Mosaics from Hadrian’s Villa

1. Mosaics from Hadrian’s Villa Date:125-134AD (2nd phase of Villa) Location: The floor of the Central Court, Hadrian’s Villa Height: 52cm Width: 62cm Materials: Coloured stone and glass What I need to know: Subject matter, stylistic features, process of mosaic making

2. MOSAICS: General background & Styles - A Greek idea - made from cubes of stone from 2nd Century BC - Used as floor and wall decoration Fashion evolved (till 2nd Century AD) - black/white geometric - polychrome, decorative patterns - scenes in style of Greek painting A luxury, displaying wealth. - some made on site inset directly in floor - floor prepared, leveled, straw/mortar/ brick/lime layers to give solid foundation all on a bed of wooden planks - some prefabricated in workshop -held together with a glued cloth -taken to site and laid in frame in soft mortar, glue dissolved and cloth removed. -called emblemata (Gk for portable mosaic) OPUS VERMICULATUM -figured scenes made from tiny tesserae, small (1-4mm) coloured cuboid stones. - Set into wet mortar in flowing lines and curves (worm-like) – like brush strokes. -tiny tessarae in graduated colours simulated painting. - Hadrian’s mosaics are fine examples.

3. Some fine example of geometric patterns in mosaic black/white floors of Hadrian’s Villa

4. MOSAICS: Greek painting influences • - Based scenes on Greek wall paintings (Hadrian the helenophile) • Used imported marble form Greece to give subtler colour range (like paint) Compare this • CHARCTERISTICS • - spatial depth (3D on a 2D surface) • - foreshortening • different levels (foreground/midground/background) • overlapping figures • linear perspective (no vanishing point) • use of shadows • fading distance (atmospheric perspective). • - naturalistic, including landscape, mood. • Highlighting & shading • sense of volume. With this

5. OUR MOSAICS • Both the mosaics in our study were from the floor of the central courtyard of the Piazza d’Oro • Both are polychrome (mutlicoloured), tessellated (made from tesserae), emblemata (prefabricated) • Greek in content and style • Made in the second phase of the Tivoli villa’s construction (about 130AD)

6. THE GOAT MOSAIC A figured scene with landscape water and vegetation of 5 Goats peacefully grazing by a stream with a goat herd or god STYLE CONTENT • -Goats naturalistic, • different angles & viewpoints • spatial depth (3D on a 2D surface) • Foreshortening • different levels (foreground/midground/background) • overlapping figures • linear perspective (no vanishing point) • use of shadows • fading distance (atmospheric perspective). • naturalistic, including landscape, mood. • Highlighting & shading • sense of volume. On the rock is a bronze, wreathed figure with a staff (left) and bunch of grapes (R) Fertility symbol on the tablet Goatherd? female fertility deity? likely Dionysus (goats, grapes, fertility symbols) “Sacro-idyllic”

7. THE LION MOSAIC CONTENT STYLE A violent scene from nature with rocks, water, vegetation • -Animals naturalistic, • different angles & viewpoints • spatial depth (3D on a 2D surface) • Foreshortening • different levels (foreground/midground/background) • overlapping figures • linear perspective (no vanishing point) • use of shadows • fading distance (atmospheric perspective). • naturalistic, including landscape, mood. • Highlighting & shading • sense of volume. Golden lion with dark mane attacks a brown bull On other side of the pool a cow jumps back in fright Lines of blood Rocks and tree balance the scene