wiseheart | a fun time on the old town

spikesgirl58 wrote in her journal:

*More of the curious unexpected topics meme. If you wish to participate let me know in the comments, and I will give you three topics, or spheres of interests, which I think you are not interested in, or maybe you'll surprise me with your interest and/or knowledge. Then you talk about those subjects in your journal. It's interesting to see who knows what about what.*

She gave me the following three topics:

1. Mosaic art
Now, this is a great one. I've loved this art form since my early childhood. My old home church had an early Christian cell beneath it, one of those cella trichora types from the Ancient Roman era. Only the three semi-cicular walls survived, and the altar picture and the floor was made by one of the best Hungarian artists, Eszter Mattioni.

A small taste:https://www.kozterkep.hu/20813/Rokus_kapolna_falikepe_Budapest_1963.html#.
I regret that I couldn't find a good picture of the floor itself, it's decorated with old Christian symbols and is simply amazing.

She also did the altar pictures of the actual church. You can see them here, they are really stunning.

In any case, I've been an admirer of mosaic art ever since, from Roman through Byzantian to even modern versions.

2. Angels
Again, interesting topic. As a good Catholic girl, I never doubted their existence, but I was never truly interested in them, either. Now, having reached an advanced age (and not a tad wiser), I find a citation found in one of Fiondil's stories deeply touching:

For beauty is nothing but the beginning of terror, which we still are just able to endure, and we are so awed because it serenely disdains to annihilate us. Every angel is terrifying. - quote from the First Elegy of Rainer Maria Rilke’s Duino Elegies.

3. Fractions
Sorry, but I have to pass. This has to do with maths! *shudder*
However, if you meant fractal designs, I find those beautiful.