.jpg?w=1)
.jpg?w=1)
.jpg?w=1)
.jpg?w=1)
Lot Essay
A splendid representation of the Roman Forum, this monumental micromosaic is a fine testament to the production of Roman workshops in the mid-19th century and to a site which has been the object of fascination for over two millennia. In this plaque, the Forum is visible much as it is today, with celebrated structures of Ancient and Baroque Rome intermixed against a rich azure sky: the Arch of Septimius Severus, the temple of Saturn and the Colosseum anchor scene from left to right, while the spires and domes of grand churches of the Eternal City including Santi Luca e Martina to the left and Santa Francesca Romana to the centre serve as a reminder of the city’s development over the centuries.
Mosaics have been created on the Italian peninsula for nearly two millennia. From the end of the 16th century when this technique – a traditional form of decoration in early Christian churches – was revived in the Vatican for the adornment of St. Peter’s Basilica, Rome was once again a centre for the practice. Micromosaics are created with many hundreds (or thousands) of tesserae or smalti, small pieces of coloured glass cut from oven-baked rods and arranged to form an image. By the middle of the 18th century, technological advances permitted the realization of miniscule tesserae which, in turn, enabled artisans to create painstakingly detailed and exquisitely rendered works, hitherto unknown. Roman artisans created micromosaics representing artistic masterpieces from the antique to the contemporary, portraits and still lives, but the views of major Roman sites, such as the Piazza San Pietro or the Roman Forum were, by far, the most prized.
Immensely popular with Grand Tourists, fine micromosaics were created in numerous sizes from small plaques to be incorporated into elaborate jewellery and gold boxes, to framed panels meant to be hung in galleries amidst picture collections. Large-format panels such as the present lot were especially rare, and have been highly sought after since their creation by the masters of the Vatican workshops. A comparison can be drawn between this plaque and another of the Roman Forum by Luigi Gallandt in the Gilbert Collection (illustrated J. Gabriel, The Gilbert Collection Micromosaics, London, 2000, p. 116, no. 57). A slightly larger plaque of the Roman Forum sold Christie’s, London, 20 March 2003, lot 172, and another of nearly identical size to the present lot by Cesare Roccheggiani sold Christie’s, London, 9 December 2010, lot 245 (£337,250).
Mosaics have been created on the Italian peninsula for nearly two millennia. From the end of the 16th century when this technique – a traditional form of decoration in early Christian churches – was revived in the Vatican for the adornment of St. Peter’s Basilica, Rome was once again a centre for the practice. Micromosaics are created with many hundreds (or thousands) of tesserae or smalti, small pieces of coloured glass cut from oven-baked rods and arranged to form an image. By the middle of the 18th century, technological advances permitted the realization of miniscule tesserae which, in turn, enabled artisans to create painstakingly detailed and exquisitely rendered works, hitherto unknown. Roman artisans created micromosaics representing artistic masterpieces from the antique to the contemporary, portraits and still lives, but the views of major Roman sites, such as the Piazza San Pietro or the Roman Forum were, by far, the most prized.
Immensely popular with Grand Tourists, fine micromosaics were created in numerous sizes from small plaques to be incorporated into elaborate jewellery and gold boxes, to framed panels meant to be hung in galleries amidst picture collections. Large-format panels such as the present lot were especially rare, and have been highly sought after since their creation by the masters of the Vatican workshops. A comparison can be drawn between this plaque and another of the Roman Forum by Luigi Gallandt in the Gilbert Collection (illustrated J. Gabriel, The Gilbert Collection Micromosaics, London, 2000, p. 116, no. 57). A slightly larger plaque of the Roman Forum sold Christie’s, London, 20 March 2003, lot 172, and another of nearly identical size to the present lot by Cesare Roccheggiani sold Christie’s, London, 9 December 2010, lot 245 (£337,250).