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The roundels that I see in paintings and mosaics (particularly Piazza Armerina) often appear oval in shape, but the only extant examples I can ever recall seeing are...well...round. Is this just artistic license to imitate what the decoration looks like when the cloth is draped, or are there actual examples of oval decoration that I just haven't come across?
Franklin Slaton
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I haven't seen any oval orbiculi either, but why not?
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Franklin wrote:
Quote:The roundels that I see in paintings and mosaics (particularly Piazza Armerina) often appear oval in shape, but the only extant examples I can ever recall seeing are...well...round. Is this just artistic license to imitate what the decoration looks like when the cloth is draped, or are there actual examples of oval decoration that I just haven't come across?
Oval shapes do exist so they are OK if you want to use them.
Graham.
"Is all that we see or seem but a dream within a dream" Edgar Allan Poe.
"Every brush-stroke is torn from my body" The Rebel, Tony Hancock.
"..I sweated in that damn dirty armor....TWENTY YEARS!', Charlton Heston, The Warlord.
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Sounds great.
Would you still say that these ovals are the exception rather than the rule, though?
And going back to the Piazza Armerina, do you think the ovals depicted here are most likely accurate or artistic convention? Just based on your best guess.
Franklin Slaton
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Hello Franklin
Quote:Would you still say that these ovals are the exception rather than the rule, though?
I do not know if anyone has worked out the percentage of oval, round or square designs. The first book in my collection I picked up to have a look in to see any oval orbiculi had some examples, while Daniele above has indicated some more from one single Museums collection. Based simply on that evidence alone it would appear oval designs are not uncommon.
Quote:And going back to the Piazza Armerina, do you think the ovals depicted here are most likely accurate or artistic convention? Just based on your best guess.
Baring in mind what the medium the mosaic artists used I think they are a fairly accurate rendition. However the designs within the orbiculi on the mosaics must have been simplified as the originals are often very complicated and not possible to reproduce in a mosaic, however good the artist was. So always refer to original examples of Coptic textiles first. It might be possible to find designs the Roman artists were trying to show. There are plenty of books available on the subject second hand.
Best wishes
Graham.
"Is all that we see or seem but a dream within a dream" Edgar Allan Poe.
"Every brush-stroke is torn from my body" The Rebel, Tony Hancock.
"..I sweated in that damn dirty armor....TWENTY YEARS!', Charlton Heston, The Warlord.
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