Mosaic

A mosaic is an image or pattern made by arranging small pieces of material on a surface. Its design emerges from the pieces’ colors, shapes, and placement.

Tessera: A small piece of stone, glass, ceramic, or another material used to build a mosaic. Individual tesserae are the pieces arranged to form a mosaic’s image or pattern.
Alexander Mosaic: A Roman floor mosaic from Pompeii depicting Alexander the Great’s battle with Darius III. Its densely packed tesserae model movement, faces, and dramatic light.
Direct method (mosaic): A mosaic-making method in which pieces are placed directly onto the final surface. The artist can adjust each tessera while seeing the finished surface take shape.
Pebble mosaic: A mosaic made from natural pebbles set into a surface to form patterns or images. Pebble mosaics are an early form of the medium, predating cut tesserae.
Floor mosaic: A mosaic designed as a floor surface or decoration. Floors have been among the most common settings for durable mosaics.
Mortar: A workable building material that hardens to bind masonry units or set them onto a surface. Mortar can secure tesserae to a substrate and fill spaces between them.
Mosaics of Ravenna: A collection of late antique and Byzantine mosaics in Ravenna, Italy. Their luminous gold backgrounds show mosaic’s role in sacred interiors.
Indirect method (mosaic): A mosaic-making method in which pieces are assembled face-down on a temporary backing before installation. It allows a section to be made flat before it is transferred to its final surface.
Greek mosaic: Mosaic art produced in ancient Greece, including pebble and cut-stone works. Greek makers developed figurative floor mosaics from earlier pebble designs.
Wall mosaic: A mosaic installed on a wall or other vertical surface. Wall mosaics make images and patterns part of architectural interiors and facades.

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