As you cross the entrance hallway or the public areas between the floors and
even in some of the Cathedral Area mansion flats themselves you will, no doubt,
have noticed the fine floor mosaics. These works date back to the late Victorian and early Edwardian period known popularly as ‘The Arts & Crafts Movement’. Their very origins, style and technique however, lie in the history and language of past times.
The origins of the word mosaic come originally from the Medieval Latin word
‘mosaico’ which by around 1400 had translated into Old French as ‘mosaicq’, which literally translates as ‘a pattern or mixture’. A Mosaicist uses tesserae a Latin word which literally translates as ‘cubes; or ‘dice.’ This word had originated from the ancient Greek word for ‘four’. These small cubical or other regular shaped pieces of glass, stone, ceramics, tiles which make up a mosaic. (The earliest examples date from around 200BCE in Hellenistic art and were made of marble and limestone, which replaced natural pebbles).
Mosaics normally differ from an ‘inlay’ where the latter fits into a space that
has been hollowed out to receive the design. Mosaic pieces, on the other hand
usually are applied onto a surface that has been prepared with an adhesive. There have traditionally been two main techniques used for mosaics. The ‘Direct’ method involves glueing the individual tesserae onto a supporting surface, often concrete, which usually has ’underdrawings’ of the main outline upon it. This was traditionally used for historic European wall and ceiling mosaics. A variation of this ‘the double-direct’ uses a fiberglass mesh which is done in a studio rather than on site. The other main technique is the ‘Indirect’ method, which is ideally suited to very large projects. Here the tesserae are applied face-down to a backing paper using a water-soluble adhesive. It is then transferable in sections to the site where it can be cemented with the paper facing outwards. Once fixed in place the paper is then dampened and removed. The grouting can be done where and when necessary to give a smooth and consistent finish. To seal the mosaics especially on floors a glue and water mix is used while outdoors a waterproof sealant is used. Penetrating sealers soak into the pores of the grout, stone and ceramics. Normally two coats will form a strong membrane on the surface of the mosaic.
Mosaics have a long evolutionary history. The oldest example, found in what is now Central Turkey go as far back as the pre-classical period, of the Hittites, sometime between the 3rd and 1st millennium BCE. It was the ancient Greeks that introduced mosaics to the Romans. One of the finest Roman mosaics is that of Alexander the Great, King of Macedonia (356-323 BCE) discovered under the ash in Pompeii (destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD79). Created in the 1ST century CE this 17ftx9ft mosaic depicts Alexander at The Battle of Issus(333BCE) against the Persian forces under King Darius 111. A particularly unique mosaic was found under a 4th century CE building in Rastan, near Homs, in Syria and is 65.5ftx20ft showing many mythical scenes including the Trojan and Amazon wars, the Roman sea god Neptune and 40 of his mistresses as well as Hercules slaying the Amazon queen, Hippolyta. Roman Britain mosaics are known to have existed since 60 AD, with the Legionnaires bath house in Exeter. While Roman mosaics were mostly used as floors the Byzantines (330-1453) specialised in covering walls and ceilings. Muslim rulers from 7th century AD adopted mosaic art to decorate their mosques and places of worship. Indeed, it was the Moors who brought mosaic and tile art to the Iberian Peninsula from 8th century AD. However, Mosaics as an art form declined in popularity from the 15th century until the 19th century, replaced by paintings. That said paintings were too fragile to use in large churches often damp and cavernous and so were transposed to the more durable medium of mosaics. Such an example being St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome started in the early 16th century.
The resurgence of mosaics, that we see daily, came from the important
archaeological discoveries in the 19th Century and the Great Exhibition of 1851 that stimulated artists imagination. One famous Roman mosaic that had an enduring influence on modern mosaic design was the ‘Doves of Pliny’ from the 2nd century AD (mistitled given that Pliny the Elder died in 79AD). The Arts and Crafts Renaissance was the major aesthetic and social movement of the late 19th century and early 20th century. It stressed the importance of decorative arts, crafts, materials and techniques in architecture including the use of mosaics. One of the major manufacturers was Jesse & Henry Rust Victorian Mosaic based in Battersea. The Hotel Russell (1898), Victoria & Albert Museum (1852), Royal Albert Hall (1867/71), the Natural History Museum (1873 begun) and St Pancras Station (1868) are all examples, in London, of public buildings, that reflect the values and aspirations of the day and where mosaics are very much in evidence. In homes the cheaper and more readily available materials meant that mosaics were used in entrances, halls and hearths. Mosaics were seen as a symbol of status, taste and culture very much what is seen in the Mansion blocks in Westminster. The access to vibrant shades and colours, such as turquoise, emerald green, ruby red and metallic and iridescent finishes and cuts all aided this progression. The different finishes and cuts that could catch and shimmer in natural and or artificial light enhanced their potential and reputation.
Interestingly, during this period, mosaics were not simply limited to walls and
floors but were even popular in use in furniture as tops and even inlays while micro mosaics became popular jewellery items. People as renowned and illustrious as Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806-1861) and the Empress Eugenie (1826-1920 – wife of Napoleon 111) wore Byzantine and Christian motif styled mosaic jewellery.
Our Mansion block mosaics coincide with the start of work done in Westminster Cathedral, which is on-going and where already over 14 million pieces of mosaic adorn its interior. Many of the chapels are covered in glittering beautiful mosaics. The earliest were installed in 1902/3 in the Holy Souls Chapel. Only the crypt and confessional mosaics realise the dream of Cardinal Bourne (Cardinal at 40 in 1911 and in position until1935) to replicate the Cathedrals in Monreale and Palermo in Sicily. The Arts & Crafts Movement (William Morris being its best-known exponent) is reflected in the work done between 1912 &1916 which can be seen in the work done by Robert Anning Bell, Robert Weir Schultz and George Jack in the Lady and St. Andrew’s Chapels. It is interesting that our floor mosaics pre-date those in this famous Catholic landmark.
Credit: Claude Keith
