[r3ctilinear]

Because we let the bean counters decide the beauty of our architecture.. Like an unused muscle, our capability for physical artisan works withers..

[Cthulhu_]

Err, no, it's because people don't like the aesthetics and/or don't want or can't pay for it. Have you ever considered having a mosaic installed in your house?

[frostburg]

Bisazza exist and I have a bathroom with a (non-figurative) mosaic made with their tiles, but they're expensive and require specialists to install.

[treis]

I have and my conclusion is that it's quite hard to make art out of shaped pieces of rock. It looks like a worse pixelated version of what otherwise could be decent art. At least, IMHO.

Surprisingly not that expensive or difficult to work with. They come on mesh backers and are relatively straight forward to install. Here's a random example:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/1075823696/handmade-royal-peaco...

Pretty good work and not that pricey at $2,500 for a 3ft x 8ft piece.

[danielheath]

I suspect it's been on the decline since canvas became cheap (through mechanized production) a few hundred years ago.

[masklinn]

It’s been on the decline since islamic potters managed to reliably fire painted tiles.