From mermaids to Avatar, legends, and fantasy in mosaic art
(4 min read) It was Albert Einstein who said: “The gift of fantasy has meant more to me than my talent for absorbing positive knowledge.” Remember Albert? He was JUST the guy who explained everything through the theory of relativity. You know, The dude with the word haircut who won the Nobel Prize? Yeah. That dude said that fantasy is one of the, if not the most important things for humanity. On that note, isn’t art too?
Fantasy often has a root in reality, which is how we have such rich folklore and mythologies all over the world. You could argue that everything started once our ancestors started daydreaming some 200,000 years ago. The evolution of the creative mind is what eventually lead to the ultimate divergence between humans and hominid apes.
Pretty much everything you see around you, aside from nature, was just a fantasy at one point. Our surroundings are an endless array of the fruits of our own imagination. On that note, fantasy often turns into reality and then it is not a fantasy any longer. But what around us is actually still a fantasy? What keeps existing as that famous overlap between fantasy and reality Disney was talking about? Art, boys and girls, art. Most of all, mosaic art.
Mosaic artworks are some of the earliest products of human imagination and they’ve been well preserved and documented throughout history. Mythology and fantasy thrived through mosaic artworks and it certainly still keeps thriving through it today. In the beginning, people were just eager to decorate the temple dedicated to their gods, so those earliest mosaics were indeed the product of their imagination, but without any fantastical elements to them.
However, as people became more skilled at mosaicing, their topics became more sophisticated. Ancient Greeks were marvelous at creating mosaic art. Their mosaic artworks were rich with mythology and fantasy alike. From mythological creatures such as mermaids and centaurs to their glorious gods and goddesses, ancient Greeks were terrific at building some fantastical mosaic artworks.
That same trend continued to flourish in ancient Rome and throughout the European continent. Today, some four thousand years after the earliest known mosaic was built on the grounds of Usakli Hoyuk in Turkey, fantasy is still alive, well, and thriving in modern mosaic art. Styles may vary, materials are many, and presentation is always an individual choice, but whatever route a mosaicist decides to take, one thing is certain, fantasy is here to stay.
And now I would like to answer the ultimate question: “Look at this stuff, isn’t it neat, wouldn’t you say my collection’s complete?” No Ariel, dolly, sweety, sugar, it is not. And it never will be. simply because human imagination is endless and there will always be someone out there imagining something no one has ever imagined before.
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24 Comments
These are beautiful and so full of detail. I love the mystical deer mosaic, deers are my spirit animal.
Thanks for a wonderful and informative post. I have always wondered about the origins of mosaic art and here you have answered most of my questions!
I love the Mermaid mosaic. They are indeed strange and alluring creatures.
I love fantasy story and scify its exciting. Thanks!
I’m a big fan of fantasy, mythology etc so this is definitely an art style I like. Some great mosaic pieces here x
A very interesting article. I really like fantasy style art and I think those mermaid mosaics are my favourites.
These are amazing I love the Whimsical magical deer but do have a love of wildlife
Isn’t mosaic art beautiful? Mermaids are indeed alluring and mystical but I am all about the centaur and dragons. They are just so majestic!
Interesting read! What would life be if we didn’t have fantasy? I enjoyed looking at the pictures you shared.
Wow these are absolutely stunning. The mermaid mosaics are gorgeous…the colours and depth in detail. What a piece!
I love these mosaics, especially the duck! You always show so many beautiful mosaics.
I really like the whimsical deer one, it would looks amazing in my hallway.
Since I’ve been following your site I have been so impressed with all the ways that mosaics can be used in decor. I think this is wonderful and quite magical.
Oh how mystical. I am really loving the detail of each mosaic. The craftsmanship is amazing.
These are simply amazing. The detail is so deep. I cannot imagine how much time it takes to make one of these. Fabulous!
I love the idea of having art of these different fantasy characters or mythical creatures! The mermaids are so interesting to look at.
I am a huge fan of fairytale artwork and I love that it can be made as mosaic artwork. They look absolutely beautiful.
Thank you for sharing such a great and enlightening article. I’ve always been curious about the beginnings of mosaic art.
I can see why so many people enjoyed that painting. Also, really enjoy seeing different pieces influenced by it, so beautiful!
This post gave me a strong urge to go to a museum because it reminded me of how long it has been! I have always been a massive fan of Fantasy/SciFi/Mythology genres, whether it’s artwork, books, shows, or movies. I enjoyed this article and the beautiful mosaics, thanks for sharing!
I’ve always loved learning about myths and legions, but this takes visual learning to a whole new level! Thanks so much for sharing! Stunning visuals!
My ancestral house has mosaic artworks and I absolutely love them. The ones that you’ve shared are really good.
Gorgeous mosaic work! Such amazing work of art in every piece!
These are really gorgeous mosaics and so lovely to have in the home. I do love that deer, it’s amazing!