The encaustic cement tiles can undoubtedly occupy one of the most outstanding positions in decoration since its appearance. In fact, since its arrival in the 19th century, it has not ceased to be present. That is why, as craftsmen specialising in encaustic cement tiles, we have been working with it since the 19th century. Mosaics Torra we want to tell you a little more about encaustic cement tiles and its history.
The art of mosaic It began in Assyria, passed through ancient Greece and imperial Rome and has reached the present day with the artistic and material conceptions of each time.
History of encaustic cement tiles by periods
The “big city” of Nineveh
So called in the Book of Jonah, the first traces of what would later develop into the art of mosaic, walls decorated with pieces of stone and clay, were found in Nineveh.
From Greece to Rome
The Roman historian Pliny the Elder gives an account of some of the most beautiful mosaics of the Hellenistic period.
One of the most famous is the one preserved in the House of the Faun in Pompeii, which depicts Alexander the Great fighting against the king of Persia, Darius III. It is made up of about 1.5 million tesserae.
Mosaic decoration was so common in Imperial Rome that every wealthy citizen commissioned several for the embellishment of his residence and villa.
Mosaic comes to Spain
Art arrived in Spain with the Romans and developed on its own after the fall of the empire.
Among the best known are The triumph of Bacchus, discovered in Zaragoza in 1908 and The sacrifice of Iphigenia, found in Girona in the 19th century.
Modernism
With the arrival of the Modernist period, the cement tile began to acquire a new prominence, to such an extent that the encaustic cement tiles became an artistic piece of great value, used by important designers such as Antonio Gaudí.
During this period, geometric, floral and plant designs prevailed, creating the most versatile compositions. Colourful cement tiles began to be designed, creating very colourful compositions.
From the 1920s to the 1950s
The cement tile began to gain prominence during the period from the 1920s to the 1950s. The cement tile style used during this period was characterised by neutral colours with little colour, and ornate designs with mainly interlocking lines. In the 1950s it began its decline, until it began to gain ground again in the current era.
However, its peak was in the 1960s, when the use of cement tiles populated the vast majority of rooms.
Hydraulic tiles in the 1960s
Although cement tiles have been around for many more years since their origins, the fact remains that in the 1960s it was one of the most commonly used floor coverings in houses.. In fact, it became one of the decorative trends of the time until the 1970s, and tiles from this period can still be found in old mansions today.
There were various sizes of tiles, but the most common were 20 x 20 tiles. The most common shapes of the cement tiles of the time consisted of vegetal, geometric and even floral designs.
The most common way to place the cement tile in the 1960s was in the form of a carpet, covering the entire floor, and using tiles to form a border around it. Contrary to what happens in modern cement tile decoration, the use of this tile on walls or countertops was not common. You can find more information about these designs in the following article carpets with cement tiles.
Hydraulic mosaic today
Nowadays, modern cement tiles allow a multitude of combinations, times have changed and different uses adapted to modernist decoration styles are allowed. An example of this is the decoration of worktops, headboards or walls. There is no doubt that the cement tile is still the main protagonist of many rooms.
Torra is a Barcelona-based company that has given continuity in Spain to the millenarian culture of the mosaic and the tile.
Traditional manufacturing methods, coupled with the variety of artistic designs, make the Torra the ideal choice to enhance your home or building with high quality and beautiful cement tiles and mosaics.
Consult the technical department of Torra to plan your designs and give your residence, mall or office an artistic touch of distinction.
Hydraulic mosaic: attached to Barcelona
To talk about encaustic cement tiles and its history is to talk about Barcelona. This is one of the most characteristic elements of the city. It is in fact a fundamental part of what has made it one of the most original and genuine cities in the world. Thus, to speak of Barcelona is to speak of the encaustic cement tiles. This is due to one of the figures who will forever be associated with Barcelona: Gaudí. Thus, it must be said that, although encaustic cement tiless first appeared in France, they soon spread to other parts of Europe.
As could not be otherwise, it ended up reaching Barcelona and other cities in Spain, which we will talk about later. Its initial boom (and the one that has always accompanied it) is due to several characteristics. However, we could say that the main ones are have to do with the fact that it is an inexpensive material that gives a lot of personality.. Apart from that, it has several characteristics that made it equally suitable for interior decoration as well as for the decoration of large public spaces.
How Gaudí and others made the encaustic cement tiles great
The principles of encaustic cement tiles showed very early on the enormous possibilities that this had. The first designs were based on a decorative intention in which there was an abundance of designs of geometric mosaics and floral designs. Fundamentally, they were designed for the 19th century palace houses that were so common in some Spanish cities such as Vitoria, Seville and Barcelona itself. In addition, in the case of Seville was the main feature of the emblematic monument in Plaza de España..
Naturally, they are also present in certain towns in France or in their rural villages. The initial intention was therefore to make the encaustic cement tiles a handmade piece whose design gave the impression of looking like a colourful carpet..
It was not until later that some designers began to make their own designs. This point is important when referring to the encaustic cement tiles and its history, as it explains in large part why this piece was so successful. As we have said, the encaustic cement tiles is a work of craftsmanship. This is because it gives us the possibility to make a totally unique design. Basically, encaustic cement tiles allows for any design. This has encouraged designers to try out their own combinations of colours, patterns and textures.
Among them, in addition to Domènech or Puig i Calafach, we must highlight the designs of Gaudí. Specifically, this one can still be found on Passeig de Gràcia and in the Casa Milà.
Gaudí's mark on the history of encaustic cement tiless
Gaudí is the designer who made Barcelona great. His unmistakable designs have contributed to the city's unique character. In fact, he took advantage of all the potential in terms of colour and cost to give a spectacular result to the different spaces. We cannot talk about encaustic cement tiles and its history without mentioning Gaudí.
The fact is that encaustic cement tiles is not only used to clad a space; beyond that, it can be used to limit it and create differentiated ambiences without the need to add walls or obstacles. This means that, together with the infinite variety of different designs as well as their low cost, encaustic cement tiles has been one of the most widely used materials since it first appeared.
So much so that other materials have fallen out of fashion along the way: fine woods, glass, vinyl, etc. Whoever happens, regardless of the style that the fashion of each era sets, the truth is that encaustic cement tiles tile fits all and has been providing its advantages for two centuries now..
That is why from Mosaics Torra we would like to invite you to know our extensive catalogue. As it could not be otherwise, first of all we wanted to include designs from the Gaudí universe. In addition, we have other types of designs such as the Victorian series that will allow you to make the most of any space. Decorate with personality; with the secular and fruitful tradition of encaustic cement tiles.
The history of the mosaic in the Ancient Rome is that of a discipline that became generalised in the villae, palaces y thermal centres. In this article we refer to the most common cases and explain how this technique is applied today.
History of mosaic in Rome: villae, palaces and baths...
To determine a history of the mosaic it is convenient to say that the mosaic is not of Roman origin. Although rudimentary techniques were already in place in Sumer, were the Greeks who perfected it. In fact, the word mosaic comes from Greek mousaes (muses). The occupation of Greece by Rome in the 2nd century BC assumed that many teachers to move to the metropolis, The Roman Empire's status as an empire favoured its adoption throughout the territory under its rule. Rome's status as an empire favoured its adoption throughout the territory under its yoke. The mosaic floor was a recurring alternative, but it was also used for walls, ceilings or other reasons.
In the villae, the mosaics were used as social distinguishing feature. The more complex the construction and decorative motifs, the higher the status of the owner. It should not be forgotten that this technique was complex and required the extraction of resources and time for construction work. The same was true of imperial or governor's palaces.
The hot springs were the most characteristic case of public buildings in which this was used decoration with encaustic cement tiless. Of course, priority was given to the marine motifs and the gods related to the sea or the water. However, it is true that the status of the estancia or the wealth of the town were factors.
Techniques used in Ancient Rome
The most common technique to configure mosaics was the opus tessellatum. The raw materials were the tesserae, The pebbles were found in the rivers because they were of various colours. The condition is that they have more than 4 millimetres. Afterwards, they had to be placed on a semi-liquid mass so that they could become fixed. In addition to the rivers, it was also possible to get rocky remains calcareous or even marble o granite. However, as the years went by, the technique and the search for different tesserae were perfected.
Another option was the opus vermiculatum, for more detailed cases. This was because the tesserae were smaller and were usually brought from the workshop with the composition already made to fix them. When the opus vermiculatum, complex designs were prioritised. Therefore, it should be noted that these used to be more expensive designs when measured in square metres.
For the mosaic floor were used both techniques; a base of opus tessellatum and, for the details, the opus vermiculatum. The most important factors were the cost of manufacture and, of course, the wishes of the owner. In any case, it is important to point out that, in the Ancient Rome, This technique was face. Normally, access would only be granted to those who have wealthy families or the municipalities with many resources. This can be applied both indoors and outdoors. outside.
