Find out why Hermes was recast as the Good Shepherd in early Christianity
Early Christian art: c. 33 – 325 C.E.
What decline? Far from breaking with earlier styles, these objects blend classical idioms with Christian symbols.
Classicism and the Early Middle Ages
Silver ink on purple parchment—what luxury! This is the oldest surviving illustrated biblical text.
The Vienna Genesis
An earthquake buried this early Roman church. Recent excavations exposed layers of wall painting.
Santa Maria Antiqua
Below Rome’s streets lie shelves of tombs. Buried among the dead are early examples of Christian art.
Catacomb of Priscilla, Rome
A family outing begins with a river crossing and ends with Jacob wrestling an angel. This story twists and turns.
The Story of Jacob from the Vienna ...
An unassuming brick exterior belies the luminous mosaics within. In one, a young, beardless Christ tends his flock.
The Mausoleum of Galla Placidia
A colonnade draws our eye to the altar—or is that the emperor? The church mimics earlier imperial buildings.
Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, Rome
One image, two episodes—and three cultures. This narrative of Rebecca contains multitudes.
Rebecca and Eliezer at the Well, Vienna ...
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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