Plaque
ca.1825-1850 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This is one of the finest micromosaics in the Gilbert collection. The tesserae - the small pieces that make up the mosaic - are so small they can scarcely be discerned with the naked eye; truly demonstrating how close this medium can come to simulating painting.
The term 'micromosaic' is used to describe mosaics made of the smallest glass pieces. Some micromosaics contain more than 5000 pieces per square inch. The earliest attempts at micromosaic revealed visible joins between the pieces (known as tesserae) and a lack of perspective. Later artists such as Antonio Aguatti made huge advances in micromosaic technique, resulting in renderings that were truer to life. Glass micromosaic technique developed in the 18th century, in the Vatican Mosaic Workshop in Rome, where they still undertake restoration and original work today.
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.
On long-term loan to Los Angeles County Museum from 2010.
The term 'micromosaic' is used to describe mosaics made of the smallest glass pieces. Some micromosaics contain more than 5000 pieces per square inch. The earliest attempts at micromosaic revealed visible joins between the pieces (known as tesserae) and a lack of perspective. Later artists such as Antonio Aguatti made huge advances in micromosaic technique, resulting in renderings that were truer to life. Glass micromosaic technique developed in the 18th century, in the Vatican Mosaic Workshop in Rome, where they still undertake restoration and original work today.
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.
On long-term loan to Los Angeles County Museum from 2010.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Micromosaic, frame gilt-brass |
| Brief description | Plaque, small circular micromosaic with a depiction of an owl, Rome, ca.1825-1850. |
| Physical description | A small circular micromosaic with a depiction of an owl on a grassy mound in front of a light blue background, clutching a dead pigeon in its talons and beak, after the work of Wenceslaus Peter (1742-1829); in gilt-brass frame |
| Dimensions |
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| Gallery label | Plaque with owl and pigeon
1825–50
Rome, Italy
Glass micromosaic with gilded metal frame
Museum no. Loan:Gilbert.205:1-2008(2009) |
| Credit line | The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Collection on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London |
| Object history | Provenance: Michael Hall, New York, 1975. Historical significance: The owl and pigeon are based on a painting by the specialist animal artist Wenceslaus Peter (1742-1829) who supplied Roman mosaicists with sources for their work. Another owl and kid plaque after Peter on a Gilbert collection snuffbox is attributed to the mosaicist Filippo Puglieschi. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | This is one of the finest micromosaics in the Gilbert collection. The tesserae - the small pieces that make up the mosaic - are so small they can scarcely be discerned with the naked eye; truly demonstrating how close this medium can come to simulating painting. The term 'micromosaic' is used to describe mosaics made of the smallest glass pieces. Some micromosaics contain more than 5000 pieces per square inch. The earliest attempts at micromosaic revealed visible joins between the pieces (known as tesserae) and a lack of perspective. Later artists such as Antonio Aguatti made huge advances in micromosaic technique, resulting in renderings that were truer to life. Glass micromosaic technique developed in the 18th century, in the Vatican Mosaic Workshop in Rome, where they still undertake restoration and original work today. 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. On long-term loan to Los Angeles County Museum from 2010. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Other numbers |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | LOAN:GILBERT.205-2008 |
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| Record created | June 27, 2008 |
| Record URL |
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