-
Period: 1920 BCE to
Greek mosaic floors: 4th century B
With the rise of the Byzantine Empire from the 5th century onwards, centred on Byzantium (now Istanbul, Turkey), the art form took on new characteristics. These included Eastern influences in style and the use of special glass tesserae called smalti, manufactured in northern Italy. These were made from thick sheets of coloured glass -
Period: 1920 BCE to
Mosaic in the Roman empire: 1st c. BC - 3rd c. AD Read more: http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/PlainTextHistories.asp?ParagraphID=eiq#ixzz4HeLt3Mef
osaic spreads through the Hellenistic world, and is brought by Greek craftsmen to Italy - as revealed in the amazing examples from Pompeii (for example, the dramatic image of Alexander and Darius in battle). -
Period: 1172 BCE to 1189 BCE
Monreale: 1172-1189
The cathedral of Monreale, close to Palermo, has mosaics on a much larger scale than those in the Capella Palatina. They date from the same period (though now considerably restored) -
Period: 1132 BCE to 1189 BCE
Capella Palatina in Palermo: 1132-1189
-
Period: to
The Christian tradition: from the 4th century AD
The turning point for mosaic, as an art form, is the use of it by Christians to decorate the walls of churches rather than the floor. Two of the earliest examples are in Rome. Santa Costanza, built in about AD 350 as the tomb for a daughter of Constantine. -
Period: to
Venetian mosaics: 12th - 13th century
Venice's long link with Constantinople is evident in the mosaics, in the Byzantine style, for which the islands of the lagoon are famous. The earliest are on Torcello.