Mosiac 12

The history of mosaic art

By facebooker_1081161581966403
  • 4000 BCE

    Neolithic Period 4000 BC

    Neolithic Period 4000 BC
    Mosaic patterns first surfaced through the use of terracotta cones being applied point first onto structures as a means of decoration. They were colorful and did not follow a defined form.
  • 800 BCE

    Bronze Age 800 BC

    Bronze Age 800 BC
    After being used for decorative purposes, mosaics appeared through – unstructured - pebbled pavements.
  • 400 BCE

    Hellenic Period 400 BC

    Hellenic Period 400 BC
    Mosaic art in Greece took a more structured shape. Greeks began creating art using pebbles through the depiction of geometric patterns and detailed scenes of people and animals.
  • 200 BCE

    Axial Period 200 BC

    Axial Period 200 BC
    Greeks began manufacturing pieces known as ‘tesserae’ in order to add more detail and color to their mosaic patterns.
  • 27 BCE

    Roman Empire 27 BC

    Roman Empire 27 BC
    With the rise of the Roman Empire, mosaic patterns depicted gods, intrinsic geometric designs, and domestic settings. This expansion highly influenced the mosaic art we know today.

  • Byzantine Empire 5th century

    Byzantine Empire 5th century
    Eastern influences became visible in mosaic patterns and designs. The use of, Smalti, glass tesserae sourced from northern Italy, proved to be popular in the Byzantine period.

  • Islamic Empire 8th Century

    Islamic Empire 8th Century
    Islamic mosaic art did not focus on figurative representations as the Byzantine art did; instead it focused on geometric and mathematical patterns. Glass, stone, and ceramic tiles were used to create those patterns.

  • Byzantine Style 19th Century

    Byzantine Style 19th Century
    Mosaic art saw a revival throughout the 19th century after experiencing a decline through the middle ages.

  • Art Nouveau 20th century

    Art Nouveau 20th century
    The Art Nouveau movement of the 20th century saw a pursued interest in mosaic patterns where new techniques were introduced, one of which is the use of purpose made and waste tiles to cover large surfaces of buildings. Fine examples of this movement can be seen by works of the famed Antoni Gaudi and Josep Maria Jujol.

  • Modernity 21st century

    Modernity 21st century
    Now-a-days the concept of mosaics treads on a fine line that diffuses between art and handicraft simply because mosaics can be used to decorate a space as well as functionalities like flooring and ceiling.