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Synopsis
Using thousands and sometimes millions of pieces of colored stone or glass to create elaborate patterns or scenes is a painstaking and expensive way to decorate a surface. Yet, the art of mosaic enjoyed spectacular success in the Graeco-Roman world, where its practitioners created some of the most beautiful artworks in history. This handsomely illustrated and elegantly written book traces the evolution of mosaic from the Hellenistic period to the early Christian era, with particular emphasis on the Roman Empire, and examines its regional variations from Britain to North Africa and from the Levant to the Spanish seaboard. The eminent classical scholar Roger Ling explains how mosaics were first made in the fifth century B.C. with the use of inset pebbles to provide durable pavements. He shows how mosaic became one of the hallmarks of luxury in Roman times, when such masterpieces of imperial floor decoration as the black-and-white silhouette pavements of Ostia and the colorful figure compositions of Piazza Armerina in Sicily were created.From pavements, mosaic graduated to walls and ceilings, where it culminated in the soaring blue and gold work of early Christian churches in Rome, Constantinople, and Ravenna. Ling examines the wide range of styles and subject matter employed by mosaicists, whether geometric patterns or figurative scenes of mythology, agriculture, and hunting, and explores what mosaics reveal about domestic and imperial tastes and aspirations. Such topics as techniques and materials, the relationship of mosaic to other forms of interior decoration, and the influence of ancient mosaics in more recent times are also discussed in detail. Illuminating, attractive, and affordable, this book makes a major contribution to classical scholarship and will also appeal strongly to art historians, artists, designers, and general readers.
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4.6 out of 5 stars (5 customer reviews)
54 of 55 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Inspirational, 23 Oct 2000
By Anaxila - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Ancient Mosaics (Paperback)
This title is absolutely worth every penny. Though weighing in at only 143 pages, it is deceptively meaty and educational. The 106 selected photos (47 color and 49 B/W) are crisp, beautiful, and plentiful, and the inclusion of a maps and a glossary were also helpful. The mosaics selected for illustration are sublime, and even those ravaged by time are hardly less beautiful for it. Chapters are (in order) Intro, Greek Period, Roman Italy, Roman North-West, Roman Africa, Wall and Vault Mounts, and Context and Meaning. In a book of this length each chapter is necessarily short, but the examples chosen to illustrate each section are well-chosen to guide further study in selected areas.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
good text but few color photographs, 27 Oct 2007
By L. Sanabria - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Ancient Mosaics (Paperback)
This book was a disappointment and when I look at the ridiculous prices being asked for it these days ($62.00 for the cheapest copy!!), I got motivated to write a review. It all depends on your expectations. If you want information on Greek and Roman mosaics, on the history and techniques, then this book has a lot of information, even if it is a short book (140 pages). But if you want stunning pictures of ancient mosaics, this is not the book to get. The book has 47 color pictures and 49 black/white pictures. The pictures tend to be small, as the priority is given to the text, not the photographs.
My interest is in Byzantine mosaics. Two books that have good color pictures of Byzantine mosaics are: "Byzantine Art" by Jannic Durand, and "Byzantium: from Antiquity to the Renaissance" by Thomas Mathews, which is a smaller book, but also has many color photographs. Neither of those would qualify as a coffee table book, but the one by Durand comes closest to that.
German publisher Konemman came out with a book which is oversize that probably has lots of picture of Byzantine art (as well as Ottoman art), called "Constantinople: Istanbul's historical heritage", by Stephane Yerasimos. I have not seen it yet, but Konemann's books are usually "feast for the eyes" material.
I don't know of book on ancient mosaics in general (not just Byzantine) that has great color photographs. If that is your interest, surely this one by Roger Ling is not the one.
5.0 out of 5 stars
A great big thank-you to Roger Ling, 6 Jan 1999
By Terri A. Morrison (norseman@televar.com) - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Ancient Mosaics (Paperback)
I really appreciate scholarly works like this book. I've been trying to find a good book on the history of mosaics that is - in-print - and this is it! Excellent documentation! Not too - dry - of a read either. A big thanks to Roger Ling for the enlightenment. Beautiful photographs, wish there were a-whole-lot more.
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