ABOUT MOSAICS

Regarding the art of mosaic.

Referring to mosaics, we mean the technique of investing surfaces with small pieces of different materials such as natural stones, glass, ceramic, and synthetic materials, which are adhered to a suitable substrate made of cement or plaster, creating artistically decorated surfaces. The Greeks were the first to create mosaics before the Hellenistic period and displayed them in great works of art. Initially, they used pebbles as tesserae, and later on, they started using marble tesserae as well as colored ceramic pieces.

The oldest surviving mosaics are found in the Eastern Mediterranean region, particularly in Asia Minor, created by the Greek population. This art form was transmitted to Rome and later throughout the Roman Empire.

During the Byzantine period, mosaics replaced painting and sculpture, and artists from Constantinople were invited to work in Ravenna, Venice, Sicily, and other cities in Italy. They also decorated Muslim monuments. During the Middle Ages, mosaic art experienced a decline and returned to prominence during the Renaissance and thereafter. There are still good mosaic artists today for the decoration of interior and exterior spaces with mosaics.

Crafting and raw materials. The creation of mosaics is done using natural stones of various shades from different parts of Greece as well as other countries. The raw materials used for the production of the tesserae (small pieces of stone) are mainly marble, limestone, and colored glass.