Concept in Definition ABC

This word comes from Latin, specifically mosaicus, a term used by the Romans to refer to the combinations of stone and glass that were used to adorn the pavement of the temples dedicated to the muses.

From ancient Rome to today

The ancient Romans used the waste materials of some constructions as pieces for ornamentation. These pieces, also known as tesserae, were combined to decorate the pavement of the houses of the patricians or to adorn the walls of the temples or to beautify the buildings public. Is tradition it was assimilated by Christian Byzantine culture, uniquely to reproduce images with religious content.

During the Renaissance This tradition was recovered, in a very special way as a decorative technique in churches. As early as the 20th century, modernist architects used mosaic techniques to add color to the facades of buildings.

From an artistic point of view, the mosaic has had two forms of expression: as a decorative element in the architecture and in the decoration of interiors and gardens and, on the other hand, as an integrated technique in artisan ceramics.

The mosaic presents endless possibilities

A mosaic is not simply a set of stone and glass tesserae forming a He drew with a certain symmetry. In fact, all kinds of materials can be used (plastics, post-its, woods, metals or fabrics). Its versatility is more than evident and you can find tile sets for children to make a mosaic, photo murals, floral mosaics or tattoos that reproduce the techniques of this tradition artistic.

Its geometric dimension

The pieces that make up a mosaic cover a certain plane with a series of figures, which are combined looking for symmetrical shapes.

For this reason, it is sometimes stated that mosaic is a geometric type art (there are tessellations regular, semi-regular and irregular and they all have a pattern based on the principles of geometry).

Cultural mosaic

In some cities there is a large cultural diversity, ethnic and linguistics. Ancient Alexandria or modern New York City are a good example of this. This type of phenomenon has sometimes been described as a cultural mosaic. In this way, the creative technique for ornamentation serves as a metaphor to describe a human reality.

Photos: Fotolia - auremar / lunamarina