The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-10-05
BEAUTIFUL MOSAIC ART
An Interesting Article by GiuliO
Salyiati of Venice.

By the term mosaic is understood a
work formed Of a number of separate
pieces of a hard and durable material.
These pieces are of various sizes, colors
aud forms, as required by the design
to be produced. Sometimes the pieces are
of marble, sometimes of enamel, and by
their use can be obtained a pi lure, portrait
or other design. the same as would be pro-
duced by painter with his pencil AMI
paints.
The substances used in the manufacture
Of enames, siiicious and other, are the same
as those used in the basis of the Venetian
glass, but to them various mineral sub
stances are added to give the requisite hard
ness, durability, density and color. Gold
and silver enamelS require different pro-
cess. First is produced ground OF thick
glass; on this is laid leaf of pure gold or
silver, and over this is spread film of the
clearest possible glass. The mass is then
subjected to the action of fire, by which
they are fused into one solid body. Great
knowledge and experience are necessary in
the manufacture Of enamelS.
THE HOME OF ART.
After the expulsion of the mosaicists from
ByZanium, Venice appears to have been the
favored home of this art. 1t was in Venice
IIdl lUc 6Iteh dIllSlS lutil oCIDUl,
Rnd there they found willing and expert
Scholars who shortly eXcelled their masters.
But after a long period of prosperity the
Queen of the Adriatic'' declined in glory.
| and then came the decadence of the art of
mosaic. When the republic died this art re-
| manned in lethargy, but it was not dead, nor
even forgotten It's existence was bound up
in the traditions of the people. This was
the firm conviction of DR.. A. Salviati. who.
while practicing his profession at the Forum
of Venice, spent all his leisure hours in
| admiring and studying the sublime works of
arts by which he was surrounded, and who
was at the same time grieved to see how these
noble works were decaying for want of atten-
| ton and repairs. Feeling certain that Italy
| had still the best elements for exercising and
improving the art of mosaic he could not
| resist the temptation to endeavor to bring
| about the resuscitation of the art in Venice,
| and by this means to be of service to his
native land so abandoning his lucrative
| profession he devoted all his eXertiOns and
| capital to the development of the almost for
| gotten art of the manufacture Of Venetian
| gold, silver and colOred enamels. He enlist
| ed the aid of Lorenzo Radi, an artisan of
| Murano, and together they experimental
until after many and many trials they mas
| tered the subject. Then while the artists
| were engaged in pertecting the production
| of enamels, Dr. Salviati commenced the
foundation of school OF mosaic IN Venice,
for the better development of this
art. DR.. Salviati Travelled over Italy and
abroad so as to make himself well acquaint-
ed with the various styles and methods of
producing mosaic. As may be imagined,
this was not accomplished without meeting
manv difficulties. One very serious impedi-
ment was the immense cost of production
To Obvate this Dr. Salviati gave his most
serious attention. At last, by an ingenious
device, this was Surmounted and all the eff
forts of DIR. Salviati were crowned by sue
l,v 1, inv lion ln
abled 10 produce mosaic works at such prices
as to bring them within the reach OF the gen
eral public instead of their being restricted
to The very wealthy as heretofore.
THE ANCIENT METHOD.
BY the ancient method of producing
mosaic, the pieces of enamel were worked
upon the spot destined to be decorated.
The mosaciSt having prepared the wall or
other space destined to be covered, pro-
ceeded to cover it with cement. Then hav-
ing the picture to be reproduced before his
eyes, he, piece by piece. laid mis- enamels
in this bed of cement. When it is considered
how numerous are the colors and tints neces-
sary to produce landscape or other sub
ject, it will be quickly understood how much
labor and time were needed to make mosaic
picture by this means, hence how costly
such works were. DR.. Salviati's device is
far simpler. By his system the picture or
subject is executed in his establishment in
Venice and conveyed thence to the place Of
its erection and there fixed. DIR. Salviati's
method of procedure is thus: The de-
sign required to be produced is first drawn
in pencil of the exact dimensions required,
then eolored cartoon is made faith
fully repreSeAing the subject to be
worked; this colored cartoon is hung up in
the atelier in face of the artists who are to
be employed in its execution. The next
step is to prepare the enamels necessary.
| These vary in size and form according to the
subject and their numbers are immense.
ANY one unacQuainted with the art could
| scarcely conceive the numerous gradatiOns
of tints required to produce head, then
| the various robes, foliage, etc. These col
| ored enamels having been chosen. have now
| to be cut into the required sizes and shapes.
| For this DR.. Salviati has invented many
machines, saving time aud labor Now the
| pencied design is cut into various sections
| and distributed to the special artists, who
work each section. Some artists are eXclu-
| sive for heads; these are the chiefs; others
| heads and feet, others for draperes, foliage,
| heTaldic devices, ETC., and then others who
| do the ground work.
THE FINISHING WORK.
Each artist works upon the section of pa
| per given to him, placing the enamels on
| the right side downward When COM
| pleted these portions of the work are packed
| in cases and sent to the place where they
| are to be fixed. There the wall or other
cement is spread over it, and into this is
imbeddel the sections of mosaic, after which
the picture is cleaned off, and the paper
being removed. the surface is rubbed down
and then is seen the picture in its entirety.
Mosaic, being practically everlasting, causes
it to be the best and most useful kind of
decoration both for exterior and interior
use and the numbers of c0lOrs and grada-
tons of tints being unlimited, any kind Of
subject can be produced. DR.. Saviati has
executed many great and important works
in all parts of the world, and in recognition
of his talent was decorated by nearly all the
crowned heads of Europe. Among the
many great works executed by him mem
ton a few of the most interesting in
America:
A portrait of President Lincoln in the
Senate room, Washington.
A portrait of President Garfield at Wash
ington.
These portraits were presented to the
American Government by DIR. Saviat
Decoration of Grace Church, Broadway.
Monument for the Rev. Mr.. Bethune.
Decoration of a salon; subject-children,
pigeons, flowers, etc., TO the order Of Miss
Cox, etc.
1t was while engaged in the discovery of
the manufacture of enamels that DR.. Sal
Wait also revived the art of Venetian glass
blowing, which was once one of the staple
industries of Venice, and which. under his
direction, is now one of the most interesting
and commercial industries, the artists en-
ployed being descendants of the famous old
masters of Murano.-Giulio Salviati in n.
Y. Mail and Express.
Hair Powder.
Ta.al