Mosaic Art

Mosaic art is one of the stranger fields of fine art as there is a wide difference from more traditional models of fine art. Whereas painting shows a unique creation by the process of applying paint to canvas or other materials, a person involved in creating a mosaic will put more emphasis on the assembly of already collected pieces rather than the act of creation. In essence, making a mosaic is done by using smaller pieces of material, often tiles, glass, or stones, to make a larger image or pattern. A skilled mosaic artist will need to be able to envision the entire work and then assemble the pieces in a manner that produces the desired image.

The majority of early mosaic works were of a religious theme, with roots going back to 3000 BC. These were found in the Mesopotamia region and other early works were discovered in Greek and Roman cultures. These mosaic works often depicted images from mythology, centering on the gods that were found in these stories. As the world shifted to more defined religions, the mosaics began to be used in churches and other religious settings. In addition, the mosaics also started to appear in secular settings, such as imperial palaces and houses of government.

Before the Renaissance period began in Europe, the use of the mosaic style had largely fallen out of favor as artists started to prefer other techniques. However, some of the main artists of the Renaissance, including Raffael, incorporated mosaic pieces into some of their creations. In other areas of the world like Asia and the Middle East, the mosaic technique continued to be used and some of the most popular mosaic art pieces can be found in these regions. In modern times, the use of mosaic construction has diminished considerable, although digital and photograph mosaics are on the rise.