Mosaics remain a much-loved means of expression for artists worldwide. They also hold a specific relevance within the V&A since its first Director, Henry Cole, promoted this technique as a signature British artistic medium, with the potential of being also applied on an 'industrial' scale. The ambitious and monumental results of such efforts can still be seen in the museum today.
Drawing on a V&A conference, supported by the Gilbert Trust for the Arts, this edited volume offers cutting edge research on mosaics, spanning thousands of years from antiquity to our contemporary society. Organized chronologically, the essays reveal the technical and stylistic evolution of the craft, as well as its prominence in political, public and civic spaces.
