Mosaics were a common art form throughout the Roman world. Mosaic floors and wall art were features of many public buildings and private homes, although it was expensive to hire an artist to produce a mosaic, so most privately owned mosaics were held by wealthy Romans.
Mosaic art was developed independently by cultures throughout the ancient world, but there is no doubt that the mosaic work of the cultures around the Mediterranean Sea influenced each other. Using small stones set in a mortar for flooring dates back more than three thousand years to the Mycenaean Greek and Minoan civilizations. Setting stones for flooring using pattern was developed in the Near East as early as the eighth century BC. True patterned mosaics first appeared in Greece as early as the fifth century BC and within two hundred years the portrayal of figures using colored tiles was common. True mosaic art came into its own during the Hellenistic period during the third century BC, spreading throughout the Near East and Mediterranean world. By the second century BC, smaller tesserae were used allowing for sophisticated and nuanced shading and design.
The early Roman use of mosaic art followed the Hellenistic culture in the use of mythological scenes, landscapes, and seascapes as subjects. Sometimes Roman mosaics were copies of Greek originals. In time Roman artists developed their own style incorporating exotic animals and everyday items such as food, clothing, domesticated animals and people into their mosaic art. Individual portraits and scenes from drama and gladiator sports became more common. In time even pornographic art was produced using mosaics.
Floor mosaics became a prominent feature of Roman homes and public buildings. Creating complex designs using black and white tiles was common but Roman mosaicists also created landscapes, seascapes, and detailed portraits using mosaics. By the time of Caesar and the fall of the Roman republic, mosaic art had reached great heights.
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