Page 44 - 2023 eMag Final Draft

Exploring
ing
Expl or mosaic. Adorned with gold and limestone,
it depicts daily life in a Roman city, with
street vendors lining the streets while
children play in alleyways. Sartorially, the
the World 's wealthy were dressed in togas lined with
purple, whilst the regular citizens wore
the World 's
tunics. Truly a masterpiece.
Art
Art at least 5,000 years ago, with early examples
The art of mosaic making dates back
found in Mesopotamia and ancient Egypt.
However, it flourished particularly in the
Greek and Roman civilizations (AquaBlu,
n.d.). Mosaic tiles were typically made
from various materials, including coloured
glass, stone, shells or even gold. (History of
Mosaics, n.d.) Mosaics were created using
two primary techniques: tesserae and opus
Written by Chen Jun Hao Sr1ComA
sectile. The former technique involved
using small, uniform square pieces
(History of Mosaics, n.d.) (Stephan, 2016),
while the latter technique utilised larger,
irregularly shaped pieces to form intricate
designs (Setia, 2008). Ancient mosaics
depicted a wide range of subjects, including
mythological scenes, religious motifs,
hunts, exotic creatures, and action scenes.
(Stephan, 2016), (History of Mosaics, n.d.)
Art, a physical manifestation of a culture’s They were often used to decorate floors,
creativity, is the forefather of history and the walls, and ceilings of public buildings and
impetus to a contemporary consensus on ancient private homes. (Cartwright, 2013)
culture. From the esoteric to the conspicuous, art
reveals itself in many forms. Constructed from Ever since the dawn of human
marble and glass, or woven from silk and cloth, it sapience, we have always established the
only serves to accentuate the fluidity of art. Thus, concept of a home, be they austere or
it is salient to me as to why it is worth exploring grandiose. It would only be logical for us
the world’s art. to find a suitable abode to rest, recuperate
and sleep, when mankind of epochs gone
A researcher is struck by a scintillating by stumbled upon the perfect place:
reflection; he has struck gold. Brush by brush caves. Thus as they settled into their new
and stroke by stroke, he reveals an ancient Roman home, they left behind equipment, pottery
clothing and perhaps the progenitor to
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humanity’s first-
ever art form:
cave paintings.
Most cave paintings used natural
pigments such as limonite and hematite for
reds, oranges, yellows and browns, whilst
black was sourced from charcoal or soot.
(Natural Earth Paint et al., 2017) Most
depict hunts made by the cave dwellers,
utilising tools such as spears, bows and
arrows, proving that they were far beyond
the benighted savages that some individuals
believe (O’Hara, 2014, #). For instance,
the Lascaux Cave Paintings, located in
southwestern France, in the Lascaux cave
complex houses some of the most famous
cave paintings in the world. The paintings
date back to the Upper Paleolithic period,
approximately 20,000 years ago. The
images depict various animals, including
horses, bulls, deer, and a variety of abstract
symbols. (Clottes & Bradshaw Foundation,
n.d.) Situated in Madhya Pradesh, India,
the Bhimbetka rock shelters are home to
one of the oldest known cave painting sites
in South Asia. The paintings date back
to the Mesolithic periods, spanning over
30,000 years. The artworks depict human
figures, animals, and scenes from
daily life. (smarthistory, 2022)
A brush, a pen and powder, what
do these tools have in common? These
are the main components of cosmetics.
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