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Nek Chand ROCK GARDEN - A mosaic fantasy waterfall - the black samurai
Nek Chand Garden Mosaic Sculpture fountain chdigarh, india - savagecorp
India’s Vast Trash Garden a Monument to Recycling
Pallava Bagla
in Chandigarh, Punjab, India
for National Geographic News
October 7, 2002
A glorious testament to the artistic and intrinsic value of trash stands in the middle of the northern Indian city of Chandigarh, the capital of Punjab and Haryana, India’s storied northwestern state on the border of Pakistan.
Rock Garden in Chandigarh on Flickr - briandubois
Called the “Rock Garden,” this sprawling amusement “kingdom” has been made completely from waste materials.
Nek Chand’s Junkwall detail on Flickr - diametrik
“Built of industrial waste and thrown-away items, the Rock Garden in the city of Chandigarh is perhaps the world’s most poignant and salient statement of the possibility of finding beauty in the unexpected and accidental.” Carl Lindquist - Nek Chand’s Rock Garden at Chandigarh, India
Nek Chand Rock Garden Outsider Art Wall of Electricity on Flickr - Uri Zer aviV
Created by celebrated artist Nek Chand, the garden highlights the value of materials many people consider trash.
Nek Chand Rock Garden Recycled materials - ska ska202
For Chand, the Rock Garden is an expression of his hope for humanity and an idea that came to him four decades ago. “It all started out of personal curiosity,” said Chand, emphasizing that while others looked at trash as a problem that needed to be “hidden away,” he saw it as something that could be creatively transformed into art.
Mosaic Artist Nek Chand - Recycling Genius, Outsider Art - rougetete
Nek Chand started building his trash garden in the 1950s with urban and industrial waste, using everything he could lay his hands on, including stones and boulders to represent humans and animals. Pallava Bagla - India’s Vast Trash Garden a Monument to Recycling
Who is Nek Chand?
Nek Chand, a humble transport official in the north Indian city of Chandigarh, began to clear a little patch of jungle to make himself a small garden area.
Nek Chand Rock Garden Pebble, Rock people Chandigarh, India - morleyroarly
He set stones around the little clearing and before long had sculpted a few figures
Nek Chand’s mosaic material stash ceramic tile broken crockery china- ToreaJade
recycled from materials he found at hand.
Nek Chand Rock Garden Mosaic Sculpture Bangle dudes - Carol Mitchell
Gradually Nek Chand’s creation developed and grew;
lil ppl rock garden ceramic tile mosaic art NeK Chand on Flickr - krazykrayons
before long it covered several acres
Figurenpark im Nek Chand Rock Garden von Chandigarh on Flickr - Uli Franke
and comprised of hundreds of sculptures
Bunte Figuren im Nek Chand Rock Garden von Chandigarh on Flickr - Uli Franke
Neck Chand monkey pebble art sculpture in rock garden on Flickr - baignid
set in a series of interlinking courtyards.
After his normal working day Chand worked at night, in total secrecy for fear of being discovered by the authorities.
Recycled Wall Art ceramic tile, motors, sockets, ceramic pots - Ajay in India Tallam
When they did discover Chand’s garden, local government officials were thrown into turmoil. The creation was completely illegal - a development in a forbidden area which by rights should be demolished.
Nek Chand Picassiette Ceramic Tile Mosaic Art Garden - Angad
The outcome, however, was the enlightened decision to give Nek Chand a salary so that he could concentrate full-time on his work, plus a workforce of fifty labourers.
Nek Chand Rock Garden A Fantasy Monument Chandigarh, India - raksh
Nek Chand’s great work received immediate recognition and was inaugurated as The Rock Garden of Chandigarh.
Nek Chand Mosaic ceramic tile picassiette steps on Flickr - travellingjohnny
Now over twenty five acres of several thousand sculptures set in large mosaic courtyards
linked by walled paths and deep gorges,
Nek Chand Rock Garden chandigarh india cathedral on Flickr - diametrik
Nek Chand’s creation also combines huge buildings
Figuren über Wasserfall im Rock Garden von Chandigarh on Flickr - Uli Franke
with a series of interlinking waterfalls.
Nek Chand’s Sculptural Army above waterfall on Flickr - Uri Zer aviV
The Nek Chand Rock mosaic art people fountain sculpture - Matthew Winterburn
The Rock Garden is now acknowledged as one of the modern wonders of the world. Over 5000 visitors each day, some 12 million people so far, walk around this vast creation - the greatest artistic achievement seen in India since the Taj Mahal. Nek Chand Foundation
Where is Chandigarh?
Lower Shivalik Mountains on Sukhna Lake on Flickr - Pradeep
Chandigarh is located near the foothills of the Shivalik range of the Himalayas in Northwest India.
Le Courbusior Sculpture Open Hand official emblem of city of Chandigarh - Koshyk
Chandigarh, also called City Beautiful, is a city in India that serves as the capital of two states, Punjab and Haryana, and is a union territory of India.
Le Corbusier Chandigarh, India on Flickr - duncid
Known internationally for its architecture and urban planning,
Fine Art Museum-Punjab University, Chandigarh on Flickr - Shubh M Singh
Chandigarh is home to numerous architectural projects of Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret, Matthew Nowicki, and Albert Mayer.
Punjab and Haryana High Court, Chandigarh, India on Flickr - Shubh M Singh
The city boasts a high standard of living with the highest per capita income in the country. Chandigarh - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tags: art, mosaic, mosaic art, recycled art, outsider art, nek chand, rock garden, garden art, chandigarh, india, waterfall, sculpture, trash art, rocks, pebbles, ceramic tile, picassiete, pique assiette, modern art, architecture, le corbusier
Nek Chand has stirred the imagination of rich and poor and persons of all races and nations, regardless of their beliefs. It is a mixture of folk-art and provocative plastic forms of all shapes and sizes, blended in a natural and most imaginative environment created by the Master of Arts.
Going through the narrow passages one can experience sudden surprises of beautifully landscaped open spaces articulated by sculptures reminding you of Henry Moore. Nek Chand’s architectural and engineering innovations have the touch of Antonio Gaudi.
Nek Chand rock garden picassiette mosaic birds sculpture - india - blaighnid
Of course, Nek Chand is unaware of such big names or their works!
Nek Chand Garden mosaic birds pebble rock sculpture wall on Flickr - Uri Zer aviV
Nek Chand picassiette mosaic goose garden sculpture - fiercetigress
Nek Chand picassiette & pebble mosaic garden sculpture - mirthwood
The only dream Nek Chand was not aware of was that one day he would rank among the great masters and would receive unmatched recognition and the most prestigious awards.
Nek Chand - Rock Garden Art walls stones pebble mosaic on Flickr - rougetete
Nek Chand picassiette mosaic peacock garden sculpture- fiercetigress
NNek Chand picassiette mosaic garden sculpture - rougetete
Nek Chand is far greater than his creations.
Nek Chand picassiette mosaic horse garden sculpture - fiercetigress
Dog mosaic sculpture, Picassiette Rock Garden Chandigarh, India - Dey
Nek Chand Rock Garden Art sculpture pebbles on Flickr - Carol Mitchell
He does not speak much, but his creations speak volumes for him. M.N. Sharma - Nek Chand Foundation
Nek Chand pebble mosaic bear garden sculpture - fiercetigress
Nek Chand pebble mosaic animal garden sculpture - fiercetigress
Nek Chand outsider art mosaic and elephant garden sculpture - pashasha
Nek Chand india outsider art mosaic garden sculpture - Ant Smith
Animaldom at Rock Garden on Flickr - Two little Shutterbugs
More mosaic animals on Flickr - Two little Shutterbugs
Nek Chand india outsider art mosaic animal sculpture - fiercetigress
Nek Chand india outsider art mosaic dog sculpture - pedroquintelaborges
Ceramic tigers on Flickr - Two little Shutterbugs
Wooden monkeys mosaic outsider art on Flickr - Indian Curry
Monkey see, monkey do on Flickr - Two little Shutterbugs
Tags: art, outsider art, recycle, nek chand, rock garden, mosaic, garden art, stones, pebbles, mosaic, animals, birds, creatures, ceramic tile, china, india, chandigarh
Little Chapel, Architecture & Garden art on Flickr - the-electronic-firefly
The Little Chapel in Guernsey is just five metres by three metres and “possibly the smallest chapel in the world”.
picassiette steps to archway to little chapel on Flickr - zenitpetersburg
In 1913 Brother Deodat, a religious refugee from France, saw the location and received a vision of recreating the Lourdes grotto and chapel on the hill.
picassiette archway to little chapel on Flickr - zenitpetersburg
Little Chapel broken china, plates, crockery on Flickr - photo_blog_farley
picassiette mosaic walls of little chapel on Flickr -zenitpeterburg
walls broken china pebbles of little chapel on Flickr - zenitpeterburg
picassiette mosaic walls of little chapel on Flickr - zenitpetersburg
Mosaic Art walls chapel at Guernsey 104 on Flickr - Annemoni
broken china in walls of little chapel on Flickr - zenitpetersburg
Little Chapel pique assiette exterior on Flickr - Van Tassel
He actually built it three times, demolishing it twice, the first time as a result of unspecified criticism,
Little Chapel picassiette architecture - Guernsey on Flickr - modogoo
the second because the Bishop of Portsmouth hadn’t been able to get through the doorway.
Little Minature Chapel mosaic architecture on Flickr - Artoo UK
In 1939, he built this version, the smallest of the three attempts.
The chapel is decorated inside and out with seashells and pieces of china:
little chapel picassiette walls on Flickr - xxxrmt
by the time he had come to the third attempt, his project had become famous and islanders brought him tiles and coloured china from all over the world.
Little Chapel pique assiette mosaic interior on Flickr - dmcneil
The Little Chapel picassiette mosaic ceiling on Flickr - Artoo UK
Little Chapel pique assiette interior stained glass shells tile Flickr - dmcneil
infront of little chapel picassiette on Flickr - zenitpetersburg
From a distance the colours and design make a pleasing whole, close-up it’s amazing to see all the different pieces used to create the effect.
Where is Guernsey?
The Bailiwick of Guernsey (French: Bailliage de Guernesey) is a British Crown dependency in the English Channel off the coast of Normandy.As well as the island of Guernsey itself, it also includes Alderney, Sark, Herm, Jethou, Brecqhou, Burhou, Lihou and other islets. Although the defence of all these islands is the responsibility of the United Kingdom, Guernsey is not part of the UK but rather a separate possession of the Crown, comparable to the Isle of Man. Guernsey is also not a member of the European Union. The island of Guernsey is divided into 10 parishes. Together with the Bailiwick of Jersey, it is included in the collective grouping known as the Channel Islands. Guernsey belongs to the Common Travel Area. Guernsey - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mosaic Art Source mosaic definition:
pique assiette
pique assiette - or picassiette ( a french term -”stolen from plate”) - pieces of broken pottery, china, glass, buttons, figurines, and/ jewelry are cemented onto a base to create a new surface. Almost any form can be used as a base, and any combination of pieces can be applied, restricted only by the individual creator’s imagination. m.a.s. mosaic glossary
Mosaic Art Source picassiette mosaic photo & resource archive
Tags: art, mosaic, mosaic art, garden art, pique assiette, picassiette, chapel, little chapel, guernsey, smallest chapel, mixed media, architecture, shells, pebbles, broken china, china,
Natural Seashell Mosaic on Flickr - vgenburgos
Mosaic wall of shells honduras on Flickr - hjselde
mosaic and shell fort bragg, california coast on Flickr - swirly
queetsy mosaic art opus sectile shell stone mosaic artist on Flickr - brooks_tower
intarsio panel palazzo massimo rome Nymph. mother of pearl inlayon Flickr - jmss
panel of Junius Bassus. Closeup of Hylas.mother of pearl inlay on Flickr - jmss
body by phil mosaic art opus sectile on Flickr - brooks_tower
mosaic niche with inlaid shells palazzo massimo rome on Flickr - jmss
neptune and amphitrite, originally uploaded by heavenuphere.
Shell Mosaic Getty Villa Malibu on Flickr - sfPhotocraft
Qasr Libya fish, sea urchin, sea monster, conch mosaics on Flickr - h_savill
flagler college, st. augustine scallop shell mosaic wall on Flickr - QwirkSilver
Mosaic Art - Tacoma, WA on Flickr - AlessandraHayden
Mosaic Sea Shell Tacoma, Washington on Flickr - AlessandraHayden
Shell Mosaic Getty Villa Malibu on Flickr - sfPhotocraft
Qasr Libya fish, sea urchin, sea monster, conch mosaics on Flickr - h_savill
flagler college, st. augustine scallop shell mosaic wall on Flickr - QwirkSilver
Mosaic Art - Tacoma, WA on Flickr - AlessandraHayden
Mosaic Sea Shell Tacoma, Washington on Flickr - AlessandraHayden
Mosaic Sea Shell on Flickr - AlessandraHayden
Installation Art - Maine Muscle mosaic on Flickr - abrazier
Shell Mosaic Grotto in the Residenz Munich, Germany on Flickr - earthmagnified
‘Ram in a Thicket’ mosaic covered london museum on Flickr - davideferro
From Ur, southern Iraq, about 2600-2400 BC. This is one of an almost identical pair discovered by Leonard Woolley in the ‘Great Death Pit’, one of the graves in the Royal Cemetery at Ur. The other is now in the University of Pennsylvania Museum in Philadelphia. It was named the ‘Ram in a Thicket’ by the excavator Leonard Woolley, who liked biblical allusions. In Genesis 22:13, God ordered Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac, but at the last moment ‘Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son’.
mosaic covered Ram Ur, S. Iraq, on Flickr - davideferro
The ‘ram’ is more accurately described as a goat, and he reaches up for the tastiest branches in a pose often adopted by goats. Goats and sheep in the Near East were among the earliest animals to be domesticated. They were an everyday feature of agricultural life and are regularly depicted by artists in many different ways. The figure had been crushed flat by the weight of the soil and the wooden core had perished. Wax was used to keep the pieces together as it was lifted from the ground, and it was then pressed back into shape. The ram’s head and legs are covered in gold leaf, its ears are copper (now green), its twisted horns and the fleece on its shoulders are of lapis lazuli, and its body fleece is made of shell. Its genitals are gold. The tree is covered in gold leaf, with golden flowers, the whole supported on a small rectangular base decorated with a mosaic of shell, red limestone and lapis lazuli. British museum, London.
Mosaic Commemorative Panel, Shell Grotto, Margate on Flickr - AllieW
The Shell Grotto in Margate is an amazing little place. According to their literature, there are 4.6 million shells there and 20000 square feet of mosaic. The leaflet elaborates further:
“In 1835, Mr James Newlove lowered his young son Joshua into a hole in the ground that had appeared during the digging of a duckpond. Joshua emerged describing tunnels covered with shells. He had discovered The Shell Grotto, a series of passages leading to a rectangular chamber, its walls decorated with strange symbols mosaiced in millions of shells. Is it an ancient pagan temple? A meeting place for some secret cult? Nobody can explain who built this amazing place, or why, but since its accidental discovery visitors from all over the world have been intrigued by the beautiful mosaic and the unsolved mystery”.
Florida Fragments on Flickr - Merrick Brown
Nymph/Venus on half shell Roman mosaic ruins on Flickr - littlemousling
Detail of Women’s Quarters Roof Mosaic on Flickr - glittergirrrl
Sea shell cottage mosaic train on Flickr - all biscuit
Mosaic from the House of the Faun, Pompeii on Flickr - Mirjam75
Shell Mosaic Duck Sculpture Cincinnati on Flickr - J. Star
Shell Eye mosaic birds on Flickr - J. Star
Mosaic birds on Flickr - J.Star
Swan Mosaic in the Grotto at Leeds 895 on Flickr - gardenchien
xofa mosaic, volta, ghana in rasta village on Flickr - raysto
Ivan visits? Jim hurrican shell mosaic on Flickr - GilaMosaics
Hurricane Ivan hit the Florida Gulf Coast in 2004. 2 weeks later, as I mused on this face, Jim called!!! His home had been in the storm’s path, so we were thrilled & relieved to hear from him! I immediatly grabbed my collection of shells & coral from his beach & well…you see what happened!
Watts Towers - mosaic with cockle-shells Los Angeles on Flickr - vmselde
Shell Whimsy Mosaic Art on Flickr - littlehuntermosaics
Sea urchin shells smalti & millefiori detail on Flickr - littleteapot
Love is all u really need Mosaic Florida on Flickr - newwavegurly
sea-tac airport mosaic columns on Flickr - by mjanean
mosaic column on Flickr - by shannonb
mosaic column on Flickr - by brewbooks
The Naturalist’s Day on Flickr - by brewbooks
The Naturalist’s Day
May 2004
By Joanne Hammer
mosaic deer detail on Flickr - by mjanean
The Naturalist’s Day Mosaic on Flickr - by brewbooks
mosaic dog detail on Flickr - by mjanean
mosaic deatail on Flickr - by mjanean
Seattle Seattle international terminal airport columns on Flickr - by marypcb
Awesome mosaic tree on Flickr - by Aaron Gustafson
mosaic redwood tree column on Flickr - by shannonb
mosaic redwood on Flickr - by myjanean
green tile on Flickr - by shannonb
paradise floral mosaic on Flickr - by mjanean
Paradise March, 2004
Juan Alonso
floral mosaic on Flickr - by mjanean
Paradise flower mosaic on Flickr - by brewbooks
Roaring Mosaic Column on Flickr - by brewbooks
Roaring March, 2004
Robert Yoder
seatac mosaic column on Flickr - by cap’n cyril
In Memory of My Father, Nai-Ling Cheng on Flickr - by brewbooks
In Memory of My Father, Nai-Ling Cheng
May, 2004
by Amy Cheng
In Memory of My Father, Nai-Ling Cheng on Flickr - by brewbooks
column dragon on Flickr - by shannonb
Mosaic Columns - Sea-Tac Airport Concourse A
Nine artists designed the mosaic images for these architectural columns that begin at the entryway to the south checkpoint and flow into Concourse A. The designs were created by artists Juan Alonso, Rudy Autio, Marlene Bauer, Amy Cheng, Sam Gilliam, Peter de Lory, Joanne Hammer, Robert Yoder and Susan Zoccola. Stephen Miotto, of Miotto Mosaics, translated the designs into hand-cut glass and stone tessarae mosaics.
Skyelab door to mosaic workshop, originally uploaded by CWCampbell.
Mosaic Workshop steps on Flickr - CWCampbell
Laurel Skye’s mosaic chair on Flickr - CWCampbell
Laurel Skye’s mosaic mandolin on Flickr - CWCampbell
Laurel Skye’s trumpet on Flickr - CWCampbell
Mosaic Artist - Laurel Skye - Skyelab Mosaic Studio - Mosaic Workshops - Arcata, California
NeonianBaptistry, originally uploaded by oar_square.
The Baptistry of Neon in Ravenna, Italy is the most ancient monument remaining in Ravenna, and was partly erected on the site of a Roman bath. It is also called the Orthodox Baptistry to distinguish it from the Arian Baptistry constructed on behest of Ostrogothic King Theodoric some 50 years later. The octagonal brick structure was erected by Bishop Ursus between the end of the 4th and beginning of the 5th century, as part of his great Basilica (destroyed in 1734). The building was finished by Bishop Neon at the end of the 5th century, at which time the mosaic decorations were added. The original floor is now some 3 meters underground, so the proper structure and extent of the building can no longer be seen. The octagonal design of the building has symbolic meaning: it represents the seven days of the week plus the Day of the Resurrection and Eternal Life.
Neonian Baptistry, originally uploaded by oar_square.
The ceiling mosaic depicts John the Baptist baptizing an old, bearded Jesus standing waist high in the Jordan River, which is shown in the veils. To one side stands an old pagan water god with a reed in one hand and a garment in the other. A procession of the twelve apostles proceeds around the center mosiac in two directions, ending with Saint Peter meeting Saint Paul. The Bapitstry is one of the eight structures in Ravenna registered as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. According to the ICOMOS evaluation of this patrimony, “this is the finest and most complete surviving example of the early Christian baptistery” which “retains the fluidity in representation of the human figure derived from Greco-Roman art”.
Baptistry of Neon - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Neon Baptistry on Flickr - by breic
battistero dei Neoniani mosaic detail on Flickr - by blu_blue
NeonianBaptistry, originally uploaded by oar_square.
Battistero Neoniano presso il Duomo on Flickr - by taivaansusi
Top floor of a roman Nymphaeum is now a baptistery. Apart from having splendid mosaics, there is also interesting christian reuse of pagan architecture and objectry.
Battistero dei Neoniani mosaic arch detail on Flickr - by blu_blue
Baptistry of Neon Arch mosaic detail on Flickr - by knobelsp
Battistero dei Neoniani mosaic detail on Flickr - by blu_blue
NeonianBaptistry, originally uploaded by oar_square.
Neonian Baptistry Mosaic Tour Ravenna, Italy
Mosaic Art Source Ravenna, Italy mosaic photo archives.
Galla Placidia Mausoleum on Flickr - by James Macdonald
The Mausoleum of Galla Placidia is a highly important Byzantine mausoleum in Ravenna, Italy. It is one of the eight structures in Ravenna that were inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1996. As the UNESCO experts reasoned, “it is the earliest and best preserved of all mosaic monuments, and at the same time one of the most artistically perfect”.
mausoleum of Galla Placidia on Flickr - by saintpeg
Mausoleu de Gal·la Placídia, Ravenna on Flickr - by Sebastia Giralt
Built in 425-430 AD, the structure is designed in the shape of a Greek cross, and has a cupola that is entirely in mosaics, representing eight apostles and symbolical figures of doves drinking from a vessel. The other four apostles are represented on the vaults of the transverse arm; over the door is a representation of Jesus Christ as the Good Shepherd, young, beardless, with flowing hair, and surrounded by sheep; opposite, there is a subject that is interpreted as representing Saint Lawrence. Thin, translucent panels of stone admit light into the structure through the windows.
Galla Placidia Mausoleum, Ravenna on Flickr - by breic
galla placidia interior on Flickr - by designucdavis
The building contains three sarcophagi; the largest is said to have been that of Galla Placidia, and that her embalmed body was deposited there in a sitting position, clothed with the imperial mantle; in 1577, however, the contents of the sarcophagus were accidentally burned. The sarcophagus to the right is attributed to Emperor Valentinian III or to Galla Placidia’s brother, Emperor Honorius. The one on the left is attributed to Galla Placidia’s husband, Emperor Constantius III. In fact this building was the oratory of a wider church: the Holy Cross.
Mausoleum of Galla Placidia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Colours on Flickr - by James Macdonald
Mosaic Inside on Flickr - by pietroizzo
The inside is relatively small and extremely simple. The mausoleum was intended from the very start to be covered with mosaics, and these are the oldest in Ravenna. The eye is seduced by the brilliance of the colours, which mask the architecture and create an illusionistic effect.
Mausoleum of Galla Placidia - Ravenna, Italy - Great Buildings Online
Mausoleum of Galla Placidia on Flickr - by Rosy Hunt
Mosaics Stars Mausoleo di Galla Placidia Ravenna on Flickr - by blu_blue
Mausoleo di Galla Placidia on Flickr - by Arrigo Ceramista
Mosaic detail on Flickr - by vanalledag
Dettagli sottarco Mausoleo Galla Placidia on Flickr - by Arrigo Ceramista
Mosaic tiles on Flickr - by James Macdonald
Mosaic Art Source mosaic definition:
smalti
smalto (pl. smalti) - smalti is characterized by its dazzling range of brilliant opaque colors. Smalti is prepared by adding crystalline material (corpo) and coloured material (anima) to the colourless or coloured fused glass. Smalti is literally available in thousands of colors, is a very stable glass, easy to cut and very durable. m.a.s. mosaic glossary
Mosaic Art Source mosaic definition:
gold leaf tesserae (mosaic gold)
gold leaf tesserae (mosaic gold) - 24k gold-leaf tesserae are made up of a glass support layer (usually transparent, at times opaque red or coloured) less than one centimetre thick. The 24k gold metal leaf is then sandwiched between the support and a thin protective glass layer (the cartellina). In tesserae the colour shade is determined by the purity of the metal, the thickness of the leaf, the colour, if any, of the cartellina and of the support. m.a.s.mosaic glossary
Nature & Geometry, originally uploaded by pietroizzo.
Casa Grande, originally uploaded by hbomb1947.
Where is the Hearst Castle?
Hearst Castle was the palatial estate of newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst. It is located near San Simeon, California, on a hill overlooking the Pacific Ocean, halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco. Donated by the Hearst Corporation to the state of California in 1957, it is now a State Historical Monument and a National Historic Landmark, open for public tours. Hearst formally named the estate ‘La Cuesta Encantada’ (’The Enchanted Hill’), but he usually just called it ‘the ranch’.
Hearst Castle - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Hearst Castle Roman Pool Mosaics on Flickr - by patacancha
The Casa Grande Roman Pool
The pool appears to be styled after an ancient Roman bath such as the Baths of Caracalla in Rome c. 211-17 AD. The mosaic tiled patterns were inspired by mosaics found in the 5th Century Mausoleum of Galla Placidia in Ravenna, Italy. They are also representative of traditional marine monster themes that can be found in ancient Roman baths.
The Roman Pool Hearst Castle on Flickr - by eye_fish
The Roman Pool is decorated from ceiling to floor with 1″ square mosaic tiles. These glass tiles, called smalti, are either colored (mainly blue or orange) or are clear with fused gold inside. The intense colors and shimmering gold of the tiles combine to create a breathtaking effect. The designs created by the tiles were developed by muralist Camille Solon.
Hearst pool bottom mosaic detail on Flickr - by vikram_muthanna
Bottom of the indoor pool mosaic detail on Flickr - by SFAntti
Hearst Castle Pool bottom mosaic detail on Flickr - Rock and Racehorses
Hearst Castle Roman Pool mosaics on Flickr - by Sandra Leidholdt
Mosaic wall & floor detail on Flickr - by Stellae et Luna
Mosaic Design Inspiration
The inspiration for some of these designs came from the 5th Century Mausoleum of Galla Placidia. Hearst was affected by the beauty of the mosaics in the mausoleum and incorporated similar styles into his Roman Pool. The walls of the mausoleum are marble but the vaulted arches are composed of blue and gold smalti. The roofs and dome are covered with mosaics of night blue, powdered with stars. The Roman Pool is similar to the mausoleum with its blue and gold color scheme and stylized star patterns. It differs because marble was only used in the statues, not on the walls, and their are no religious murals.
The Roman Pool at Hearst Castle
Hearst Castle wall mosaic detail on Flickr - by Rock and Racehorses
Hearst Castle Mosaic floor detail on Flickr - by Isalcedo
Mosaic Floor Tile Detail. on Flickr - by blisseau
Roman Crab mosaic floor detail on Flickr - by Stellae et Luna
Mosaic Gold tesserae texture detail on Flickr - by klabhead
Mosaic Art Source mosaic definition:
gold leaf tesserae (mosaic gold)
gold leaf tesserae (mosaic gold) - 24k gold-leaf tesserae are made up of a glass support layer (usually transparent, at times opaque red or coloured) less than one centimetre thick. The 24k gold metal leaf is then sandwiched between the support and a thin protective glass layer (the cartellina). In tesserae the colour shade is determined by the purity of the metal, the thickness of the leaf, the colour, if any, of the cartellina and of the support. m.a.s.mosaic glossary
Basílica de Carranque 2, originally uploaded by stavlokratz.
Where is Carranque?
Carranque is a town in the Toledo province, Castile-La Mancha, Spain. It is located in the Alta Sagra area of the province bordering the province of Madrid.
Carranque contains a Roman site protected as an archeological park by the Castile-La Mancha government. It is located by river Guadarrama, near a Roman road. It seems to be near the lost city of Titultiam. There are three main buildings, the ruins of a Roman mill and a modern interpretation building. The buildings date from the late 4th century and are thought to be related to the Hispania-born emperor Theodosius I.
carranque mosaico on Flickr - by themy2004
In 1983 a local peasant, Samuel López Iglesias, found a series of mosaics while plowing in the fields known as las Suertes de Abajo. These mosaics belong to the so-named Villa of Maternus. The interpretation facility exhibits objects found during the excavations. Carranque - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Océano on Flickr - by stavlokratz
In the Dining Hall a tilted floor formed a semicircular fountain with a mosaic of the god Oceanus, featuring crab antennas, claws and a wavy beard.
In the Greek and Roman world-view, Oceanus (Greek Ὠκεανός, Okeanos), was the world-ocean, which they believed to be an enormous river encircling the world. Strictly speaking, Okeanos was the ocean-stream at the Equator in which floated the habitable hemisphere (oikoumene).[1] In Greek mythology, this world-ocean was personified as a Titan, a son of Uranus and Gaia. In Hellenistic and Roman mosaics, this Titan was often depicted as having the upper body of a muscular man with a long beard and horns, and the lower torso of a serpent (cf. Typhon). On a fragmentary archaic vessel (British Museum 1971.11-1.1) of ca 580 BCE, among the gods arriving at the wedding of Peleus and the sea-nymph Thetis, is a fish-tailed Oceanus, with a fish in one hand and a serpent in the other, gifts of bounty and prophecy. In Roman mosaics he might carry a steering-oar and cradle a ship. Oceanus - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Briseis and Achilles mosaic- Wikipedia
The Ulysses giving Briseis back to Achilles mosaic above was also found in the dining room & depicts the return of the slave Briseis to Achilles as narrated in the Iliad.
What Iliad?
The Iliad (Ancient Greek Ἰλιάς, Ilias) is, together with the Odyssey, one of two ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer, a supposedly blind Ionian poet. The epics are considered by most modern scholars to be the oldest literature in the Greek language (though some believe that the works of the poet Hesiod were composed earlier, a belief that was also held by some classical Greeks).
Aquiles from Ulysses giving Briseis back to Achilles on Flickr - Photo Sharing!
The first word of the Iliad is μῆνιν (mēnin), “rage” or “wrath”. This word announces the major theme of the Iliad: the wrath of Achilles.
Briseida from Ulysses giving Briseis back to Achilles on Flickr - Photo Sharing!
When Agamemnon, the commander of the Greek forces at Troy, dishonors Achilles by taking Briseis, a slave woman given to Achilles as a prize of war, Achilles becomes enraged, and withdraws from the fighting. Without Achilles’ prowess in battle, the Greeks are nearly defeated by the Trojans. Achilles re-enters the fighting when his dearest friend Patroclus is killed by the Trojan prince Hector. Achilles slaughters many Trojans, and kills Hector. In his rage he then refuses to return Hector’s body and instead defiles it. Priam, the father of Hector, ransoms his son’s body, and the Iliad ends with the funeral of Hector.
Of the many themes in the Iliad, perhaps the most important is the idea of moral choice. Achilles believes he has two options: he can either live a long, unremarkable life at home or else he can die young and gloriously as a mercenary warrior. Military adventuring (that is, pillage and plunder) was a way of life in pre-Homeric times, and the many ruins of thick-walled cities and fortresses in the region give silent testimony to the fear that must have characterized life in the ancient world.
For some men, military adventuring is a more attractive choice than staying home on the farm. Death in battle leads to honor and glory—timae and kleos—which were important values of the day — more important than even right and wrong. One of the remarkable things about the Iliad is the way that Achilles, especially in Book 9, both embraces concepts of honor and glory and also rejects them. It should be noted that, despite the fact that he is the antagonist in the story, Hector probably best displays the qualities of an ancient Mediterranean hero. Many Greek myths exist in multiple versions, so Homer had some freedom to choose among them to suit his story. Iliad - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
mosaico on Flickr - Photo Sharing!
mosaico on Flickr - Photo Sharing!
