Mosaics and micromosaics: art, craft and identities

From the earliest mosaics of 4th-century BC Greece and the Byzantine splendour of Hagia Sophia, to the festive frieze encircling the Royal Albert Hall and Eduardo Paolozzi’s commission for the London Underground, this book traces the technical and stylistic evolution of the mosaic, as well as its prominent role in political, public and civic spaces.

Based on a symposium organised at the V&A with the support of the Gilbert Trust for the Arts, it offers both a comprehensive overview of the history of this art form and a fascinating insight into key events. Among these are the competition held in Venice in the 16th century, judged by Titian, Tintoretto, Schiavone and Veronese, to select a mosaic artist for St Mark’s Basilica, as well as the prominent role of the mosaic in Fascist Italy, Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia.