The mosaic is a pictorial composition obtained by using fragments of different types of material and colour (stones, glass, marble etc...). The mosaic can also be decorated with gold and precious stones.

It is not easy to define the mosaic’s origin: mankind has always manifested a natural tendency to decorate suppellectiles and buildings, using both pigments and little stones already coloured by nature. The word mosaic has an uncertain origin: some believe that it comes from the Greek term mousaikòn, which means patient work worthy of the Muses; in Latin the mosaic was known as opus musivum, which means work of the Muses or covering applied to the caves dedicated to the same Muses. This recall to the Muses is due to the custom of ancient Romans to build, caves and gorges dedicated to the Nymphs and Muses, in the villa gardens, decorating the walls with stones and shells. So musaeum or musivum indicates the cave and opus musaeum or opus musivum stands for the kind of mural decoration. Later on the adjective musaicum was commonly used to indicate the mosaic work.

In the Twentieth century there was a revival of the mosaic, in consequence of the coming of new artistic currents such as Impressionism, Pointillism, Expressionism, Abstractionism that took from the mosaic the fragmentation of the colour, the simplification of the shape and the chromatic scansion. Later on Liberty and Art Decò made of the mosaic a primary art.

THE MOSAIC IS PAINTING

In particular Antonio Gaudì and Gustav Klimt can be remembered for the innovative use of this  millennial technique.

In realizing a mosaic the tesserae are protagonists, but different materials can be used which in turn create various effects. However each one has its own advantage.

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Translation edited by Luciano Perulli