The architecture of museums has long been used to shape national identity, and to frame collective memory.
Dr. Allen Farber
Gold, glass, and marble dazzle the eye in this 6th-century church. High above us, Emperor Justinian presides.
San Vitale and the Justinian Mosaic
This impressive church borrowed its plan and its columns from ancient pagan buildings.
Basilica of Santa Sabina, Rome
Made for a member of the Roman elite, this early tomb features Old and New Testament scenes in a classical style.
Sarcophagus of Junius Bassus
A mosaic proclaims Christ’s rule over the Heavenly Jerusalem. Gesture, toga, and book signal imperial authority.
Santa Pudenziana
The images on this stone coffin mingle Old and New Testament scenes—among the oldest examples of Christian art.
Santa Maria Antiqua Sarcophagus
Even before Constantine converted to Christianity, his architects adapted imperial designs for Christian use.
Early Christian art and architecture after Constantine
Themes of death and resurrection recur in the first Christian images. But where are scenes from the life of Christ?
Early Christian art
Two figures, the apostle Paul and the Emperor Constantine, brought Christianity to the Greco-Roman world.
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