This is the sixth of thirty-one
readers used in the
Veritas Press
Phonics Museum
program The first
mosaics we know of were made in Greece in the 8th
century B. C. These were floors paved with natural pebbles arranged in geometric shapes. Shortly before the fourth century B. C., wall mosaics of decorated pebbles were being made in private houses. Within a century, a wide range of colors were used and three-dimensional effects were achieved. In the middle of the third century B. C., we see examples of the "tessellated mosaic" technique, in which pieces of stone or marble were cut into cubes and fitted closely together on a bed of mortar. Gradually, the pieces would be cut smaller to achieve detail that imitates painting. The Romans continued the Greek form of tessellated mosaics, and they developed a technique of cutting stone or marble to the shape needed for a specific design. In the time of the Roman empire, some mosaics were mass-produced. They were widespread in houses, expensive apartments, and public buildings. Geometric designs were more typical, and figured works were objects of luxury. Some of the most brilliant mosaics came from the Byzantine world. Unlike the realism of Roman mosaics, Byzantine mosaics reflect the mysticism that typified Byzantine culture. The Byzantines saw less of a need for refined techniques of perspective that were evident in Roman art. They de-emphasized physical realism and embellished their works with glittering colors that captured a sense of solemnity and heavenly radiance..
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