Mosaics

In the Renaissance, mosaic workshops were active in Venice and Rome, where the technique imitated that of illusionistic painting on a gigantic scale, such as those (begun 1576) in the dome of Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome. A revival occurred during the 19th century, when workshops were established in Italy, France, England, and Russia. The work was imitative of earlier illusionistic styles and principally carried out by Italian artisans trained in reproducing paintings in tesserae.

In recent years a number of artists have revitalized mosaic decoration. Outstanding is the decor of the exterior walls of several buildings at University City in Mexico City.

The Native Americans of Central America independently developed a mosaic technique for decorating masks, shields, knife handles, earplugs, mirrors, animal figures, and cult statuettes. Turquoise was the favorite material of the artisans; it was cut in small pieces, polished, and set with a vegetable resin onto surfaces of wood, bone, stone, gold, shell, and pottery. Examples of this type of mosaic may be seen in museums in Mexico City, Harvard University's Peabody Museum in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and the Museum of the American Indian in New York City. See Pre-Columbian Art and Architecture.