Question

What is Pietra Dura?
(A) A form of music
(B) Pictorial mosaic work using semi-precious stones
(C) Armour
(D) None of the above

Answer 1

Hint : As the name suggests, Pietra Dura means “hard stone”. Now what possibly would the work of hard stones be used for? Definitely not for music right. Pietra Dura flourished, the hard stone work involved fashioning beautiful pictures on stones.

Complete Step by Step Answer
Pietra Dura, the work of designing highly illusionistic pictures on hard cut stones out of cut-to-shape pieces of coloured stone, from Florence, Italy, flourished in the late 16th and early 17th century. The hard cut stones might as well be considered as jewel and so it is called semi-precious. It signifies hardness and durability of materials used. The strikingly beautiful colours makes the work close to reality.
Nowadays, these designs are mainly found in museums. The largest collection of these designs are found in Vienna at “Wiener Hofburg”, containing about 67 paintings and cabinets and tables. While in India, the decorations of the Taj Mahal are largely high quality pietra dura. It has a large variety of different patterns often repeated in large quantities.
The Technique used is inlay and the principle is quite simple, making of the patterns or drawings which usually are floral and then preparing the different pieces that make up the stone puzzle. It must be cut into the stones whose color will correspond to the desired color on the final work for each piece. Therefore making the choice of color very essential. In India, it was mainly conceived during Mughal Rule by emperor Akbar, Jahangir and Shah Jahan.

Note: Late 16th century Italy was the time of the Medici and it was Francis I of Medici who promoted the art of Florence. Initially common stones were used but as time and social classes changed and the want of people to distinguish themselves among those of low backgrounds, they started using semi-precious as well as precious stones like diamonds and lapis lazuli.