The Drinking Cavalier
Picture
1870-1890 (made)
1870-1890 (made)
Artist/Maker | |
Place of origin |
Micromosaics have their roots in the larger mosaics of ancient Rome used to decorate their walls and floors. The first micromosaics were created in the 18th century, but it was not until Arthur Gilbert himself became interested in collecting them and invented the term 'micromosaics' that they became known as such. The tesserae are minute pieces cut from thin pieces of glass known as smalti filati, and some of the finest micomosaics can consist of as many as 5,000 tesserae per square inch (ca. 3 by 3cm). By the late 18th century, Rome had become central to the production of micromosaics and sold them as souvenirs to wealthy foreigners visiting the city. From small elegant snuffboxes to large monumental tabletops, micromosaics could be used to decorate objects of all shapes and sizes. They could even be made to resemble full-sized canvas paintings, and indeed Arthur Gilbert himself mistook his very first micromosaic for a painting. When he brought it home to show his wife, he had to convince her that it was not in fact a cracked painting, as she supposed, but a mosaic.
Arthur Gilbert was particularly proud of having sourced this plaque and its identical scene in pietre dure (Loan:Gilbert.1060-2008): they offer a fantastic opportunity to compare both techniques closely.
Sir Arthur Gilbert and his wife Rosalinde formed one of the world's great decorative art collections, including silver, mosaics, enamelled portrait miniatures and gold boxes. Arthur Gilbert donated his extraordinary collection to Britain in 1996.
Arthur Gilbert was particularly proud of having sourced this plaque and its identical scene in pietre dure (Loan:Gilbert.1060-2008): they offer a fantastic opportunity to compare both techniques closely.
Sir Arthur Gilbert and his wife Rosalinde formed one of the world's great decorative art collections, including silver, mosaics, enamelled portrait miniatures and gold boxes. Arthur Gilbert donated his extraordinary collection to Britain in 1996.
Object details
Categories | |
Object type | |
Parts | This object consists of 2 parts.
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Title | The Drinking Cavalier |
Materials and techniques | Pietre dure, pietre tenere, gilt wood frame |
Brief description | Frame and pietre dure mosaic of a cavalier, Florence, 1880 |
Physical description | Recatngular pietre dure mosaic showing a cavalier in seventeenth century costume drinking from a wine bottle in a cellar. |
Dimensions |
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Credit line | The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Collection on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London |
Object history | Provenance: J. and P. van Brink, New York, 1969. |
Summary | Micromosaics have their roots in the larger mosaics of ancient Rome used to decorate their walls and floors. The first micromosaics were created in the 18th century, but it was not until Arthur Gilbert himself became interested in collecting them and invented the term 'micromosaics' that they became known as such. The tesserae are minute pieces cut from thin pieces of glass known as smalti filati, and some of the finest micomosaics can consist of as many as 5,000 tesserae per square inch (ca. 3 by 3cm). By the late 18th century, Rome had become central to the production of micromosaics and sold them as souvenirs to wealthy foreigners visiting the city. From small elegant snuffboxes to large monumental tabletops, micromosaics could be used to decorate objects of all shapes and sizes. They could even be made to resemble full-sized canvas paintings, and indeed Arthur Gilbert himself mistook his very first micromosaic for a painting. When he brought it home to show his wife, he had to convince her that it was not in fact a cracked painting, as she supposed, but a mosaic. Arthur Gilbert was particularly proud of having sourced this plaque and its identical scene in pietre dure (Loan:Gilbert.1060-2008): they offer a fantastic opportunity to compare both techniques closely. Sir Arthur Gilbert and his wife Rosalinde formed one of the world's great decorative art collections, including silver, mosaics, enamelled portrait miniatures and gold boxes. Arthur Gilbert donated his extraordinary collection to Britain in 1996. |
Bibliographic references |
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Other numbers |
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Collection | |
Accession number | LOAN:GILBERT.1060:1-2008 |
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Record created | June 26, 2008 |
Record URL |
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