The C4th Roman Rotunda church in Thessaloniki is the most important monument of the early Christian era. In this comprehensive monograph, Hjalmar Torp presents the findings of his life-long archaeological and iconographic research on the Rotunda. He explores the archaeological data, the various phases of the architecture, and the chronological issues of the monument. The nuanced descriptions of the mosaics, their colours and their techniques are based on a detailed scaffold review and survey. The iconography of the mosaics is then analyzed and interpreted in conjunction with historical and theological sources; the building of the palatine church and its sumptuous decoration is attributed to an initiative by Theodosius the Great. This slip-cased set of two books, abundantly documented and richly illustrated, is a unique testimony on the Rotunda. Volume One: text. Volume Two: Illustrations. 500 illustrations, many in colour. This book is only available in French.

The largest maps in the world are to be found in the floor of the Citizens' Hall, in the heart of the Royal Palace Amsterdam. The three circular mosaics, each measuring over six metres in diameter, together depict the known world and the night sky. They remain to this day an iconic and beloved part of the majestic palace, which was originally built in the mid-17th century to serve as Amsterdam's town hall. At that time, the city was the world's leading cartography centre. The prominent place of the floor maps relates directly to that primacy. This book tells the story of these unique maps and of the flourishing of cartography in Amsterdam in the 17th and 18th centuries.

This book is an unprecedented documentation of the relationship between sculpture and mosaic, its birth and evolution. This book explores the different application of the concept of 'tesserae' by sculptors beginning in the 1930s, when Lucio Fontana and Mirko Basaldella first embarked upon their research on mosaic and the plastic arts. The peculiar creative process behind their creations was inspired by primitive Mesoamerican sculptures decorated with mosaics, viewed by the two artists in different times and places, and also by the growing interest in ancient Latin American art that was felt in Italy from the 1920s onwards. While Fontana and Mirko may be defined as the 'forerunners' of the happy union between sculpture and mosaic in the 1960s and 1970s, in the following decades it is Nane Zavagno and Riccardo Licata who set the main research trends - the former, especially for that which regards the use of 'untraditional' materials, and the latter for the use of mosaic tesserae in contemporary art. Subsequently, the art of mosaic sculpture unfolds following all of the main expressive moods of 20th and 21st century sculpture - iconic or aniconic, poetics or narrative, symbolic or conceptual - intensifying and emerging as a 'specific genre' at the close of the 1970s thanks to works by Antonio Trotta, Athos Ongaro and the Transavantgarde movement of Chia and Paladino. Ultimately, from the second half of the 1980s to the present, research and artistic production multiplies with varying and peculiar results - also thanks to some works of international relevance made in Ravenna, such as the tomb of Rudolf Nureyev in Paris. Hence the 'sculpture and mosaic' phenomenon witnesses a surge forwards with artists from all over the world who employ it in increasingly innovative and unexpected ways, consolidating the perception that mosaic sculpture has by now become an independent art form. Text in English and Italian.

Part 1: Eleventh and Twelfth Centuries. Text Volume: xvi, 496 p., 1 color plate, 74 halftones; Plate Volume: 236 p., 92 color plates, 377 half tones. Part 2: Thirteenth Century. Text Volume: x, 358 p., 1 color plate, 50 halftones; Plate Volume: xx, 284 p., 78 color plates, 354 half tones. Four-volume set in slipcase.

Decorated with the richest, most beautiful mosaics in the world, the Venetian church of San Marco is quite literally a treasure house of medieval art. The domes and walls of the church, encrusted with stone, glass, and gold, have been recognized, over the centuries, as a glorious historical and artistic record. Peopled with hundreds and figures--Adam and Eve, Noah and his progeny, Isaiah, Christ, Mark, of course, and other holy men and women of Venice--these mosaics create a cosmic panorama. "The Mosaic Decoration of San Marco, Venice" brings these unrivaled mosaics into breathtaking focus, combining a descriptive history of their creation and repair over the ages with close-up photographs revealing their iconographic detail.

Precious, brilliantly colored stones arranged by skilled artisans in intricate patterns that follow the designs of master architects have been an important aspect of Italian architecture for centuries. In this book, Kim Williams provides a detailed overview of these beautifully designed pavements. From the second-century Pantheon in Rome to the twentieth-century Santa Maria Novella train station in Florence, Williams traces the evolution of pavement design, points to characteristic design elements of each age, and explains the various techniques and materials used.
Analyzing the pavements in relationship to their particular architectural context, she shows how these designs heighten the architectural experience and provide a key to understanding architects' intentions. Williams also offers an in-depth analysis of individual pavements in order to shed light on the proportional systems, geometric constructions, symbolism and historical sources for the design. Through her accurately measured, exquisitely rendered drawings of the pavements, many of which have never before been documented, these pavements are given their full due as architecture and craft.

When Neapolitans speak of 'the museum' they are referring to the Museo Archeologico Nazionale. Among the marvels that make it the world's greatest collection of classical art, the Alexander mosaic was, from the moment it was brought to the museum in 1843, the 'great mosaic.' Although it is evident that the Pompeian mosaic reproduces a painting, since it was discovered in the House of the Faun on 24 October 1831 the identity of the original has been the subject of an intense debate among scholars. On being shown a drawing of the mosaic, Goethe wrote, 'The present and the future will not succeed in commenting correctly on this artistic marvel, and we must always return, after having studied and explained it, to simple, pure wonder.' Two centuries of archaeological inquiry have not exhausted the profundity of the picture and have not given wholly satisfactory replies to the principal questions regarding it, namely, which episode is being represented here, whether the painting was executed during Alexander's reign or later, and to whom it should be attributed. A new series of photographs-- allowing the most important aspects of the scene to be shown in vivid detail-- facilitates the expounding of a hypothesis that until recently would have seemed improbable, but is justified by a close examination of the literary sources and archaeological finds, as well as by unexpected evidence in the original paintings that have come to light in Macedonia: the attribution to Apelles, the most famous painter of antiquity, whose revolutionary impact is fully described in this fascinating account.
Paolo Moreno was born in Udine in 1934. A pupil of Ranuccio Bianchi Bandinelli in Rome and of Doro Levi inAthens, he was Director of the Institute of Archaeology at the University of Bari, where he founded the series entitled "Studi sull'antico" (1-7, Bari, 1975-85), then he became Professor of the History of Ancient Art at La Sapienza University, Rome. Since 1992 he has been Professor of Greek and Roman Art at the Universita di Roma Tre.
Formerly on the editorial staff of the "Enciclopedia dell'arte antica" at the Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana, he has contributed to the" Lexicon Iconographicum Mythologiae Classicae," numerous journals in Italy and abroad and the series: "Fonti per la Storia dell'arte,"" Monumenti della Pittura antica scoperti in Italia,"" Storia e civilta dei Greci,"" I grandi Musei,"" Guide pratiche,"" Civilta del Mezzogiorno,"" Itinerari de l'Espresso,"" Saggi di Archeologia," "Grandi Libri," "Archivi di Arte antica."
He has made an important contribution to the new direction in the history of ancient art with a continuous series of publications on fundamental themes: the links between the Severe style and Classicism ("I Bronzi di Riace," "Il Maestro di Olimpia e i Sette a Tebe," Milan, 1998; "Les Bronzes de Riace," Paris, 1998; "La bellezza classica," "Guida al piacere dell'antico," Turin, 2001); the original paintings found in Macedonia ("Pittura greca, Da Polignoto ad Apelle," Milan, 1987; "Pintura Griega," Madrid, 1988; "Elementi di pittura ellenistica," Rome, 1998); the greatest Greek bronze sculptor, Lysippus ("Testimonianze per la teoria artistica di Lisippo," Treviso, 1973; "Lisippo," Bari, 1974; "Vita e arte di Lisippo," Milan, 1987; "Lisippo, L'arte e la fortuna," exhibition catalogue, Milan, 1995); the most famous Greek painter, Apelles("Apelle, La Battaglia di Alessandro," Milan, 2000); an analysis of a complex period ("Scultura ellenistica," I-II, Rome, 1994); the transition to Imperial art ("Sabato in museo, Letture di arte ellenistica e romana," Milan, 1999); an overview from the Geometric period to Late Antiquity, in "Arte, Storia universale," Milan, 1997 (also published in installments by the newspaper "La Repubblica," 1997: "Arte, Enciclopedia universale"); observations on those responsible for creating the present archaeological collection at the Galleria Borghese in Rome (in "Galleria Borghese," Milan, 2000, Eng. ed. "The Borghese Gallery").

Foolproof mosaic projects for your garden, including planters, furniture, and ornaments

One of the most long-lasting and hard-wearing artforms, mosaic pieces are perfect to make the most of your outdoor room. Suitable for a tiny terrace or a large garden, the projects in Garden Mosaics show you how to decorate your outdoor space in the most charming, individual, and enduring way.

The extensive techniques section shows you how to choose and use the right tiles for your environment. The range of tiles on the market today is better than ever; and the book makes the most of the wealth of new materials available such as spangled tiles or inexpensive but authentic gold-leaf tiles. As you progress, you can develop your own creativity with tips on tile- and colourmatching that allow you to adapt the projects to make pieces completely unique to you and your garden.

All suitable for beginners, the 25 projects in the book range from simple decorative pieces, such as the enchanting, simple child’s footprints and butterfly stones to practical and sturdy weatherproof pieces, including a trompe l’oeil chequered mosaic tabletop and delightful planters that will add colour to your garden especially in winter. Some projects, such as the night light, can be finished in under two hours.