Искусства и ремесла Средневековья

lnlay and l\1Iosaic

313

moulded the edges and arcl1ivolts without sepaгate ribs 01· strips to гelieve tЬеш; the gold is carried all over the cdges, ,vllich are гounded iпto curves to I"eceive the шosaic, so tlшt tЬе effcct is that of the entiгe upper pa1·t of tЬе church Ьаving been pressed into shape out of solid gold. Tl1e lights on tl1ese гounded edges are incom­ paгaЬly ricl1. It is eqнally iшpol'tant to vai·y the plain values of the соlош-, апd this ,vas accoшplished Ьу шeans of dilution ашl contrast iп tints instead of Ьу uncvenness of surface, althougl1 iп many of the most satisfactoгy nюsaics, both means have been employed. Plain tints iп mosaic ean Ье гelieved iп а nюst dcligl1tful way Ьу the iпtro­ dнctioп of little sepaгate снЬеs of unrelated colour, and the artist ,vho best unde1·sta11ds this нsе of mass ancl dot is tЬе best шаkег of шosaic. Tl1e actнal cгaft of con­ stmction is siшilaг eve1·y,vheгe, but the нsс of what ,ve шау геgагd as tЬе pigшent lias possibllities siшila1· to the coloшs of а painte1·. The шanipнlation beiпg of пecessity slov. r , it i::; шаге difficult to convey the idea of spoпtaneity iп design tlian it is iп а f1·esco paiпting. То follo,v bгiefly tЬе hist,oi·y of mosaic as used iп the Daгk Ages, tl1e Middle Ages, апd the peгiod of tl1e Renaissance, it is intcresting to note tЬat Ьу the foшtl1 centшy шosaic was tl1e p1·incipal decoratioп in ecclesi­ astical buildings. Contantine employed this a1·t vегу extensively. Of his period, howevee, few examples гemain. Tl1e шost notaЫe is tl1e little church of Sta. Coпstanza, the vaults of which are ornamented in this