Good Shepherd fresco
Early Christian
Subject Matter: Jesus Christ w/ sheep and various martyrs.
Style: Shadows and overlap used to create 3-dimensional illusion. The human figures are naturalistic.
Technique: Painted fresco (useing cheap paint inside a poorly-lit catacomb filled with decaying bodies)
Composition/Characteristics: Christ is depicted in the center circle as the good shepherd, while martyrs are painted between lunettes (half-circles) that form the overall shape of a cross. Within the lunettes are depictions of Christ's works/miracles.
Content: Roman art was extremely naturalistic in form, and the early Christians mimic the style and technique, an indication of how closely tied to Roman culture early Christians were despite their frequent persecution. The lack of good location, sufficient time and adequate materials for the painting is representative of this Period of Persecution that lasted until the early 4th century CE, and so is the inclusion of martyrs.
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