Roman and Byzantine MosaicsTH5441 Period Styles

Sarah Lawler 2/24/15

What is a mosaic?• A picture or decoration made of small, usually colored 

pieces of  inlaid stone, glass, etc.

What is main the difference between a Roman and Byzantine mosaic?• Typically Roman subjects were scenes celebrating

their gods, domestic themes and geometric designs.• Roman mosaics were mostly used as floors.

• Byzantine mosaics were typically Christian icons.• Byzantine mosaics specialized in covering walls and ceilings.

Types of Mosaic Materials• Tesserae • a small block of stone, tile, glass

• Smalti• Opaque Glass

• Gold Leaf Tesserae also known as gold smalti were ungrouted, allowing light to reflect and refract within the glass. Also, they were set at slight angles to the wall, so that they caught the light in different ways. The gold tesserae sparkle as the viewer moves around within the building.• Glass on both sides with the gold leaf in the middle.

Roman Mosaic Sample• Chamber of Ten Maidens at the Villa Romana del

Casale• Demonstrates an everyday life mosaic. • Women playing sports.

5th Century Roman mosaics• 5th century BCE the first pebble flooring. These were

usually in two shades with light geometric designs and simple figures.

4th Century Roman Mosaic• 4th century BCE colors were being used.• Lion Hunt

3rd Century Roman Mosaics• 3rd century BCE mosaics

really took off as an art form and detailed panels using tesserae rather than pebbles.

1st Century Roman Mosaics• Opus

signinum flooring used coloured mortar-aggregate (usually red) with white tesserae placed to create broad patterns or even scattered randomly.

1st Century Cont.• Opus sectile was a second type of flooring which used

large colored stone or marble slabs cut into particular shapes. 

Types of Roman Mosaics• 1st to 4th Century AD - opus vermiculatum• “Worm-Like” - meaning wavy style.

•  Small closely set tesserae and gradation of color. 

• Battle of Issus

• Opus tessellatum• Uniformed tesserae (ideal)

History of Byzantine mosaics• In the 6th century, Ravenna, the capital of Byzantine Italy,

became the center of mosaic making, thus the Ravenna Style.• In the 8th and 9th century most of the early Byzantine mosaics

were destroyed. This was known as the iconoclasm era (destruction of images).• This was due to Emperor Leo III taking a public stance against icons

resulting in their removal.

• They were also further destroyed by the Turks in the 15th century when churches were being turned into mosques.

The Virgin Mary - Byzantine• Format Medium: 

• To set the mosaic, the artisan prepared the wall with three coats of plaster. The first coat was thick and was meant to smooth the irregular surface of the wall. The second coat was thinner. The artisan set the tesserae into the third coat. The first two coats were composed of chopped straw mixed with lime. In the third layer, the artisan added marble dust. The second and third coats were added in quick succession, one section at a time so that the plaster would still be moist and tesserae could be set in place. Typically, the artisan painted the third coat of plaster in fresco to match the colors of the tesserae before they were put into the plaster. Tesserae were composed of small cubes of glass, colored stone, and marble. Artisans set them at an angle to reflect the natural light. Mosaics were ideal for curved surfaces such as the arch on which this mosaic was set because various angles of the tesserae could make use of the natural light.

• Original Location: • Inner narthex,Kariye Camii, Istanbul, Turkey.

• Century: •  14th

How were mosaics made? • In the 6th century, Ravenna, the capital of Byzantine Italy, became the center of mosaic

making• http://www.dimosaico.com/methods/• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVqnd0MCcW0

• 1. The direct method of mosaic-building involves affixing the individual tesserae directly onto the surface of the chosen support. Preliminary drawings may be made beforehand on the area to be decorated. The direct method was a popular approach used by traditional artists in the completion of many famous European wall and ceiling mosaics. It is also used in conjunction with the surfaces of three-dimensional objects, such as vases. One disadvantage of the direct method is that the mosaicist must work at the site to be decorated, which may not be feasible for any length of time. A modern improvement involves the use of a fiberglass mesh. The mosaic is constructed on the mesh, in the artist's workshop, before being brought to its final location.

• 2. The indirect method of mosaic creation, customarily employed for large-scale commissions with repetitive design elements, requires the components (glass, tiles etc) to be affixed face-down onto a sticky backing. Later, they are transferred to their final destination. The advantage of this approach is that it gives the artist the opportunity to rework areas.

• 3. The double indirect method is like the indirect method with an extra stage. Instead of tiles being placed face-down onto sticky backing, they are placed face-up. This allows the mosaicist to see the pattern being created. Once the mosaic is finished, another layer of sticky backing is applied onto the top of it. Then the original layer is peeled off. The mosaic can then be transferred to its final resting place, as in the indirect method 

How mosaics were made Cont.

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n.d. Web. 21 Feb. 2015.• "Roman Mosaics." Ancient History Encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Feb. 2015.• "History | Italian Smalti, Stone and Gold | Di Mosaico." History | Italian Smalti, Stone and Gold

| Di Mosaico. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Feb. 2015.• "First Steps of the Virgin Mary with St. Anne, Kariye Camii | Monastic Matrix." First Steps of

the Virgin Mary with St. Anne, Kariye Camii | Monastic Matrix. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Feb. 2015.• "Opus Vermiculatum | Mosaic." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d.

Web. 24 Feb. 2015.• "Opus Tessellatum | Mosaic." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d.

Web. 24 Feb. 2015.• "Khan Academy." Khan Academy. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Feb. 2015.• N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Feb. 2015.• "Roman Bikini Girls Back on Display at Villa Del Casale." Swide Magazine The Dolce Gabbana

Luxury Magazine Online Roman Bikini Girls Back on Display at Villa Del Casale Comments. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Feb. 2015.

• "Mosaic Art Types, History of Mosaics." Mosaic Art. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Feb. 2015.