Mosaic Art

Mosaic is the art of creating an image with an assemblage of small pieces of colored glass, stone, marble, shells, broken pottery, or other materials. The tesserae (pieces) are set by hand in the damp cement .

The pieces together create a unified image.

Many mosaics are found in temples and churches, some thousands of years old.

Mosaics can be found on ceilings…..

Mosaics can be found on the ground….

Mosaics can be worn……

You can sit on a mosaic

You can use a mosaic as a plate

Mosaics can be functional

Or they can be a decoration….

Common scenes among Roman mosaics were mythological lore of gods and demi-gods, banquet scenes, still-lifes, hunting scenes, and underwater creatures. One common theme in the mythological vein is that of various scenes from the life of Dionysos (the god of wine, also known by the Romans as Bachus).

During the Byzantine Era, the art of mosaics reaches its highest level of quality. Except floors and walls, artists decorate vaults and facades of temples and palaces. They use

pieces of marble, natural stones, colored glass, even gold and silver. Themes in this era are various, but most were inspired by the Christian religion that was dominant during

this period.  

This mosaics is made from many small pictures of horses. When put together it forms a larger image.

Corn Palace…..in Mitchell, South Dakota

The word "mosaic" derives from the Greek: "patient work, worthy of the Muses".