Customer Reviews

Mosaics of the Greek and Roman World

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The new book by Katherine Dunbabin is a welcome addition to the already excellent catalogue of Cambridge Press. Ms. Dunbabin once more proves her value as a historian by showing that the study of Art in ancient times goes beyond aesthetics and the sphere of nobles and palaces. Her work on Section II "Technique and Production" brings to life the craftsmen and workshops that made the mosaics, but also the social relationships involved in the creation of all forms of Art. Another strong point of the book is the quality of the images depicted in it, both the photo reproductions and the graphic drawings of the mosaics are astounding. The variety of subjects shown in the mosaics allow the modern reader to have a pretty good idea of the ambiance and way of life of the times. It is also interesting that at the end of each chapter Ms. Dunbabin indicates a list of related bibliography with recent works. I can only be sorry that her own classical work "The Mosaics of Roman North Africa" is out of print. This pioneer work should be reprinted.

I purchased this book to gain color references for the mosaics.....unfortunately, the majority of this book contains black and white plates. If you are planning on using this book as a reference for color, forget it.

I bought this book because I have always appreciated the beauty of mosaics and I want to install some in my house someday. This book provides a thorough (but not tedious) explanation of the history of, and original purposes for, mosaics. The pictures and explanations provide a good understanding of the art form (although many pictures in black and white may frustrate some readers). However, if you couldn't care less about the history of mosaic art, and you are only interested in making some cute mosaic items to give as gifts or to decorate small surfaces in your home yourself with your own original designs, you may be happier with one of the more basic mosaic design books available on Amazon. If you have an appreciation for art history, however, this book will not disapoint.

All thru Italy I took pictures of the floors, I hope to make them into quilts. This book is an excellent reference, I could have bought it first and looked at the other sites while I was on vacation.