The Touch of the Master?s Hand
Artist/Design: Gino Barsanti and J. Peircy Studios
This life size mosaic ? more than eight feet high and 20 feet wide ? shows the healing ministry of Christ in action. A family stands by with varied emotions as Christ heals their child.
Gino Barsanti, an Italian mosaic, marble and bronze fabricator, creator installed ?the Touch of the Master?s Hand,? employing the same painstaking techniques that have been in use for centuries.
The flesh, garments, vegetation and sky consist of individual pieces (tesserae) of amalti, a special type of smooth glass designed to reflect rather than transmit color. Portions of the faces are composed of 180 to 200 slightly varying shades of glass. The architectural elements are low foreground of the mosaic consist of pieces of marble.
Barsanti and his team in Italy took a personal interest in the creation of this mosaic, which consists of an estimated 200,000 pieces, each carefully selected and manipulated according to size, shape and color to contribute to the overall effect. Those who view the finished masterpiece say it takes on a different appearance throughout the day as it is highlighted by the sun from different angles. Its beauty is thought to be at its peak in the glow of the morning sun.
This Mosaic is on display in the chapel of the Ginsburg Tower on the campus of Florida Hospital Orlando.
