1. A Masterpiece of Mosaic
The Alexander Mosaic
A Masterpiece of Mosaic

2. One of the greatest achievements of the mosaic artist
One of the greatest achievements of the mosaic artist. From a distance it could easily be mistaken for a well-executed painting

3. Key Information Size: 5.5 x 3.2 metres
Date: circa 120 BC, but probably based on a painting from circa 300 BC
Location: originally laid in the exedra in the House of the Faun. Now in Museo Nazionale, Naples

4. Subject Matter
The two key figures: Alexander the Great and Darius III (Persian King)
Alexander on horseback on the left, Darius in chariot on right
A battle between Greeks and Persians, probably the Battle of Issos (333 BC), possibly the Battle of Gaugamela (331 BC)
In both Battles, Darius flees from the Greeks

5. Style More like a painting than a mosaic
A much more 3D picture than a mosaic would normally present.
A realistic depiction of the scene by using:
-Highlighting -Three-quarter views
-Shading Overlapping
-Shadowing
-Foreshortening

6. Links to a 3rd/4th Century BC Painting
Limitation of colours to white, red, black (and combinations of these)
This is the ‘four-colour’ technique adopted by Greek painters in the 4th/5th C BC
The scarcity of landscape features (tree/few rocks)
Shallow depth of field in the scene
Any depth at all only being conveyed by foreshortening and overlapping