Wheels of Fortune

The Wheel of Fortune, symbol of the fickleness of human fortune, has been represented in mosaics since the Roman times. 

 

Pompeii, 1st century AD

When this unique Roman Wheel of Fortune spins,  the rich (symbolised by the purple cloth on the left) becomes poor, and the poor (symbolised by the skin of a goat on the right) rich. 

Life, however, is very precarious, death is lurking at every moment,  suspended by a thread; if it breaks, the soul - symbolized by the butterfly - flies away.

 
  

Siena Duomo, 1372

 

Earliest panel of the Siena Duomo, the Wheel of Fortune was built in 1372. It was restored in the 1860s with many of its marble inlays replaced, worn nearly featureless by centuries of tramping pilgrims and tourists.

 

 

 

Koelner Dom, 1887

In this modern Wheel of Fortune mosaic (quite similar to the previous one) from the Cologne Cathedral (designed in 1885) a young man uses all his strength to spin the wheel of fortune. As the wheel turns, he is first carried upwards by a spoke of the wheel, experiences elation as he gets his heart’s desire, and is then carried downwards again. As the cycle begins again, the man contemplates the hand Fortune has dealt him.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New York, 20th century

Closer to us 20th century mosaic is located at 59th Street and Lexington Avenue Subway Station in New York. 

 

I am a modern mosaic artist with a deep admiration for ancient Greek, Roman and Byzantine Arts. You can see some of my own mosaics on my site mosaicblues.

 

If you are interested by my work in general  or if you would simply like to drop me a line, please 

contact me by email at frederic.lecut@mosaic.com   

or by phone at (334) 798 1639.  You can also

SUBSCRIBE to my

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The Queen of the Night

Today my main topic won't be mosaic, but the beautiful Queen of the Night...

I met her on June 8 at the British Museum, but had known her for a long long time, and was thrilled to meet her in person for the first time.

Interestingly enough, the Sumerian Goddess from about 1750 BC comes 1300 years later to haunt Odysseus on a Greek Crater from around 450 BC.

1600 years later as a funerary mermaid.

and 2100 years later on a beautiful Roman mosaic in Tunisia, as a mermaid again, taunting Odysseus...

So you see here, we have an old symbol, sometimes we call it an archetype, which has survived 2000 years, and somehow is still alive in collective memories... 

 

Kongelige Bibliotek, Gl. kgl. S. 3466 8º, Folio 37r

That is why studying Art, History and Mythology  might help us understand present times. There is a reason why dictators don't want us to study humanities (or finance education systems which would teach these materials). Humanities allow us to understand what people did it in the past, why they did it, what happened to them as a consequence, and may help us make sure  we won't get fooled again...

I am a modern mosaic artist with a deep admiration for ancient Greek, Roman and Byzantine Arts. You can see some of my own mosaics on my site mosaicblues.

 

If you are interested by my work in general  or if you would simply like to drop me a line, please 

contact me by email at frederic.lecut@mosaic.com   

or by phone at (334) 798 1639.  You can also

SUBSCRIBE to my

NEWSLETTER

The Standard of Ur

I was so excited to visit the British Museum last week. I did not have much time and had to hurry through a few rooms mostly Western European, Mediterranean and Middle Eastern antiquities...

Now sometimes you hear, and see pictures of famous pieces of Art, and you think you know a lot about them, like the Mona Lisa, the Parthenon, the Eiffel Tower, but when you actually SEE them with your own eyes, it's different, because you can actually relate to them. One point that has often surprised me is that I had false assumptions about the size of the work, or object.

I remember waking toward the Pont du Gard once - an aqueduct built by the Romans during the 1st century, and realizing how enormous that bridge was. Or when I went to see the Girl with the Pearl Earring in Atlanta a few years ago. I realized how small this paining was...

So I had heard about the Standard of Ur for a long time, I had even blogged about it a while ago, and I had imagined that piece much bigger than it actually is. 

The four sides are decorated with inlaid mosaic scenes made from shell, red limestone and Lapis Lazuli set in Bitumen.

The 2 main panels display War and Peace at the time of Sumer.

On the "War" panel the king stands in the middle taller than any other figure, his head projecting out of the frame to emphasize his supreme status. 

On the "Peace" panel he sits on a carved stool attending a Banquet, faced by other participants, holding cups raised in their right hand. It could be the banquet celebrating victory over other kingdoms.

Here is a short video I shot of this remarkable piece I was so happy to get to see in person !

This type of mosaic is called Opus Sextile or Sectile. In this technique materials are cut and inlaid into panels, walls or floors to make a picture or pattern. Common materials are marble, mother of pearl, and glass.  

Basilica of Junius Bassus - Rome, Italy - 331 AD

 

I am a modern mosaic artist with a deep admiration for ancient Greek, Roman and Byzantine Arts. You can see some of my own mosaics on my site mosaicblues.

 

If you are interested by my work in general  or if you would simply like to drop me a line, please 

contact me by email at frederic.lecut@mosaicblues.com

or by phone at (334) 798 1639.  You can also 

SUBSCRIBE to my

NEWSLETTER