Аннотация: A Florentine mosaic. Uniqueness, value, eternity. A theme (semantic dominants) as a distinctive feature of a Florentine mosaic. A culturological essay.
A Florentine mosaic. Uniqueness, value, eternity. A theme (semantic dominants) as a distinctive feature of a Florentine mosaic. A culturological essay.
A number of authors distinguish a Florentine mosaic [Commesso] as a separate art form (kind of art).
(Comparatively numerous are notes of a general, informational and review nature (that repeat each other in content); a serious works with an attempt to analyze and generalize are very few. We, despite the search, were not able to find a fundamental works on a Florentine mosaic and on its history).
Intuitively, the authors feel the uniqueness of a Florentine mosaic. This intuitive feeling is followed by an attempt to formulate verbally what are the distinctive features of a Florentine mosaic.
As a rule, the historical chain is built first (how a mosaic was developing): Mesopotamia, Egypt, Crete-Mycenaean culture, Ancient Greece, Alexandria, Ancient Rome, Byzantium, Florence...
When Florence is mentioned, the Medici workshop is called.
This is followed by remarks characterizing the differences between Florentine and Roman mosaics (and others), by descriptions of the material, by descriptions of techniques for creating works of Florentine mosaics.
For example, we will quote M. Yu Shishin: 'So, with the key means of artistic expressiveness of the Florentine mosaic, in addition to the color and texture of a plates [sections of luminous, narrow gemstones], it is necessary to attribute the shape of a plate itself (the placement of color spots can dictate its size and shape), while polishing helps to reveal the strength of color and saturation of the color of the workpiece ." [unofficial translation] (M. Yu. Shishin. Florentine mosaic and architecture: problems of art synthesis // Bulletin of the Polzunov Altai State Technical University, No. 1-2, 2009. P. 100). [(М. Ю. Шишин. Флорентийская мозаика и архитектура: проблемы синтеза искусств // Вестник АлтГТУ им. И.И. Ползунова, ?1-2, 2009. С. 100).]
All of these comments are correct (in general). But when characterizing the uniqueness of the Florentine mosaic, it seems right to put a theme (of works) in the first place.
With this approach, both the appearance of the Florentine mosaic in the 16th century in Florence and the interconnection of the Florentine mosaic with the Medici family become understandable.
'The first written references to such works [the creation of stone paintings using fragments of semi-precious minerals] can be found as early as the 14th century. (...) Such a work after 2 centuries attracted ... Francesco [Medici]. [He] found several talented craftsmen from Italy and ordered them to make mosaic panels.
The work of the masters was so unique and beautiful that this art direction began to develop rapidly. The successor of Francesco I, Ferdinand I, founded the first workshop in 1558, where the stones were properly processed and assembled into beautiful paintings.' [unofficial translation] (https://pilonstroy.ru/raznoe/izgotovlenie-florentijskoj-mozaiki.html)
'Actually, the Florentine mosaic appears in the Renaissance in Florence in the workshops of the famous patrons of art - the Medici. Mosaic was a popular art form in Florence, but it was not until the Medici workshop, opened in 1560, that this technique was destined to develop to great perfection'. [unofficial translation] (M. Yu. Shishin. Ibid., p. 98).
So, the emphasis in characterizing a Florentine mosaic - as a separate art form (kind of art) - in our opinion, should be done primarily not on the material and not on the technique, but on a theme.
It seems that the main, dominant elements of the theme of a Florentine mosaic are flowers (one of the symbols of Florence), unique, fabulous, paradise (exotic) birds, fruits, leaves, plants ...
In the development of this dominant theme, animals, landscapes, plants, ornaments appear in the works of Florentine mosaics ...
The dominant semantic element of the Florentine mosaic is the symbols of Florence - flowers, as well as other symbols associated with flowers: fabulous birds (birds of paradise), fruits, leaves - symbols directing consciousness to the theme of paradise.
As for semi-precious stones - their use distinguishes Florentine mosaics from Roman and from other types of mosaics, - the use of semi-precious minerals makes it possible to emphasize such qualities as uniqueness, value, eternity.
Combining (1) of theme (of semantic elements), (2) of material, (3) of techniques ... creates a unique art form (kind of art) - a Florentine mosaic.
[MMDCV. Florence of Medici. Sandro Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo Buonarroti. A culturological essay. - December 20, 2021.].
MMDCCXI. A Florentine mosaic. Uniqueness, value, eternity. A theme (semantic dominants) as a distinctive feature of a Florentine mosaic. A culturological essay. }