ΣΥΝΆΘΡΟΙΣΗ
A mosaic is a piece of art or image made from the assemblage of small pieces of colored glass, stone, or other materials. It is often used in decorative art or as interior decoration.
ΔΕΎΤΕΡΟΣ ΑΙΏΝΑΣ
The Hellenistic period is equally the time of development of the mosaic as such, particularly with the works of Sosos of Pergamon, active in the 2nd century BC.
ΖΩΓΡΑΦΙΚΉ
Certain mosaics, however, provide a pretty good idea of the "grand painting" of the period: these are copies of frescoes.
"A tessera is an individual tile, usually formed in the shape of a cube, used in creating a mosaic."
ΨΗΦΙΔΕΣ
Most mosaics are made of small, flat, roughly square, pieces of stone or glass of different colors, known as tesserae. Figural mosaics could have been copied or adapted paintings and the style was enthusiastically adopted by the Romans so that large floor mosaics enriched the floors of Hellenistic villas.
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There are three main methods: the direct method, the indirect method and the double indirect method.
The direct method of mosaic construction involves directly placing and gluing the individual tesserae onto the supporting surface.
The indirect method of applying tesserae is often used for very large projects, projects with repetitive elements or for areas needing site specific shapes. Tiles are applied face-down to a backing paper using an adhesive, and later transferred onto walls, floors or craft projects.
The double indirect method can be used when it is important to see the work during the creation process as it will appear when completed. The tesserae are placed face-up on a medium (often adhesive-backed paper, sticky plastic or soft lime or putty) as it will appear when installed. When the mosaic is complete, a similar medium is placed atop it. The piece is then turned over, the original underlying material is carefully removed, and the piece is installed as in the indirect method described above.
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The Greek figural style was mostly formed in the 3rd century BC. Mythological subjects, or scenes of hunting or other pursuits of the wealthy, were popular as the centrepieces of a larger geometric design, with strongly emphasized borders.
