Architecture
Pompeiian Mosaic from Floor in Naples Museum
Description
Drawing of floral mosaic.
"The spectacular discoveries of Pompeii had a powerful influence on nineteenth culture. The excavations of the ancient Roman city, buried by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in AD 79, captivated artists, architects and writers who joined a steady pilgrimage to the archaeological sites and to the Naples Museum ,where many artifacts were exhibited. The mosaics that decorated the floors of Pompeiian houses and public buildings held particular interest for their vibrant designs. Limestone tesserae were set into geometric patterns of seemingly endless invention, or into pictorial compositions of birds, fish or animals, such as the dolphin seen here. It was often work of astounding complexity and breadth containing millions of individual pieces. Spencer's studies of this Pompeiian artisanship served him well in professional practice. Only a few years after his return from abroad, while working for Shepley Rutan & Coolidge in Chicago, Spencer designed the mosaic ceiling for the Chicago Public Library, one of the finest decorative programs of the time." [Views Abroad exhibition text]
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