Mosaics

The Early-Christian and Byzantine art is from about 250 until 723. The Christians were subject to the Romans, but they were allowed to keep their religion. They were forced to sacrifice to the gods of the Romans. The Christians were prosecuted, because they refused this. Christianity spread very fast among all the social classes of the population, even in the army. Emperor Diocletians felt threatened and said that the Christians had no longer civil rights, the churches and writings had to be burnt. In 313, by decree of Milan Christianity was legally admitted by emperor Constantine.

The churches built after 313 are sober on the outside, but have larger rooms inside, because there were more worshippers and they were based on the basilica for example Santa Agnese. The churches, which were built a century later, are based on the ideas of the first churches, for example Santa Maria Maggiore with the classical arcade and mosaics of the nave and the triumphal arch. The mosaic art, essential for the Early-Christian basilicas, made itself free of this tradition.

Both mosaic cycles in the Santa Maria Maggiore date from the fifth century. The mosaics in the middle with scenes of the Old Testament, show a more classical, monumental narrative style, on the other hand the ones on the triumphal arch with the allegory of the divine motherhood of Maria, have an unambiguous Christianity character. One of the oldest Early-Christian churches in Rome is Santa Clemente.

The making of a mosaic picture differed in various periods and under various manufacturers. The cement into which the tesserae were fixed has been the subject of discussion and in some medieval example, of secrecy. Historically no cement has affected a permanent mosaic, as nearly every ancient example not destroyed is partially restored. The method of fixing the mosaic was as follows: Over the structural brickwork of the surfaces a coat of plaster was spread to cover it. This first coat of plaster was roughened so that the second coat of finer material would stick better. On this the main lines of the mosaic figure or composition were sketched with a brush and the mosaic pieces were pressed into the surface. The material between the pieces act as a key. Odd spaces between pieces were filled with gold pieces. The figures of subjects are composed of pieces of many colours and gradations of tone. The principal colours are cut out of sheets of opaque coloured glass, while the lighter ones are of marble. The gold mosaics are formed in the usual manner; a piece of gold leaf, on glass. A thin transparent film was then spread over both layers and the whole is heated so it melts together.

The medieval mosaics: The art of the Middle ages found her expression in the first place in the beautiful mosaics which gave the interiors of the churches a supernatural gloss. This effect was reached by laying the pieces unequal and a plain surface, which the old mosaics had, to avoid. They also used many gold and glass pieces. The mosaics were made in the stately elegant linear style of the Byzantine art. The composition of the apses of Santa Maria Maggiore by Jacopo Torriti (1295) sticks far out above usually severe arrangement of holy figures. The ninth century Santa Prassede, and the fourth century Santa Constanza form a connection with the mosaic art of Roman antiquity.

The Roma mosaics: The mosaics are built of little pieces of tesserae of natural coloured stones and they are carefully selected as to colour shades. This technique is supposed to have been implemented in the third century before Christ.

The difference between Roman art and Early-Christian art.

The Romans especially made floor-mosaics and used many colours, but they didn’t use bright colours, because they only had natural colours. The mosaics are made of marble, called Tesserae. They had such a refined engineering so they could reproduce paintings.

The Early-Christians especially made wall-mosaics. They used coloured glass and therefore they had more and glossier colours, that’s why it was hard to reproduce paintings. The Christian artists used the Roman Iconography, but gave another meaning to the mosaic, for example when the Romans made a mosaic with Hermes and a ram, then the Early-Christian copied the Roman-mosaic and said that it was a good shepherd. In the 12th and 13th century more and more scenes of the gospel and even of other bible books are composed on a narrative fashion: the live of the saints; pictures of the hole liturgic calender; the freguent application of details of buildings or landscapes. The pictures of the gospels become picturesque, although the Byzantic solemn are still kept, this is the Byzantic Iconography.