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Exploring the Art of Mosaics

This quiz explores the fascinating world of mosaics, covering historical examples, techniques, and significant locations associated with this art form.

#mosaics #art history #Byzantine art #Renaissance #architecture #cultural heritage

1 Rather than being assembled by hand, mosaics designed using ________ (CAD) software can be assembled by robot.

2 The Chapel of Ss. Primo e Feliciano in ________ has very interesting and rare mosaics from the 7th century.

3 A similar Theotokos image flanked by two archangels were made for the Hagia Sophia in ________ in 867.

4 The only surviving 12th-century mosaic work in ________ is a panel in Hagia Sophia depicting Emperor John II and Empress Eirene with the Theotokos (1122–34).

5 Ostrogoths kept alive the tradition in the sixth century, as the mosaics of the Arian Baptistry, Baptistry of Neon, Archiepiscopal Chapel, and the earlier phase mosaics in the ________ and Basilica of Sant'Apollinare Nuovo testify.

6 [15] A modern example of mosaic is the Museum of Natural History station of the ________.

7 Micromosaic: using very small tesserae, in ________ icons and Italian panels for jewellery from the Renaissance on.

8 The composition resembles the great baptistries in ________, with apostles standing between palms and Christ in the middle.

9 The Nea Moni Monastery on ________ was established by Constantine Monomachos in 1043-1056.

10 Beyond the ________ the first important example of mosaic art was the decoration of the Palatine Chapel in Aachen, commissioned by Charlemagne.

💡 Interesting Facts

  • the Frauenfriedenskirche (pictured) at Frankfurt am Main (Germany) is an unusual expressionist church, decorated with monumental mosaics.
  • the World War II bombing of Canterbury on 1 June 1942 revealed a mosaic pavement (pictured) which is now a scheduled monument, sheltered by the Roman Museum.
  • the Freemasons Tavern in Hove, with its elaborate mosaic exterior decorated with Masonic symbols, is "reminiscent of the Viennese Secession".
  • the Madaba Map is a large Byzantine mosaic from circa 550 CE that depicts the topography of Jerusalem and surrounding areas in great detail.
  • when British mosaicist Elaine M Goodwin and three fellow artists founded an exhibiting group in 2008, they deliberately avoided the word "mosaic" due to its negative perception in the art world.
  • the only damage suffered by the dome of the Hagia Sophia in the 1509 Istanbul earthquake was plaster covering up Byzantine mosaics fell off, revealing Christian images.
  • the monastery of Nea Moni on the island of Chios, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, contains some of the finest surviving mosaics (example pictured) from the Macedonian Renaissance.
  • the excavation at Norton Priory, Cheshire, in the 1970s revealed the largest floor of mosaic tiles to be found in any modern excavation.
  • Sheesh Mahal ("Palace of Mirrors" in English) in Lahore Fort was originally decorated with frescoes that were later replaced with pietra dura and convex glass and mirror mosaic.
  • semi-domes (pictured) are a typical focus for mosaic or fresco icons in Byzantine art.
  • after 30,000 people visited the Roman-era mosaic in Lod in one weekend, it was reburied to prevent damage until the Lod Mosaic Archaeological Center opened.
  • although large designs in earlier Roman mosaics were mostly floors, Late Antique and medieval mosaics in Italy are found mainly on walls and ceilings.
  • excavations of the Roman castrum at Charax, Crimea revealed drains made of clay pipes and a reservoir with a mosaic portrayal of an octopus.
  • Roger II's Palatine Chapel in Palermo combines the Byzantine dome and mosaics with Arabic arches and inscriptions.
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