Description
Book SynopsisSpectacle and Display: A Modern History of Britain’s Roman Mosaic Pavements is the first narrative to explore responses and attitudes to mosaics, not just at the point of discovery but during their subsequent history. It is a field which has received scant attention in the literature and provides a compelling insight into the agency of these spectacular remains. Analysis shows how mosaics have influenced and have been instrumental in the commodification of the past, the development of conservation practice and promoting the rise of the archaeologist. ‘The most spectacular remains of Roman Britain’ is a familiar description applied to the discovery of mosaics floors. They are exceptional symbols of Roman life in the province of Britannia and each new discovery is eagerly reported in the press. Yet one estimate suggested that 75% of all known mosaics from Britain have been lost, and they are commonly displayed out of context, wall mounted as artwork in museums and exhibitions and far from their role as floors. This is a contested narrative in which spectacle and survival, conservation and fine art, ownership and curation provide the discourse and texts of contemporary attitudes.
Table of ContentsPreface ;
1. Mosaics Make a Site ;
2. Politics, aristocrats and antiquarians from the earliest discoveries to taste and vertue ;
3. Taste, entertainment and recreation from private patronage to popular display ;
4. Guardians, caretakers and museums – mosaics in the 19th century ;
5. The rise of the professional: the influence of state, profession and community to the mid-20th century ;
6. Crises and response 1970s – 1990s ;
7. The Most Spectacular Roman Remains in Britain ;
8. The glory of Rome? – Mosaics in the face of uncertainty 2000-2016 ;
9. Postscript ;
10. Bibliography
