Alexander Mosaic

The Alexander Mosaic from the House of Faun I think that the Alexander Mosaic is a painting capturing the war that was going on during this time period. It seems as if the right side is doing better than the left. Also, the left side seems terrified since a lot of soldiers have been lost in the battle, which is shown by the lack of people on the left side of the painting. It also seems as if one of the men on the right side doesn’t want to be fighting in this battle and is reaching out to the left side. The horses look terrified and ready to run in a different direction then where the battle is. I think this is an important painting because it is displaying a battle time in history and what was happening on both sides. The Alexander Mosaic was first found during the 1831 excavation of Pompeii. Many have thought that this painting is to illustrate the Battle of Issus between the Persian king Darius and Alexander the Great in 333 B.C. Meanwhile, others think the painting illustrates the battle of Gaugamela in 331 B.C, which was when Alexander the Great and Darius fought once more. The painting is displaying Alexander the Great, the head of the troops, going into battle on the left side to attack Darius and his troops. However, it shows that the Persians have already turned to run away from the battle. The painting also illustrates that Darius…

is not uncommon for cathedrals in the Byzantine Empire to be used as status of prosperity and power, rather than being solely places of worship. San Vitale is known for the incredible mosaics that create a focus on Justinian, Theodora, and other political figures which make it more of a glorification of the emperor than a religious building. How much decadence and lavishness is acceptable before the focus of this church becomes more about paying respects to the people in power in the time it was…

medieval times artworks such as paintings and sculptures in the round were no longer being created, so the arts of the time were often mosaics (on the interior walls of churches), manuscripts in richly decorated bibles and architecture. Mosaics, specifically, changed over this period. Transforming from the classical style of the Greeks and Romans, with the realistic and naturalistic forms, developing its own methods, becoming denatured and adding an abundance of symbolism to the pieces. Two such…

Tessellations , Tessellations are a arrangement of shapes closely fitted together , especially of polygons in a repeated patterns without gaps or overlapping . They make really pretty designs if you do it right . Another word for Tessellations is “tiling”.Tessellations are catching to the eye and they are found in the regular everyday patterns such as , bathroom floors , backsplashes , turtle shells , honeycombs, raspberries, quilts and fish . “Tessellations are also widely used in the design of…

One of the least common art forms in the contemporary art world is the mosaic. Compared to the more common art forms such as painting or ceramics, mosaics have decreased in use from their peak in the ancient world. However, this does not diminish the importance and beauty of mosaics, but rather allows modern societies to admire an art form that it is unfamiliar and exotic, with many intricacies that are not at first obvious. Commissioned mainly by the rich, mosaics grew and spread across the…

Ernst Kitzinger finds the way the artist characterizes the spatial illusion of the mosaic most significant. He notes that, the artist uses different techniques from other paintings to create this spatial illusion. The author is trying to demonstrate that the mosaic has different sections as it relates to the planes. He argues that the scale of these planes are not uniformed. While Thomas Mathew’s discussion reflects symbolism. He argues that this image is of Christ but it doesn’t have any…

Creating art is, as some say, the indication of mystery in excellence or God; it is a diversion in which man lets off an overabundance of steam [stored energy]; otherwise it is the outflow of feelings by man’s psyche, and most of all; it is pleasure; however, considering everything, it is a method of social unity amongst mankind; consoling them in similar feelings and forever extending the shared common visual language of the world. Through new visual ideas introduced by artists, categories of…

Empress Theodora and Attendants, is a mosaic found in the Church of San Vitale, Ravenna, Italy. Considered to be one of the most important surviving example of Byzantine architecture and mosaic work, it was created ca. 526-547 under Ostrogothic rule. Empress Theodora and her entourage are displayed in the south wall of the apse, right across from Justinian and his retinue. One of the key stylistic changes we noticed when viewing this mosaic, is that it is leaving the classical styles of…

Image 1: Theodora and Her Attendants is a beautiful mosaic that is located in San Vitale in Ravenna. Some believe that this piece is part of a religious and political statement. The mosaic was created in 547 ca. This piece is making a statement of power. Justinian regained control of Italy and Ravenna after many years of being under anothers power. Justinian immediately reinstated Christanity as the religion of the country. In this piece Theodora is standing in front of a group of her…

Many have questions like what are tessellations? Tessellations are the arrangement of small squares in a checkered or mosaic form. Tessellations are seen all around, but yet you don't notice them. Tessellations can be found in your house from the tiles in bathrooms, or even to the honeycomb of bees. There was a famous man with the name of M.C. Esher, and he was the first to use these tessellations in artwork. He became well known for them and being the first one to use them M.C. Esher became…