Art Museum Report
During a recent visit to the San Antonio Museum of Art, I was able to view many pieces and types of artwork. This particular museum exhibits pieces that come from the period of the Ancient Egyptians all the way up to modern art. It was a very interesting experience and one that I would definitely like to repeat in the future. The piece that was most interesting to me was a Roman floor mosaic that depicts The Battle of Lapiths and Centaurs. A mosaic is a picture or pattern created by fixing together mall pieces of stone, glass, tile and other materials (DeWitte, Larmann and Shields 629) This particular piece is one that is made of stone and glass that is set in mortar and was created around the 3rd-4th century and depicts a battle between the
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The first pebble flooring has its roots in Greece during the 5th century B.C.E. During Hellenistic times in 3rd century B.C.E. mosaics began to take off as an art form. During this time detailed panels using tesserae instead of pebbles began to be incorporated into the floor mosaics (Cartwright). The use of tesserae allowed to the Romans to take the art form a step further by increasing the amount of color that could be incorporated into the artwork …show more content…
There are some difficulties in dating mosaics due to the variance in artistic quality, public taste and regional customs. The Romans did not deviate from the fundamentals of the Hellenistic approach and the artists themselves. Many Roman artists from 3rd century B.C.E. attempted to copy contemporary wall paintings in their mosaics.
Roman floor mosaics were designed to be walked on and which were a durable and lavish way to dress up a room and withstand foot traffic. They are designed to be viewed from different angles and to change as you move around the piece. Floor mosaics also served as a symbol of wealth and status. Wealthy Romans picked themes that often reflected their status. (Stephan)
Due to the mosaics being built into the foundations of buildings, they are among some of the best-preserved of all forms of Roman art. Many of these mosaics, have laid for thousands of years under the soil, however, despite their age, they are as brightly colored today as they were when they were created. The stone and glass that was used maintained the color of the mosaics be they do not fade over time.
The first pebble flooring has its roots in Greece during the 5th century B.C.E. During Hellenistic times in 3rd century B.C.E. mosaics began to take off as an art form. During this time detailed panels using tesserae instead of pebbles began to be incorporated into the floor mosaics (Cartwright). The use of tesserae allowed to the Romans to take the art form a step further by increasing the amount of color that could be incorporated into the artwork …show more content…
There are some difficulties in dating mosaics due to the variance in artistic quality, public taste and regional customs. The Romans did not deviate from the fundamentals of the Hellenistic approach and the artists themselves. Many Roman artists from 3rd century B.C.E. attempted to copy contemporary wall paintings in their mosaics.
Roman floor mosaics were designed to be walked on and which were a durable and lavish way to dress up a room and withstand foot traffic. They are designed to be viewed from different angles and to change as you move around the piece. Floor mosaics also served as a symbol of wealth and status. Wealthy Romans picked themes that often reflected their status. (Stephan)
Due to the mosaics being built into the foundations of buildings, they are among some of the best-preserved of all forms of Roman art. Many of these mosaics, have laid for thousands of years under the soil, however, despite their age, they are as brightly colored today as they were when they were created. The stone and glass that was used maintained the color of the mosaics be they do not fade over time.