Today it's the mosaic's turn. I invite you on an exciting journey through the world’s temples and museums in order to get acquainted with the best examples of world mosaic art.
1. "Battle of Issus""
"Alexandra's mosaic" - one of the most famous mosaic images of antiquity - is laid out from one and a half million pieces. This miracle was discovered during excavations of the ancient city of Pompeii on the floor of one of the rooms House of Faun and then transferred to National Archaeological Museum Naples, where today anyone can see it. A grandiose mosaic panel (313 × 582 cm) depicts Alexander the Great, attacking the Persian king Darius III. Unfortunately, the mosaic has not been completely preserved. Yes, this is not surprising, given what happened to Pompeii. However, Alexander's vestments can still be seen in the image. He is without a helmet, in beautiful linen armor, decorated on the chest with an image of the head of Medusa the Gorgon.
Here is the entire mosaic. At first it was located on the floor of the museum, but then it was hung on the wall to make it convenient to contemplate this magnificence:
And here is a larger fragment with Alexander. Look how detailed his clothing is!
2. Mosaic of the Basilica of San Vitale in Ravenna
The incomplete preservation of the “Battle of Issus” is rather an exception to the rule, since mosaic images are among the most durable. Created by the skillful hands of masters several centuries ago, they have not yet lost their magnificence. An excellent example of such preservation can be seen in the Basilica of San Vitale in Ravenna. The interior decoration of the basilica amazes with its rich splendor. The walls of the temple are decorated with numerous mosaics, but the largest and most famous of them are located in the lower level of the apse (the semicircular projection of the building). These are portraits of the Byzantine emperor Justinian and his wife Theodora, which are of particular value as they were created during their lifetime.
Justinian I surrounded by nobles and clergy:
Empress Theodora with her magnificent retinue:
The emperor and his wife are depicted here as those who ordered the construction of the temple (donators) with precious liturgical vessels in their hands. The mosaics represent a single composition and are made in such a way that the two processions seem to be moving towards each other, simultaneously heading towards the altar.
3. "Battle of Poltava" by Mikhail Lomonosov
It's no secret that Mikhail Lomonosov was a multi-talented person: a scientist, writer, poet, historian and philosopher. Possessor of a lively, inquisitive mind and extraordinary abilities, he, of course, could not ignore artistic creativity. But since Lomonosov was primarily interested in the practical side and the ultimate usefulness of any type of activity, his choice fell on mosaic. Lomonosov's mosaics became part of his activities as a scientist developing methods for producing glass and smalt.
To create the large-scale canvas “Battle of Poltava”, a picture was first drawn on cardboard. Lomonosov did not know how to draw, and one of the city painters was hired for this purpose. However, he laid out the mosaic with his own hands together with 8 assistants. The result was a grandiose (481 × 644 cm) panel depicting one of the most intense moments of the Battle of Poltava. Peter I appears before the beholder in the image of a brave commander leading Russian troops into battle. He makes his last trip to the battlefield at a moment when the outcome of the battle is already predetermined, but the situation is dangerous for the life of the king. To protect the autocrat, even at the cost of his own life, a simple soldier blocks his path. By placing the figure of a soldier in the center of the composition, Lomonosov emphasized the role of the people in the battle with the enemy.
You can see this grandiose mosaic by Lomonosov today at the Academy of Sciences in St. Petersburg.
4. Mosaic of the Pavilion Hall of the Hermitage
The interior of the Pavilion Hall of the Hermitage was created in the mid-19th century by the architect Stackenschneider. This is one of the most beautiful and unusual halls of the palace. You can write about it endlessly, but today I would like to draw your attention to the amazing mosaic on the floor of the hall, which is a halved copy of the mosaic floor of one of the baths of the ancient Roman city of Ocriculum, near Rome. The copy was created by Russian mosaicists from the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts. Even reduced by half, this copy is huge and amazing!
5. Map of the USSR made of colored stones “Industry of Socialism”
The creation of magnificent mosaics from precious and semi-precious stones does not seem unusual to us, because Russia is rich in temples and palaces in which many such masterpieces have been preserved. But “jewelry” mosaics continued to be created in the 20th century!
This largest geographical map in the world is made of precious and semi-precious stones using the mosaic technique. 27 square meters depicting an authentic physical map of the Soviet Union on a scale of 1:1,500,000 with all the seas and rivers, mountains and deposits, major cities and industrial enterprises are today stored in the All-Russian Scientific Research Geological Institute named after Academician Karpinsky. By creating this giant mosaic panel, which would display all the victories of the social industry, the Communist Party of the USSR decided to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the October Revolution in 1937. The mosaic model was made at the Academy of Arts, carefully selecting the color scheme in accordance with the characteristics of each specific area. All stone is domestic. The heights and land are Ural jasper, the water areas are lapis lazuli, the lowlands are amazonite.
This is what this beauty looks like up close:
Currently, St. Petersburg craftsmen are restoring the precious (in every sense of the word) map and promise that by the end of 2012 the work will be completed.
What famous mosaics are missing from this list, in your opinion?
In ancient Rome, mosaics were widely used to decorate the interiors of public buildings and private houses. The demand for it was very high, so the quality could vary.
The mosaic was made from natural stone...
Or smalt - colored glass.
Unlike Ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia and other ancient civilizations, in Ancient Rome, as in Ancient Greece, they used the volumetric-spatial principle of image. 
In ancient Roman painting, including mosaics, almost all genres are used.
The most popular were mythological and everyday genres.
Odysseus. Mosaic from the House of Odysseus and Dionysus in Dougga. III century
This mosaic can be classified as both a domestic genre and a group portrait.
Philosophers. Mosaic from the Naples Archaeological Museum.
The historical genre is much less common, but what quality! 
Battle of Isa. Pompeii.
Portraits, especially women's ones, are often idealized. 
Still life is one of the most popular genres. Seafood is especially loved.
II century. Vatican Museum.
Roman artists depicted birds and animals very often.
They are always recognizable and very expressive.
Mosaic from the Naples Archaeological Museum.
Mosaic paintings were often surrounded by a wide ornamental frame.
Mosaic from the British Museum.
Ornamental mosaics themselves were also quite common. The variety of ornaments is amazing.
Already in 336 BC. e. Philip, in fulfillment of the main task of the Panhellenic League, sent a 10,000-strong army to Asia Minor, but in the same year he was killed in Macedonia. We don't know who was behind this murder. The head of the state was Philip's son Alexander, who was destined to become the greatest commander and conqueror in the history of mankind.
Alexander's relationship with his father was difficult. Philip loved his son and hoped for his help in governing the state and in the war, but Alexander’s impetuosity and his fear of losing the throne due to his father’s second marriage resulted at times in serious conflicts. One way or another, at the time of the death of Philip II, his relationship with his eldest son was in a positive phase, so Alexander did not encounter much opposition when taking the throne. The young king was prepared from childhood to carry out great tasks. Words about the exclusivity of Macedonia and its rise among the states of Hellas were superimposed on Alexander’s natural ambition. Possessing great military talents, using the resources of all of Greece, being at the head of the most advanced army of that time, this man achieved amazing successes and, in fact, changed the world.
Alexander the Great began his reign by suppressing the uprisings of the Illyrians and Thracians, securing his rear. Then he decisively and brutally dealt with Thebes, who tried to return freedom, thereby showing all of Greece that Macedonian hegemony had not weakened after the death of Philip. Now it was possible to continue the work of his father - to take revenge on the Persians for the desecration of Greek shrines. The campaign in Asia began in 334 BC. e. A large Greek army went through the Hellespont to Asia Minor with Alexander.
The first battle with the Persians took place on the Tranche River. Alexander personally led a seemingly reckless cavalry charge across the river and completely routed the enemy. Then the Macedonian king began to consolidate his success in Asia Minor. The Greek cities of the coast surrendered to him, the Macedonian army occupied Caria, Lycia, Pamphylia, and Great Phrygia. By the spring of 333 BC. e. The Persian army tried to stop Alexander in Northern Syria, but near the city of Issus the Macedonians again put the Persians to flight. After this, the great conqueror conquered the Phoenician cities, thereby depriving the Persian fleet of bases (which consisted largely of Phoenician ships). In Egypt, Greek troops were greeted as liberators from Persian rule; the priests declared Alexander himself the son of the god Amon and pharaoh. Since then, he has constantly emphasized his divine origin.
While Alexander was establishing a new administration in the occupied lands, ensuring communications, and laying out cities, the Persians were gathering all their available forces to give the Greeks a decisive battle. Now we were talking about protecting the “heart of Persia”, its largest cities - Persepolis, Babylon, Susa. The army of Darius III concentrated 400 km north of Babylon near the town of Gaugamela. There in September 331 BC. e. The troops of Alexander the Great arrived. During the two-year respite, the Persian advantage in the number of troops increased even more. Their army at Gaugamela numbered 80 thousand people, including 12 thousand cavalry, 100 war chariots, 15 elephants. Alexander had 50–60 thousand soldiers, including 4–7 thousand cavalry.
The Macedonian battle formation consisted of a center (phalanx of heavy infantry), a right flank under the command of Philo (Macedonian cavalry), and a left flank under the command of Parmenion (allied Greek infantry). The flanks were covered by light cavalry and infantry. The second line contained medium infantry. In front of the front were archers who were supposed to meet the Persian chariots. Darius also positioned his troops in two lines: the first lined up the infantry, the second lined up the auxiliary troops. The cavalry were located on the flanks of the first line; the Persians placed chariots and elephants in front. The flat terrain and numerical superiority allowed the Persians to count on success.
Darius began the battle by throwing chariots and elephants into the attack. The chariots were equipped with sickles and were supposed to literally mow down the Macedonian ranks, but they received the order in time to make way for the “death machines.” The chariots, without causing any harm, drove through the enemy army, behind the first line they were captured by Alexander's grooms with the support of the middle infantry. The advance was partially repelled by light infantry, hitting the drivers with arrows and grabbing the horses by the reins.
After the first failure, Darius ordered an offensive along the entire front, but at the same time, Alexander the Great launched a swift attack on the enemy’s left flank with heavy cavalry. Here the Persian cavalry was overturned and put to flight. The success of the flank attack was supported by the Macedonian phalanx, which wedged itself into the resulting gap in the Persian battle formation.
On their right flank, Darius’s warriors managed to break through the enemy line, but then, instead of building on their success, the undisciplined multi-tribal Persian army began to plunder the convoy. The looting was stopped by the Macedonian medium infantry, which acted as a tactical reserve.
Meanwhile, a cavalry group under the command of the Macedonian king himself passed along the Persian rear and suddenly attacked the right wing of the Persians from behind. Darius was almost the first to leave the battlefield; his entire army followed him. The Persians fled in disorder towards Arbel. The very next day, the vanguard of the Macedonian army found itself 75 km from the battle site.
Diodorus reports that the army of Alexander the Great lost only 500 people; the entire huge convoy of the Persian army ended up in the hands of the victors. Now the path to Babylon was open to the Macedonian king; after the capture of this city, Susa with the royal treasury was captured, then Persepolis. The Achaemenid power ceased to exist, Alexander began to consider himself the legal heir of Darius III, whom he had defeated. He already had a colossal territory in his hands, but his conquests did not stop there. The “Son of Amun” could no longer stop; he dreamed of uniting the entire ecumene under his rule. Ahead were Bactria, Sogdiana, India...
Detection and preservation
The mosaic was discovered on October 24, 1831 during excavations of ancient Pompeii in Italy on the floor of one of the rooms of the House of Faun and was transferred in 1843 to the National Archaeological Museum of Naples, where it is kept to this day. First the mosaic was laid out on the floor as in its original form; The mosaic was placed on the wall for a better view. A copy of the mosaic was laid out on the floor of the Faun's house. The dimensions of the grandiose painting are 313x582 cm, but some of the fragments have not been preserved.
Iconography
The mosaic depicts the battle between Alexander the Great and the Persian king Darius III. Compositionally, Darius dominates the center of the picture. His eyes, wide with horror, are directed to the left, where Alexander’s spear pierces one of the bodyguards of the Persian king. With his right hand, the dying man is still trying to grasp the deadly weapon, as if he wants to take it out of his body, but his legs are already giving way, and he falls onto his bleeding black horse. Darius himself, with a confused face, unarmed, tries to turn his chariot around. His right hand extended with sympathy, but in vain, and a desperate look are addressed to the mortally wounded warrior who rushed between him and the attacking Alexander. However, both the look and the gesture of Darius apply equally to the approaching Alexander. The Persian king himself has already stopped fighting and therefore becomes a passive victim in an atmosphere of all-encompassing horror.
The Macedonian king, on the contrary, most actively determines events on the battlefield. Alexander, without a helmet, in luxurious linen armor, riding his Bucephalus, pierces the body of the enemy with a spear, without even casting a glance at his victim. His wide-open gaze is focused on Darius; even the gaze of the Gorgon on his gorgoneion is turned towards the frightened enemy, as if trying to further enhance this powerful hypnotic effect.
The portrait of Alexander corresponds to the so-called Lysippian type, which includes, for example, the statue of the head of Alexander from the Louvre. There is no traditional idealization of Alexander, who was often depicted with long locks of hair and full, soft features as the embodiment of the image of Zeus, the sun god Helios or Apollo.
Around Alexander, only a few Macedonians can be recognized by their cap-like helmets - also due to the destruction of the mosaic. However, the predominant part of the picture - approximately three quarters of the entire area - is given to the Persians. The Persians wear armor typical of Central Asia, similar to scales or shells made of plates. They cover the entire body and consist of rectangular iron or bronze sticks, tied together at the top, bottom or sides with cords. Depicted from a very bold angle, one of the Persians is trying to rein in a frightened horse right in front of Darius; This horse probably belonged to one of the warriors who fell to the ground. The face of the dying man, whom Darius's chariot just runs into, is reflected in his shield; this is the only face in the mosaic whose gaze is directed at the viewer.
The mosaic depicts the turning point of the battle using visual means. On the one hand, Alexander's superiority is shown. His regal bearing and composure, reflected in his wide-open eye and the spear piercing his enemy's body, have such a stunning and overwhelming effect on his opponents that they flee in panic. On the other hand, the position of Darius's body, the three Persians fighting in front of him, the numerous spears aimed at an angle to the left and up, still reflect the original line of the Persian advance, which gives credit to the Macedonian enemy. At the same time, three spears at the right edge of the mosaic indicate movement in the opposite direction. The counter-movement of these enemy lines is repeated, by the way, in many respects in the trunk and branches of a bare tree.
The interpretation of the battle in the mosaic coincides with the historical information we have: in both general battles of the campaign in Asia (at Issus and at Gaugamela, Alexander decided the outcome of the battle through a decisive tactical maneuver. In each case, he rushed into the enemy offensive lines, surrounded by his mounted hetairas, broke resistance to such a sudden attack and completely unexpectedly appeared in front of Darius, who then fled for his life.
No evidence has been found that the mosaic depicts the plot of the battle of Issus (except for similar descriptions of the battle at
Detection and preservation
The mosaic was discovered on October 24 during excavations of ancient Pompeii in Italy on the floor of one of the rooms of the House of Faun and was transferred to the National Archaeological Museum of Naples, where it is kept to this day. First the mosaic was laid out on the floor as in its original form; The mosaic was placed on the wall for a better view. A copy of the mosaic was laid out on the floor of the Faun's house. The dimensions of the grandiose painting are 313x582 cm², but some of the fragments have not been preserved.
Fragment of a mosaic with King Darius
The royal armor of Alexander depicted in the mosaic was reconstructed in Oliver Stone's film Alexander. The armor is decorated on the chest with a gorgonion, an image of the head of the Gorgon Medusa. Part of the mosaic, which depicts Alexander’s bodyguards from the hetaira, has not survived, and only the Boeotian helmet of the hetaira with a gilded wreath conveys the appearance of the famous ancient horsemen. A fragment depicting the standard of the Persian troops was also damaged.
Iconography
Prototype
Alexander defeats the Persians on the wall of the Sidonian sarcophagus.
In terms of iconography, the relief on the royal Sidonian sarcophagus (IV century BC), which also depicts Alexander’s battle with the Persians, is similar to the mosaic; Probably both monuments go back to a common source. The Pompeian work is considered a copy of the masters of the Alexandrian school of mosaic from a picturesque ancient Greek canvas, executed in a different technique. The Greek original is apparently mentioned by the ancient Roman writer Pliny the Elder (Natural History, 35.110) as a work commissioned by the Macedonian king Cassander, executed by Philoxenus of Eretria, a Greek artist of the late 4th century. BC e. The time reference for the creation of the painting, made from literary data, is confirmed by the manner of execution with a limited set of colors used and the method of drawing, characteristic of early Hellenistic times.
Additional illustrations
Mosaic of Alexander the Great or “Battle of Issus”.
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
See what "Alexander's Mosaic" is in other dictionaries:
- (2nd century BC), floor mosaic (see MOSAIC) in the House of the Faun in Pompeii depicting the battle of Alexander the Great (see ALEXANDER the Great) and Darius III at Issus. Possibly from Alexandria. Repetition of the famous painting by the Greek artist... ... encyclopedic Dictionary
Palestrine mosaic, 1st century. BC e. 585 × 431 cm Nile mosaic is an antique mosaic measuring 585 by 431 cm, depicting the bed of the Nile and scenes from Egyptian life of the Ptolemaic era. The date of creation of the mosaic was ... Wikipedia
- (2nd century BC) floor mosaic in the House of the Faun in Pompeii depicting the battle of Alexander the Great and Darius III at Issus. Possibly from Alexandria. A repetition of the famous painting by the Greek artist Philoxenus (late 4th century BC). Currently... ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary
mosaic- An image composed of many elements close to each other in size Source: Pluzhnikov, 1995 Mosaic (French mosaïque, Italian mosaico, from Latin musivum, literally dedicated to the muses), an image or pattern made of homogeneous... ... Dictionary of Temple Architecture
- (from the Greek μουσεϊον, abode, temple of the muses; Latin opus musivum, Italian musaico, French mosaïque, ancient Russian musia) in the broad sense of the word, a drawing or picture made up of multi-colored pieces of any solid body, ... ...
- (from the Greek μουσεϊον, abode, temple of the muses; Latin opus musivum, Italian musaico, French mosa ï que, ancient Russian musia) in the broad sense of the word, a drawing or picture made up of multi-colored pieces of any solid body, ... ... Encyclopedic Dictionary F.A. Brockhaus and I.A. Ephron
Mosaic- an image made of small pebbles (pebbles) or cubes (tesserae), plain or colored, laid on a solution; decorated the floors, sometimes walls and vaults of residential, public, and religious buildings. M. from ceramics is known in other countries. East in the IV-II millennium... ...
Alexandra mosaic- a painting depicting the battle of Alexander the Great and Darius III at Issus. Covered the floor of the exedra of the House of the Faun in Pompeii (5 x 2.7 m; 2nd century BC). Possibly, it was brought from Alexandria and appeared. copy from a painting by another gr. artist Philoxenus (4th century... Ancient world. Dictionary-reference book.
ALEXANDRA QUEEN- [Augusta] († 303), mc. (memorial April 23 or 21; memorial April 10). She suffered in Nicomedia along with the martyr. George the Victorious by the sentence of Emperor. Diocletian. A. Ts. believed in Christ, witnessing a miraculous healing by the angel of the Great Martyr. George from... ... Orthodox Encyclopedia
Musīvum, from small stones or glass pins, geometric figures (tesselatum), or entire paintings (musivum proper), were made, for example, a beautiful painting in Pompeii depicting the battle of Alexander, in which on one... ... Real Dictionary of Classical Antiquities
Books
- Greek mosaic. Story. People. Travel, Natalia Nissen. Historian and journalist Natalia Nissen, who lived in Greece for many years and currently works in this country, talks about it on the pages of her book. The author uses a special form...
