Identifier: handbookofarchae00west (find matches)
Title: Handbook of archaeology, Egyptian - Greek - Etruscan - Roman
Year: 1867 (1860s)
Authors: Westropp, Hodder M. (Hodder Michael), -1884
Subjects: Art, Ancient Archaeology
Publisher: London, Bell and Daldy
Contributing Library: Harold B. Lee Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Brigham Young University

View Book Page: Book Viewer
About This Book: Catalog Entry
View All Images: All Images From Book
Click here to view book online to see this illustration in context in a browseable online version of this book.

Text Appearing Before Image:
ange the colours and the beauty of painting.Painting could not be employed in the pavement of buildings, and Q 2 228 HANDBOOK OF ARCHAEOLOGY. mosaics gave them an appearance of great elegance. The mosaic ofthe Capitol, found in Adrians Villa, may give an idea of the perfec-tion which the Greeks attained to in that art. It represents a vasefull of water, on the sides of which are four doves, one of which isin the act of drinking. It is supposed by some to be the mosaic ofPergamus mentioned by Pliny. It is entirely composed of cubes ofmarble, without any admixture of coloured glass. Mosaics of this kindmay be considered as the most ancient; it was only by degrees thatthe art of colouring marble, enamel, and glass, multiplied thematerials suited for mosaics, and rendered their execution muchmore easy. It was then carried to a very high degree of perfection.The mosaic found at Pompeii, which represents three masked figuresplaying on different instruments, with a child near them, is of the
Text Appearing After Image:
MOSAIC OF DIOSCORIDES. most exquisite workmanship. It is formed of very small pieces ofglass, of the most beautiful colours, and of various shades. Thehair, the small leaves which ornament the masks, and the eyebrows,are most delicately expressed. What enhances the value of thismosaic is the name of the artist worked in it—Dioscorides of Samos.The subjects represented in mosaics are in endless variety, andgenerally are derived from mythology or heroic myths. Landscapesand ornaments in borders, in frets, in compartments, intermingledwith tritons, nereids, centaurs, are to be found on them. The prin- PAINTING. 229 cipal subject is in the centre, the rest serves as a bordering orframework.

Note About Images