the images against the flickering background.

Most of the techniques of Byzantine mosaic are also used in modern mosaic compositions. The use of smalt, the background formed by the irregularities of smalt cubes, the smooth contours of the boundaries of objects and the background - this is a classic of mosaic, a classic of Byzantium.