Analysis Of Floor Mosaic Between Tethys And Oceanus

The “Fragment of floor mosaic depicting Tethys and Oceanus”, originally from modern day Turkey, now displayed at the Baltimore Museum of Art with an area of 68 x 90 inches, emanates an essence of mythological mystique and power. This power is established through the repetition of geometrical patterns in the bordering frames, the use of harmonious shades of blue in the Titans’ wild, flowing hair, which contrasts the oranges in the background, and the composition. This artwork from the 3rd Century AD depicts Tethys and Oceanus, the married Titans, and children of Uranus and Gaea, according to Greek mythology (Morris, 2022). The medium for this mosaic is stone, glass, and lime mortar. The original artwork was missing an entire portion of the

of As far as the iconography, this mosaic contains six subjects: Oceanus, Tethys, and three small birds bordering the bottom of the mosaic. On the right, Oceanus appears as a grey-haired man with lobster-claw horns and an oar. He looks seriously off into space, while tentatively peering towards Tethys. To the left of Oceanus, Tethys is shown with a winged brow, a sea serpent coiled around her neck and shoulders, while looking in the direction of Oceanus. In addition, she is depicted as slightly larger than Oceanus, making her seem more powerful. Along the bottom of the mosaic, under the geometric border, are three birds. There are two birds to the left and to the right of the peacock; all appearing in profile. The birds are depicted with long emerald tails. The peacock in the middle is emphasized because of its position in the center, while the other two birds appear to be waiting for

In addition, there are lines in the center of the artwork that surround Oceanus and Tethys. Furthermore, the lines created by the tails of the birds appear to point towards the center of the art. The expressive effects of this serve to separate the different aspects of the artwork, forcing the viewer to focus on all parts of the mosaic separately. The lines also act as a frame to emphasize Oceanus and Tethys. As far as the shape and form of the artwork is concerned, Oceanus and Tethys remain as organic shapes in their facial features and upper bodies. Geometric shapes border the artwork in the form of repeating squares. The natural curvature of the sea serpent winds around Tethys, drawing the viewer’s attention to her. In addition, the rectangular shape of the frame and actual mosaic acts as a framework to make the artwork more cohesive and to center the viewer’s attention on the main figures. Also, there is negative space surrounding Oceanus and Tethys that further serves to emphasize the importance and mystique of these children of the