Tunisian Mosaics Treasures From Roman Africa

Download or read book Tunisian Mosaics written by Aïcha Ben Abed Ben Khader and published by Getty Publications. This book was released on 2006 with total page 148 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As the Roman Empire expanded its African settlements in the early centuries of the common era, thousands of mosaic floor pavements were fashioned to adorn the townhouses and rural estates of the African upper classes. Between the second and sixth centuries, mosaic art blossomed, particularly in Africa Proconsularis, the region comprising modern Tunisia. In contrast to the official art of imperial Rome, mosaics generally expressed the worldviews of private citizens. These artworks are remarkable for the intricate beauty of their polychromatic geometric and floral designs, as well as for figural scenes depicting the interests and activities of the patrons who commissioned them--scenes of daily life, athletic contests, gladiator spectacles, and classical literature and mythology. Abundantly illustrated throughout, Tunisian Mosaics: Treasures from Roman Africa offers the general reader a lively introduction to this extraordinary ancient art. Initial chapters survey the historical background of Roman Africa and discuss the development of mosaic art in the Mediterranean. Subsequent chapters profile Tunisia's major mosaic sites and tour the collections of important museums. A final chapter surveys current initiatives to preserve this heritage for future generations.

Download or read book Stories in Stone written by Aïcha Ben Abed Ben Khader and published by Getty Publications. This book was released on 2006 with total page 206 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Between the second and the sixth centuries of the common era, elaborate mosaics were designed and created to pave the floors of town homes and rural estates of the Roman settlements in North Africa. These stunning mosaics were especially widespread in the colony of Africa Proconsularis, modern-day Tunisia, and covered a wide range of subject matter: from scenes of daily life and classical mythology, to abstract floral and geometric designs of rare vibrancy and complexity. A distinctive African style emerged, whose influence would extend throughout the Mediterranean basin and beyond. This catalogue is being published to coincide with an exhibition at the J. Paul Getty Museum at the Getty Villa from October 26, 2006, to April 30, 2007--the first major exhibition in the United States solely devoted to ancient mosaics. The twenty-seven mosaics in the exhibition come from Tunisia's leading museums, including the Bardo Museum in Tunis, the Sousse Museum and the El Jem Museum. Stories in Stone is structured around four principal themes--Nature, Theater and Spectacle, Myths and Gods, and Technique--and includes extensive material on mosaic conservation. In addition to color plates of all objects in the exhibit, this catalogue includes nine richly illustrated essays that illuminate the historical background of mosaic art, trace the development of principal themes, and examine the conservation of mosaics both in the museum setting and in situ. Contributors include Taher Ghalia, director of the Bardo Museum; Mongi Ennaifer, minister of cultural affairs, Tunisia; Thomas Roby, senior project specialist, Getty Conservation Institute; and Jerry Podany, head of antiquities conservation, J. Paul Getty Museum.

Download or read book Mosaics of the Greek and Roman World written by Katherine M. D. Dunbabin and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 1999 with total page 412 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book provides a comprehensive account of mosaics in the ancient world from the early pebble mosaics of Greece to the pavements of Christian churches in the East. Separate chapters in Part I cover the principal regions of the Roman Empire in turn, in order to bring out the distinctive characteristics of their mosaic workshops. Questions of technique and production, of the role of mosaics in architecture, and of their social functions and implications are treated in Part II. The book discusses both well-known works and recent finds, and balances consideration of exceptional masterpieces against standard workshop production. Two main lines of approach are followed throughout: first, the role of mosaics as a significant art form, which over an unbroken span illuminates the evolution of pictorial style better than any comparable surviving medium; and secondly, their character as works of artisan production closely linked to their architectural context.

Download or read book Mosaics as History written by G. W. Bowersock and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 2006-11-15 with total page 184 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the past century, exploration and serendipity have uncovered mosaic after mosaic in the Near East—maps, historical images and religious scenes constituting a treasure of new testimony from antiquity. In them, Bowersock finds historical evidence, illustrations of literary and mythological tradition, religious icons, and monuments to civic pride.

Download or read book Mosaics of Zeugma written by Mehmet Önal and published by . This book was released on 2003 with total page 76 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book The Dome of the Rock written by Oleg Grabar and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 2006-10-30 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Dome of the Rock was fully restored in the last half-century, it was built during the reign of Herod.

Download or read book Algeria and Tunis. Painted and Described written by Frances E. Nesbitt and published by . This book was released on 1906 with total page 540 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: