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OverviewA masterly overview of a rich and varied ancient art, illustrated in vibrant colour. Mosaic has been called 'painting for eternity,' and it is in fact one of the few arts of antiquity to survive in something like its original condition and variety. Mosaic pavements with geometric and figural motifs first appeared in Greece at the end of the fifth century BC and subsequently spread throughout the entire classical world, from the palaces of the Greco-Bactrian rulers of present-day Afghanistan to the villas of Roman Britain. Local workshops cultivated many distinctive regional styles, while travelling teams of Hellenistic craftsmen produced figural mosaics of stunning refinement, often modelled after famous paintings; indeed, their work constitutes one of our only records of classical Greek painting, which has been almost entirely lost. In the first part of this handsome volume the styles and techniques of the ancient mosaicist's art are given a concise yet authoritative exposition. The second, and larger, part conducts the reader on a chronological tour of the most important centres of the art form's development, from the Macedonian capital of Pella, whose compositions in natural pebbles set a high artistic standard for mosaics at the very beginning of their history, to the Basilica of San Vitale at Ravenna, whose wall and vault mosaics, with their glittering vision of a triumphant Christianity, mark the transition between antiquity and the Middle Ages. Special attention is given to Pompeii, where the eruption of Vesuvius in AD79 preserved an astonishing variety of mosaics, including such ambitious figural scenes as the famous Alexander mosaic, composed of some four million miniscule tesserae, as well as characteristically Roman pavements in black and white, and the brightly coloured wall mosaics of garden grottoes. Featuring more than two hundred newly commissioned photographs, Greek and Roman Mosaics is the first survey of its subject to be illustrated in full colour. AUTHOR: Umberto Pappalardo has served as Inspector of excavations at Pompeii and director of excavations at Herculaneum. Rosaria Ciardiello, also a classical archaeologist, received her doctorate from the University of Naples Federico II. Photographs by Luciano Pedicini. ILLUSTRATIONS: 285 colour 10 b/w Full Product DetailsAuthor: Umberto Pappalardo , Rosaria Ciardiello , Luciano PediciniPublisher: Abbeville Press Inc.,U.S. Imprint: Abbeville Press Inc.,U.S. Weight: 2.818kg ISBN: 9780789211255ISBN 10: 0789211254 Pages: 320 Publication Date: 29 November 2012 Audience: General/trade , General Format: Hardback Publisher's Status: Active Availability: Temporarily unavailable  The supplier advises that this item is temporarily unavailable. It will be ordered for you and placed on backorder. Once it does come back in stock, we will ship it out to you. Table of ContentsIntroduction 7 The Origins and Spread of Mosaics 11 Etymological Considerations 15 The Method of Execution 17 Pliny and Vitruvius on Mosaics 21 Types of Mosaic 25 The Mosaicists and Their Signatures 35 Workshops and Repertories 46 The Dating of Mosaics 48 Mosaics and Textiles 51 Mosaics and Architecture 53 Wall and Vault Mosaics 55 The Stylistic Development of Mosaics 56 The Iconography of Mosaics 77 THE MOSAICS Pella 99 Alexandria 110 Pergamon 115 Delos 121 Palestrina 125 The House of the Faun at Pompeii 135 The Alexander Mosaic 153 The Mosaic from the House of the Faun 167 Other Notable Dwellings of Pompeii 171 Nymphaea of the Vesuvius Cities 197 Mosaic Fountains of Campania 223 The Villa Adriana at Tivoli 231 The Musee National du Bardo, Tunis 243 Antioch on the Orontes 250 Piazza Armerina 255 The Basilica of Junius Bassus in Rome 275 The Great Palace of Constantinople 285 The Basilica of San Vitale at Ravenna 289 The Mosaic of the Holy Land at Madaba 300 Bibliography 303 Index of Names 313 Index of Places 317 Photography Credits 320ReviewsAuthor InformationUmberto Pappalardo has served as Inspector of Excavations at Pompeii and Director of Excavations at Herculaneum. Rosaria Ciardiello, also a classical archaeologist, received her doctorate from the University of Naples Federico II. Luciano Pedicini, a second-generation photographer of antiquities, has contributed to numerous important publications. Tab Content 6Author Website:Countries AvailableAll regions |
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