Tabletop
1860-1870 (made)
Artist/Maker | |
Place of origin |
Micromosaics developed into a popular Roman souvenir in the 19th century. The works shown here are among the most ambitious works ever created in this technique which uses minuscule glass pieces just as a painter uses brush-strokes. Cavaliere Michelangelo Barberi (1787-1867) trained as a painter and mosaicist. He nonetheless postulated that technical perfection was not an aim in itself, but rather a ‘service to Rome’ and Italy. The ancient art form mosaic, its revival and further evolution were part of a revolutionary message: at a time when Italians were fighting for political union, Barberi’s monumental tables brought together iconic views showcasing the shared cultural identity of Italy and its ancient roots.
The central panel of this table-top is a small-scale copy of the ‘Doves of Pliny’, an ancient floor mosaic praised by Pliny for its naturalism. Following its rediscovery in 1737, the design inspired a wave of new mosaics that imitated the effect of painting.
Roman monuments depicted (clockwise from top): Pantheon, Temple of Vesta (Tivoli), Colosseum and the Roman Forum
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.
The central panel of this table-top is a small-scale copy of the ‘Doves of Pliny’, an ancient floor mosaic praised by Pliny for its naturalism. Following its rediscovery in 1737, the design inspired a wave of new mosaics that imitated the effect of painting.
Roman monuments depicted (clockwise from top): Pantheon, Temple of Vesta (Tivoli), Colosseum and the Roman Forum
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
Object type | |
Materials and techniques | micromosaic, marble and malachite |
Brief description | Table with doves and monuments of Rome; micromosaic; Rome, about 1860-70 |
Physical description | A circular tabletop inlaid with a micromosaic of the Capitoline Doves. The border is a circular band of green malachite. On the sides are oval mosaics showing the Pantheon, the Temple of Vesta, the Colosseum, and the Roman Forum, interlocked by floral festoons. The outer border of the tabletop, a wide band of two blue and two green mosaic sections, divided by tiny round mosaics of antique masks. |
Dimensions |
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Gallery label | 4. Table-top with ‘The Doves of Pliny’
About 1860–70
The central panel of this table-top is a small-scale copy of the ‘Doves of Pliny’, an ancient floor mosaic praised by Pliny for its naturalism. Following its rediscovery in 1737, the design inspired a wave of new mosaics that imitated the effect of painting. A border fragment of the original is displayed in room 72.
Rome, Italy, probably Michelangelo Barberi (1787–1867)
Glass micromosaic, marble, malachite
Roman monuments depicted (clockwise from top): Pantheon, Temple of Vesta (Tivoli), Colosseum and the Roman Forum
Museum no. Loan:Gilbert.951:2-2008(16/11/2016) |
Credit line | The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Collection on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London |
Subjects depicted | |
Place depicted | |
Association | |
Summary | Micromosaics developed into a popular Roman souvenir in the 19th century. The works shown here are among the most ambitious works ever created in this technique which uses minuscule glass pieces just as a painter uses brush-strokes. Cavaliere Michelangelo Barberi (1787-1867) trained as a painter and mosaicist. He nonetheless postulated that technical perfection was not an aim in itself, but rather a ‘service to Rome’ and Italy. The ancient art form mosaic, its revival and further evolution were part of a revolutionary message: at a time when Italians were fighting for political union, Barberi’s monumental tables brought together iconic views showcasing the shared cultural identity of Italy and its ancient roots. The central panel of this table-top is a small-scale copy of the ‘Doves of Pliny’, an ancient floor mosaic praised by Pliny for its naturalism. Following its rediscovery in 1737, the design inspired a wave of new mosaics that imitated the effect of painting. Roman monuments depicted (clockwise from top): Pantheon, Temple of Vesta (Tivoli), Colosseum and the Roman Forum 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 reference | Gabriel, Jeanette Hanisee with contributions by Anna Maria Massinelli and essays by Judy Rudoe and Massimo Alfieri. Micromosaics: The Gilbert Collection. London: Philip Wilson Publishers Ltd. in association with The Gilbert Collection, 2000. 310 p., ill. Cat. no. 74, p. 136. ISBN 0856675113. |
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Collection | |
Accession number | LOAN:GILBERT.951:2-2008 |
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Record created | September 16, 2008 |
Record URL |
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