Tag Archives: mosaics

Mosaic Inspiration: Metropolitan Museum of Art

/ February 8, 2012
Celtic Knots

Slideshow

Celtic Knots Celtic Knots Celtic knots are the most significant design element in this rug.

Several weeks ago we were on our way to see the new installation of Islamic art at MMA when we lost our way, if only temporarily. This detour turned out to be a bonus because I stumbled upon the beautiful black and white mosaics in the great hall of the Greek and Roman Department that I had forgotten about. Not only are the rugs elegant and graceful, but rendering them in black and white, set in a nearly solid black field, makes them feel both modern and traditional and classically timeless. We discovered they were installed in the 1920′s.

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Inspiration: Mosaics in Berlin Museums

/ September 28, 2011
Neues Museum. A complicated organic border in bright greens.

Neues Museum. A complicated organic border in bright greens.Slideshow

Neues Museum. Neues Museum. Neues Museum. An elaborate Greek key in bright colors. It appears that this border is set in the restoration of the cement floor. Neues Museum. An elaborate maze floor set off with narrow borders and inset with a simple installation of mosaics highlighted with dark dots. Pergamon Museum. Note the irregular and somewhat crude cuts in this floor. Pergamon Museum. These are micro mosaics with the smallest pieces imaginable. Thie small scale of each piece of stone requires the most skilled artisan for effective installation.
Pergamon Musuem. More micro mosaics. Note the perfect proportions of the pattern. Pergamon Musuem. I loved the bead and barrel border that sets off a diamond floor. Pergamon Museum. Pergamon Museum. This is an elaborate layering of borders, each one an inspiration.

Last spring Robert and I went to Berlin on our way to Copenhagen. It was a convenient stop over and a wonderful place to explore museums. Several museums are conveniently located together on an island in the Spree River, within walking distance of other architecturally interesting buildings and our hotel in West Berlin. I had forgotten to write about my experience until I read Thomas Jayne’s blog Ancient and Modern Decoration where he wrote about his recent trip to the Neues Museum and his infatuation with Nefertiti.

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